Coral Warner, 81, has been a staunch royalist since she was 6 years old and will pull an "all-nighter" to watch Queen Elizabeth II's funeral. Photo / Andrew Warner
Coral Warner, 81, has been a staunch royalist since she was 6 years old and will pull an "all-nighter" to watch Queen Elizabeth II's funeral. Photo / Andrew Warner
At 81 years old, Coral Warner remembers the death and funeral of King George.
After tonight, the Rotorua woman will have the service for Queen Elizabeth II to remember also. "I'll be pulling an all-nighter for as long as it goes. I'll watch it all, from go to whoa."
Warner will be among the projected billions of people worldwide watching the funeral procession for the Queen, with TV coverage beginning from 7.30pm (NZT). The service is expected to happen about 10pm (NZT).
The state funeral is being held at Westminster Abbey in London where the Queen's coronation was held 1953. Two minutes of silence will be observed across Britain at the end of the service.
Members of the public file past the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign's orb and sceptre, lying in state. Photo / AP
Warner said she had been a royalist since she was six years old and still could not quite believe the Queen had died.
"I remember her dad dying. We got a day off school then, everything was closed for a day."
Warner said the Queen's death was especially shocking because of the photos of her "with that beautiful smile" taken two days before when she met new British Prime Minister Liz Truss.
"I know I've seen it but she's just been there for so long ... I just can't believe it. I think, like many other people, I thought she'd just go on forever even though we knew it would happen eventually."
The funeral event was expected to become one of the biggest global TV events in history, with more than 4 billion people expected to watch. The funeral was also projected to cost more than NZ$10.1 million, funded by British taxpayers. The nation's last state funeral was for Winston Churchill in 1965.
Tauranga's Crown and Badger Pub is usually closed on a Monday but will open especially today to offer people a place where they can collectively watch the service.
Operations manager Kerry Bollen said the pub would open from 4pm and coverage of the funeral would be live-streamed.
"With us being the British pub that we are, it only feels right that we do something," she said.
Bollen said the Queen's death had been widely felt among the pub's clientele.
"It has definitely been a bit of a topic people are talking about. It's kind of nice to hear the younger people talk about it as well. We probably won't see another queen while we live, so it's quite a historic moment," she said.
"We are just doing our part."
Most of the world's top politicians will attend, including US President Joe Biden. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will both be there.
The Queen's final journey will end at St George's Chapel where her late husband Prince Philip's funeral was held.
At 6.25am, at a private family service, the Queen will be buried together with her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, at the King George VI memorial chapel, located inside St George's Chapel.
All times are in NZT and span the period from 5.30pm on September 19 to 6.30am on September 20.
5.30pm Lying in state closes to the public 7pm Doors open at Westminster Abbey 9.44pm Coffin leaves Westminster Hall 9.52pm Coffin arrives at Westminster Abbey 10pm Funeral service begins 10.55pm National two-minute silence 11pm Funeral service ends 11.15pm Procession leaves for Wellington Arch 12am Coffin transfers to hearse at Wellington Arch 2.06am Hearse arrives at Windsor Castle 2.10am Procession along the Long Walk 3am Committal service at St George's Chapel 6.30am Queen buried at private service at the chapel
