Royal cinema serves as funeral HQ

The cinema now hosts a major planning operation

The guest list for the Queen Mother's funeral is being finalised by a team based in the cinema at Buckingham Palace.

A staff of 20, from the Lord Chamberlain's Office and the Ministry of Defence, are putting together the final 2,200 names for invitations.

All the ticketing for the event at London's Westminster Abbey is being organised in the lavish cinema, which has been turned into part of the funeral planning headquarters.

Curtains are drawn across the full-size cinema screen as the workers make calls to around the world, surrounded by classical marble pillars and works of art.

We will be working through the night until the job is done

Lt Col Sir Malcolm Ross
Lord Chancellor's Office

The guest list was drawn up over the years by the Palace and Clarence House, the Queen Mother's London residence.

The invitations are computerised and the operation in the old cinema is in liaison with the hub of the funeral planning in the palace billiards room

This is where senior staff from the Lord Chamberlain's Office carry out strategic planning and liaise with police, government departments and other outside agencies.

When the capacity 2,200 Abbey seats are filled, a giant plan of the building will be drafted to allocate seat numbers in order of protocol.

VIPs

The Queen's Comptroller, Lieutenant Colonel Sir Malcolm Ross of the Lord Chancellor's Office, heads the operation.

He said: "This is fast planning with short notice.

"We would like to get all tickets in the post by Thursday evening, if possible. As we stand, we have over 1,500 confirmed acceptances."

But he said many of those put on the list over the years had died or were very elderly.

Workers contact VIPs from around the world

He added: "Many are now too old or infirm to make the journey but that must be their judgment, not ours.

"We will be working through the night until the job is done."

Between 15 and 25 foreign Royals are expected to be among the congregation alongside heads of state, politicians, diplomats and Commonwealth representatives.

There will also be members of the public who were linked in some way to the Queen Mother.

Sir Malcolm said: "We have had requests from members of the public to attend and we have to evaluate them.

"I've been working on the plan for 15 years and it still was not complete - you soon realise that when you put the plan into action."

The cinema is used by the Royal Household Film Club and the last film shown there was The Italian Job, starring Michael Caine and the Queen Mother's good friend, Noel Coward.