Forces hold early hours rehearsal for Queen’s funeral procession

Final preparations for the funeral of the Queen are taking place in London. Thousands of military personnel took part in a full rehearsal for the procession of her coffin from Westminster Hall to Wellington Arch The rehearsal took place before sunrise on Thursday morning, and saw the State Gun Carriage, towed by almost 100 naval personnel and bearing a black coffin, travel from Westminster Hall, on to Westminster Abbey, and then through central London Hundreds of mourners who had waited in line overnight to visit the late monarch lying in state left Westminster Hall to see the thousands of military personnel in ceremonial uniform taking part in the preparations for Monday’s event The sound of bagpipes began at 2.45am, signalling the start of the procession and echoing through the quiet streets of London