ITV announces live coverage plans for the Queen’s funeral
The Queen’s funeral is expected to be the largest outside broadcast in the corporation’s history
ITV has announced it will run live, uninterrupted coverage of the Queen’s state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday September 19.
The coverage will be preceded by a preview on Good Morning Britain and followed by a documentary chronicling the lead-up to the event, expected to be the largest outside broadcast in the corporation’s history.
A special program focusing on the day’s events will follow at 9pm, as well as an extended News at Ten.
It comes as other UK networks including the BBC continue to adjust their schedules around coverage of the Queen’s death.
What is ITV’s plans for the day of the Queen’s funeral?
All of the programming on the day of the funeral, from 6am to midnight, will be broadcast simultaneously on the main channel and five digital channels and the ITV Hub. This is the first time the broadcaster has done so.
ITV confirmed there will be no advertising on any channel on the day and further details of the coverage will be announced in due course.
How will the BBC’s programming schedule be affected this week?
The BBC said special programs on Tuesday (September 13) will be interspersed with news programs, including HM The Queen: The Journey To London as well as a special edition of The One Show: Our Queen Remembered.
The broadcaster also announced that new episodes of EastEnders will be available daily on BBC iPlayer at 7.30pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week.
This follows the program previously being suspended after the historic news was announced.
The episode of Eastenders that aired on Monday (September 12) saw a touching tribute to the monarch, with characters Linda Carter, Denise Fox and Kathy Beale discussing her years of “selfless” service in an opening scene in the Old Vic.
What will happen on the day of the funeral?
It means the public will get the chance to line the streets of London and pay their respects to the longest serving monarch in history.
The same day as the funeral, the Queen’s coffin will be taken to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for a televised committal service.
Later in the evening, there will be a private burial service with senior members of the royal family.
The Queen’s final resting place will be the King George VI memorial chapel, an annex to the main chapel – where her mother and father were buried, along with the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret.
Philip’s coffin will move from the Royal Vault to the memorial chapel to join the Queen’s.