William and Harry to join funeral cortege

The practice procession went off without a hitch

Princes William and Harry will walk behind their great-grandmother's coffin when it is drawn through the streets of the capital in a spectacular military procession on Friday.

In a break with royal tradition, the Princess Royal will also join them, a ceremony usually reserved for male family members.

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Fourteen senior members of the Royal Family will walk behind the coffin on its 28-minute journey from the Queen's Chapel at St James's Palace in central London to Westminster Hall.

The sight of Prince William, 19, and his 17-year-old brother Prince Harry, walking behind as mourners is certain to stir memories of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales's funeral procession five years ago.

Mock crown

In her first public appearance since her mother's death, the Queen mingled with crowds at Windsor Castle on Thursday afternoon.

She looked at the flowers and tributes left for her mother and spoke to members of the public.

More than 1,600 soldiers gathered at St James's Palace in the early hours of Thursday for a rehearsal of the procession, which takes place at 1130 BST (1030 GMT) on Friday.

	The funeral procession 1,600 servicemen and women Gun carriage for coffin Artillery guns fired across London  Find out more about the funeral

At the centre was a horse-drawn gun carriage carrying a coffin draped in a Union Jack flag, and with a mock crown resting on top.

At the stroke of 0600 BST the procession was ordered to march and the carriage, pulled by four black horses, made its way past St James's Palace accompanied by an Army band.

As the sun came up the procession moved down the Mall, around Horse Guards' Parade and along Whitehall to Westminster Hall.

Friday's event will be the largest procession of its kind on Britain's streets since Sir Winston Churchill's funeral in 1965.

The dress rehearsal came ahead of the Welsh and Northern Ireland assemblies being recalled early from their Easter break to pay their tributes to the Queen Mother.

Political tributes

Northern Ireland First Minister David Trimble said "her character and her humour is something we will all remember".

His Welsh counterpart Rhodri Morgan described her as "witty, full of fun and someone who invented the walkabout, long before Bill Clinton and Tony Blair came along".

He added: "She could have faded away (after her husband's death) and devoted herself to horse racing and private interests, but instead she devoted herself to public life."

Funeral procession facts

1,600 servicemen and women

Mounted police to lead

Troops from four commonwealth countries and Britain

Gun carriage drawn by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery

28-gun royal salute fired as procession starts

Guard of honour in Parliament Square

On Wednesday politicians also paid tributes at specially recalled sittings of the Westminster and Holyrood Parliaments.

Elsewhere on Thursday jockeys at the first day of the Grand National meeting will take part in a one-minute silence as a mark of respect.

It will be repeated on Friday and Saturday at the Aintree Racecourse, Merseyside. The jockeys will also wear black armbands.

The procession from St James' s Palace to Westminster Hall will be via Marlborough Road, The Mall, Horse Guards Road, Horse Guards Parade, Horse Guards Arch, Whitehall, Parliament Square and New Palace Yard.

The Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex and Viscount Linley will join the other Royals walking behind the Queen Mother's coffin.

Procession route

Peter Phillips, the Princess Royal's son, the Duke of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, Prince Michael of Kent, the Princess Royal's husband Commodore Timothy Laurence and Lady Sarah Chatto's husband Daniel will also be included in the solemn procession.

Lady Sarah, a granddaughter of the Queen Mother, will travel to Westminster Hall with the Queen.

Members of the public will be able to pay their respects at Westminster Hall on Friday from 1400-1800 BST and from Saturday to Monday from 0800 BST to 1800 BST.

On Tuesday morning, the coffin will be taken from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey for the Queen Mother's funeral service.