Stop the clocks: The chimes of Big Ben will be silenced for the duration of Thatcher's funeral in special Parliament tribute
The world famous chimes of Big Ben will fall silent for the duration of Baroness Thatcher’s funeral.
Commons Speaker John Bercow told MPs there can be ‘profound dignity and deep respect’ in silence, as he announced plans to switch off the chimes for the first time since Winston Churchill's death.
The move comes after Lady Thatcher’s family rejected the idea of ringing a bell for each of her 87 years, a tribute paid to Churchill when his body left the Houses of Parliament.
Baroness Thatcher's children, Sir Mark and Carol Thatcher, today said they appreciated the 'great honour' of Big Ben and Westminster's Great Clock falling silent during their mother's funeral.
The former Premier's body will arrive at the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday evening, where it will remain overnight in the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft.
A short service for around 100 people will be led by the Dean of Westminster, attended by the family, senior MPs and peers and Commons staff who knew or worked closely with Baroness Thatcher.
The Speaker’s Chaplain, the Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, will keep vigil in the Chapel through the night.
The coffin will leave Parliament on Wednesday morning to be take to St Paul's Cathedral for the funeral ceremony, beginning at 11am.
Mr Bercow - whose Labour-supporting wife Sally has declined an invitation to the funeral - said he believed the best way for Parliament to pay tribute was for the chimes to cease.
In a statement in the Commons, he said: ‘I have received a number of representations direct and indirect, formal and informal concerning how the house and Parliament as an institution might best mark this occasion.
‘I have considered all of these but
concluded that the most appropriate means of indicating our sentiments
would be for the chimes of Big Ben and chimes of the Great Clock to be
silent for the duration of the funeral proceedings.
‘I believe that there can be a profound dignity and deep respect expressed in and through silence and I am sure the whole House will agree.’
Some Tory MPs had suggested Big Ben to chime 87 times - one for each year of Baroness Thatcher's life - but it is understood her family vetoed the idea.
The proposal to silence the bells first emerged in a leaked email from Black Rod, one of Westminster's most senior figures.
The House of Commons authorities said the last time the bells were silenced were for Winston Churchill's funeral except in the 1970s when it broke down.
The announcement came just hours after a stirring full military rehearsal for the Iron Lady's funeral had taken place before dawn this morning.
Major Andrew Chatburn, the man in charge of choreographing the parade, said the rehearsal 'went very well' and claimed it was 'vitally important' to stage a trial of Wednesday's event.
More than 700 serving Armed Forces personnel gathered in central London before dawn as a Union flag-draped coffin was carried on a horse-drawn gun carriage from St Clement Danes, the church of the Royal Air Force, down the Strand to St Paul's Cathedral.
The procession band played the
funeral marches of Chopin, Beethoven and Mendelssohn as it made its way
along the deserted streets.
During the rehearsal the military and police wore their working dress and high visibility clothes respectively, but they will be in ceremonial uniform on Wednesday.
The pensioners from Royal Hospital Chelsea did not take part today due to the early start, but they will line the west steps of St Paul's for the real event.
The procession, timed to last 19 minutes, will see the Union flag-draped coffin carried on a horse-drawn gun carriage from St Clement Danes, the church of the Royal Air Force, down the Strand on Wednesday morning.
Led by the Band of the Royal
Marines, the solemn procession will then slowly travel along Fleet
Street towards St Paul's where around 2,000 mourners are expected to
attend the service.
The streets of central London will be lined by men and women from all three services along with three marching bands.
These will be the RAF band, which will be closest to St Clement Danes, the Band of the Scots Guards and the Band of the Royal Marines, all with their drums draped in black as a mark of respect. Once at St Paul's, Lady Thatcher's coffin will be met by a Guard of Honour provided by the Prince of Wales Company of the First Battalion Welsh Guards.
A tri-service bearer party, drawn from ships, squadrons and regiments particularly associated with the Falklands, will then place the coffin on their shoulders and the gun carriage will draw away.
The bearer party, dressed in their regimental or service uniform and who have been carefully selected according to their height, will be made up of the Royal Navy/Marines, Scots Guards, Welsh Guards, Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, Parachute Regiment, Royal Gurkha Rifles and RAF.
Commons Speaker John Bercow told MPs there can be ‘profound dignity and deep respect’ in silence, as he announced plans to switch off the chimes for the first time since Winston Churchill's death.
The move comes after Lady Thatcher’s family rejected the idea of ringing a bell for each of her 87 years, a tribute paid to Churchill when his body left the Houses of Parliament.
Baroness Thatcher's children, Sir Mark and Carol Thatcher, today said they appreciated the 'great honour' of Big Ben and Westminster's Great Clock falling silent during their mother's funeral.
The former Premier's body will arrive at the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday evening, where it will remain overnight in the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft.
A short service for around 100 people will be led by the Dean of Westminster, attended by the family, senior MPs and peers and Commons staff who knew or worked closely with Baroness Thatcher.
The Speaker’s Chaplain, the Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, will keep vigil in the Chapel through the night.
The coffin will leave Parliament on Wednesday morning to be take to St Paul's Cathedral for the funeral ceremony, beginning at 11am.
Mr Bercow - whose Labour-supporting wife Sally has declined an invitation to the funeral - said he believed the best way for Parliament to pay tribute was for the chimes to cease.
Speaker John Bercow said the tribute was the
right one for Parliament, but Respect MP George Galloway is planning to
disrupt plans to cancel PMQs to allow MPs to attend Wednesday's funeral
In a statement in the Commons, he said: ‘I have received a number of representations direct and indirect, formal and informal concerning how the house and Parliament as an institution might best mark this occasion.
GALLOWAY OPPOSES AXING PMQS FOR FUNERAL OF 'WICKED WOMAN'
Left-winger
George Galloway is to attempt to frustrate plans to cancel Wednesday's
Prime Minister's Questions so MPs can attend the funeral of Baroness
Thatcher.
The Respect MP has said he will try tonight to block a Government motion dropping Commons questions and delaying the start of business to 2.30pm, after the funeral has taken place.
He described the former prime minister as ‘wicked woman’ and said there had been a ‘tidal wave of guff’ since her death last week.
He told BBC 2: ‘There are millions of people in this country hate the very word Thatcher and Thatcherism, which continues to this day.’
Ministers had hoped the motion, tabled by Leader of the House Andrew Lansley, would go through 'on the nod' at the end of Commons business.
However Mr Galloway has said he will take advantage of Commons rules which mean that if one MP shouts 'Object', the motion will either have to be withdrawn, allowing PMQs to go ahead as normal, or the Government will have set aside parliamentary time tomorrow so that it can be debated and voted on.
The Respect MP has said he will try tonight to block a Government motion dropping Commons questions and delaying the start of business to 2.30pm, after the funeral has taken place.
He described the former prime minister as ‘wicked woman’ and said there had been a ‘tidal wave of guff’ since her death last week.
He told BBC 2: ‘There are millions of people in this country hate the very word Thatcher and Thatcherism, which continues to this day.’
Ministers had hoped the motion, tabled by Leader of the House Andrew Lansley, would go through 'on the nod' at the end of Commons business.
However Mr Galloway has said he will take advantage of Commons rules which mean that if one MP shouts 'Object', the motion will either have to be withdrawn, allowing PMQs to go ahead as normal, or the Government will have set aside parliamentary time tomorrow so that it can be debated and voted on.
‘I believe that there can be a profound dignity and deep respect expressed in and through silence and I am sure the whole House will agree.’
Some Tory MPs had suggested Big Ben to chime 87 times - one for each year of Baroness Thatcher's life - but it is understood her family vetoed the idea.
The proposal to silence the bells first emerged in a leaked email from Black Rod, one of Westminster's most senior figures.
The House of Commons authorities said the last time the bells were silenced were for Winston Churchill's funeral except in the 1970s when it broke down.
The announcement came just hours after a stirring full military rehearsal for the Iron Lady's funeral had taken place before dawn this morning.
Major Andrew Chatburn, the man in charge of choreographing the parade, said the rehearsal 'went very well' and claimed it was 'vitally important' to stage a trial of Wednesday's event.
More than 700 serving Armed Forces personnel gathered in central London before dawn as a Union flag-draped coffin was carried on a horse-drawn gun carriage from St Clement Danes, the church of the Royal Air Force, down the Strand to St Paul's Cathedral.
During the rehearsal the military and police wore their working dress and high visibility clothes respectively, but they will be in ceremonial uniform on Wednesday.
The pensioners from Royal Hospital Chelsea did not take part today due to the early start, but they will line the west steps of St Paul's for the real event.
The procession, timed to last 19 minutes, will see the Union flag-draped coffin carried on a horse-drawn gun carriage from St Clement Danes, the church of the Royal Air Force, down the Strand on Wednesday morning.
During today's rehearsal, the coffin is taken up the steps of St Paul's Cathedral at dawn
Waiting: Lady Thatcher's coffin is shown here on the aisle of St Clement Danes Church
The streets of central London will be lined by men and women from all three services along with three marching bands.
These will be the RAF band, which will be closest to St Clement Danes, the Band of the Scots Guards and the Band of the Royal Marines, all with their drums draped in black as a mark of respect. Once at St Paul's, Lady Thatcher's coffin will be met by a Guard of Honour provided by the Prince of Wales Company of the First Battalion Welsh Guards.
A tri-service bearer party, drawn from ships, squadrons and regiments particularly associated with the Falklands, will then place the coffin on their shoulders and the gun carriage will draw away.
The bearer party, dressed in their regimental or service uniform and who have been carefully selected according to their height, will be made up of the Royal Navy/Marines, Scots Guards, Welsh Guards, Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, Parachute Regiment, Royal Gurkha Rifles and RAF.