Royal wedding ‘to serve as rehearsal for the Queen's funeral’

Apr 25, 2011 |

London

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It has emerged that Palace officials are planning to take advantage of the Royal wedding frenzy to rehearse for what is expected to be the next major state occasion - Queen Elizabeth II's funeral.

If things go as planned, the April 29 wedding procession will use the same route as the sovereign's funeral cortege, when a gun carriage will escort the Queen's coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall.

A squad of courtiers will go over the route, check the list of VIPs invited to attend and update the plan according to the timings recorded and the appearance of unforeseen obstacles.

The Queen is said to be ‘very pragmatic’ about the exercise, realising that the gathering together of so many heads of state and Commonwealth leaders in one place will give her officials the best chance to make sure her funeral goes without a hitch, reports the Scotsman.

The rehearsal is even believed to have been given its own codename: London Bridge.

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