The pilot of the first rescue helicopter at the scene of the Kaikōura charter boat that capsized killing five people says he saw no one in the water when he arrived.”It’s a terrible thing – it’s something you don’t want to…

Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral is expected to take place at London's Westminster Abbey in less than two weeks, breaking royal tradition.

The funeral will bring about "the biggest policing operation" in the UK's history, with enormous crowds to converge outside the service, which about 2000 dignitaries and notables will attend.

Royal tradition has previously dictated funerals for British kings and queens be held at St George's Chapel in Windsor.

However, the Queen said she wanted to override the decision, with her funeral to be held in Westminster Abbey.

Many details of the funeral are yet to be confirmed, but here it what we know so far.

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When will the funeral be?

The exact date has not yet been confirmed by Buckingham Palace.

But there has been speculation the funeral will be held on Wednesday, September 21 – exactly a fortnight after Her Majesty's passing.

Where will it be?

The service will be held at the historic Westminster Abbey in London.

It is where the Queen's coronation was held in 1953, and where she had married Prince Philip in 1947.

Queen Elizabeth II's funeral will be the first time a British monarch's funeral has been hosted at Westminster Abbey since 1760.

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Who will attend the funeral?

About 2000 special guests will be invited to the funeral.

It is expected that all senior members of the royal family will attend.

King Charles III and Camilla the Queen Consort will be accompanied by his sister Princess Anne, Prince William and Kate, along with his brothers Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.

Prince Harry and Meghan are also expected to attend the funeral. 

The Queen's funeral will be livestreamed on television and online for those not invited.

Millions of people are expected to convene in London outside the funeral.

Security expert Simon Morgan, who was Her Majesty's Personal Protection Officer for six years, has said the crowds are expected to surpass the mammoth crowds seen for the Princess of Wales' funeral.

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He told Today this funeral will be "the biggest policing operation that UK policing have ever under taken".

"Despite various things that have taken place in this country before, this is going to be very much off the scale," he said.

Morgan said the Metropolitan Police service would run the massive operation which they had been preparing for over many years.

"We are going to have so many dignitaries in one place at the same time, so we have a very big security role in relation to them.

"We also have a very large public safety role where all of these people are going descend on London and they are going to wish to pay their respects in turn when the Queen lies in state for three days and then for the funeral itself.

"It is going to be a massive operation for the police."

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How will the funeral run?

The Queen's coffin will be moved from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey on the day of the funeral.

It is expected the funeral will begin about 10.50am (local time) and will finish about 12pm.

What happens after the funeral?

After the service, a gun carriage procession will take the coffin back past Buckingham Palace, arriving at Hyde Park Corner about 1pm.

The coffin will then be moved on to a hearse and begin its journey by road to Windsor Castle, where a committal service will be held at St George's Chapel about 4pm.

At the end of this service, the coffin will be lowered into the Royal Vault.

A private burial will be held with the King and other members of the royal family that evening and the Queen will be laid to rest.

The day after the funeral flags across the UK will be returned to full-mast and the national mourning period will begin.

The time will be determined by the British Government.

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Five people are dead following the capsize of a fishing boat holding 11 people from a bird enthusiasts group in New Zealand.

Six people, including the skipper, have been rescued after the capsize this morning near Goose Bay, south of the coastal town of Kaikōura.

Sources have claimed the boat collided with a whale and police have confirmed there was a collision, but are still investigating what happened.

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The boat involved is understood to belong to a local fishing charter business.

A rescue helicopter, Coastguard volunteers, and divers were called in throughout the day to help with the rescue and recovery efforts.

It's understood the boat is now being towed to shore, after an hours-long rescue effort.

People have gathered on the shore south of Goose Bay to watch the recovery of the boat and await further news.

One local woman said it "seems like a freak accident".

"Everyone's very shocked, we're still waiting to hear about the ones still missing."

A second, larger, boat is now alongside the capsized boat and a helicopter is flying overhead.

It is a dry, clear day, with very little wind and the sea is calm.

Kaikōura mayor Craig Mackle said there was a "sick feeling" amongst those waiting for news.

The dive squad is seen to have arrived, and are next to the overturned boat, a reporter at the scene said.

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A lot of volunteers had come to help, but boats were being kept "at a minimum" to keep the rescue effort co-ordinated, and ensure the slipway stayed clear, Mackle said.

He believed six people had been taken to the local medical centre for treatment.

Fire crews, ambulances and police vehicles were present, he said.

Mackle said emotions were running high as the rescue mission continued.

"It's not great. You've got this sick feeling."

In a statement, police said they were responding to the incident "in which a boat has reportedly capsized" but have provided no more information.

The South Bay slipway is closed to the public while police respond, the statement said.

A woman who works at a fishing charter said she understood 11 people were on board.

READ MORE: What happens now the Queen has died?

Reports of what had happened were unclear, she said. "There's a few fishing companies around here, we were trying to figure out who it was."

Local operators had gone to the area to see if they could help, she said.

Vanessa Chapman and a group of friends have been watching the scene unfold from Goose Bay lookout since 11am.

Chapman said when they arrived at the bay they saw an upturned boat with a sole person sitting on top waving their arms.

That person had been rescued, and she believes they witnessed another person being pulled from the water, too.

Two Westpac rescue helicopters, and a local chopper, had been circling, and going backwards and forwards and they had watched one "all but land on the capsized boat and two divers jumped out".

"Then another local boat has pulled in, and we believe someone was put on that boat, and then he shot straight into town and the helicopters have just been searching. They still are."

She said it was hard to tell the kind of boat it was – from a distance it just appeared to be a dinghy, but being upside down, it was difficult to see.

An ambulance was parked up nearby.

The conditions were "absolutely calm. A wee bit of a roll, but it's unreal to think someone has capsized their boat".

This article originally appeared on Stuff and has been reproduced with permission.

A body has been found following a search for a woman who was swept away in an East Coast river this morning.The body was located about 1pm by a member of the public, who had been assisting police in the search, a police spokesperson…

A former Buckingham Palace butler has reflected on his favourite memories with Queen Elizabeth II as he mourns her "surreal" death.

Martin Higgins came to be a butler at Buckingham Palace when he was 21 – his dream job from childhood – starting just after Christmas when the palace was decorated for the festive ball.

"I remember walking from room to room, opening one door and going into the next. From the state dining room into the drawing room, the white room and all these rooms I've never witnessed and seen before," Higgins said.

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"To see it open before me, it was like being in a dream."

Higgins said he fell in love with Her Majesty's corgis at first sight as well as the grandeur of the palace.

'I was absolutely petrified'

One of his favourite memories was dancing with the Queen during the Ghillies Ball at Balmoral Castle, where Her Majesty died aged 96 on Friday.

"The first dance you start off is what we call the 'Paul Jones' where all the ladies hold hands in one circle and dance in one direction and the chaps hold hands and dance this one direction," he explained.

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When the music stops so do all the dancers. As this happened, Higgins said the Queen was in front of him.

"It was like, 'Oh my goodness,'" he said.

"She looked at me. I looked at her. She smiled. I was absolutely petrified."

Higgins said he danced with the Queen for about five minutes, but "it seemed like an eternity".

The dance broke protocol as Higgins had to loop his arm around the Queen but the pair danced anyway.

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Queen's death is 'numbing and surreal'

Higgins said the Queen's death came as a "shock" after he spent close to four years as a member of the royal household.

"One day she was meeting the Prime Minister and then everything was fine. The next time, we heard she was on death's door," he said.

"I think for most of the country myself included it was the fact there was no real warning and then within a matter of hours she passed."

Higgins said it was "numbing and surreal" but means the world has been forced to take a moment to reflect on the Queen and her leadership.

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