Thatcher's funeral: arrival of the coffin at St Paul's Cathedral The funeral of Margaret Thatcher takes place amid tight security on Wednesday, with Queen Elizabeth II leading mourners from 170 countries in bidding farewell to one of Britain's most influential and divisive prime ministers. The coffin, draped in the Union Jack and covered with a wreath of white flowers, arrived on a gun carriage shortly after the arrival of Queen Elizabeth, before being carried into St Paul's Cathedral. Images