Thousands of police, hundreds of British troops, and an army of government officials made final preparations for Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral on Sunday.
U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden were among thousands of mourners, from locals and tourists to world leaders. I stood quietly near the coffin, made a cross, and put my hand to my heart.
Biden also signed an official condolence letter and was scheduled to attend a reception hosted by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on Sunday and a state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday. He is one of 500 world leaders and royals invited to the funeral, along with hundreds of British philanthropists.
Amidst an influx of dignitaries, the clocks ticked as those looking for a place to line up in the longest line ever seen before the Queen’s coffin in Westminster Hall. The miles-long queue will be closed to new arrivals later on Sunday so that everyone in line can see the coffin by Monday morning, when it is taken to Westminster Abbey for the Queen’s funeral. I plan to
Thousands of people queued 24 hours a day, per family, waiting up to 17 hours in cool nighttime temperatures and queues over 5 miles (8 kilometers) long.
36-year-old student Lauren Wilson had a much shorter queue for people with disabilities. She said she wanted to experience first-hand the state in which her coffin lay. “The world is in such a strange place and then this happened. It feels more grave,” she said.
She worried that the public fuss surrounding Elizabeth’s death would rob the Queen’s relatives of their ability to accept the loss. “Family members cannot be allowed to grieve. I find it very heartbreaking,” she said.
The Queen’s eight grandchildren, led by the heir to the throne, Prince William, circled the coffin and stood with their heads bowed during Saturday night’s silent vigil.
Among the foreign leaders in London was New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
“What I can learn from this period is the beauty of the public reaction, the kindness, patience and camaraderie seen from members of the public. was,” she said.
People across Britain will also pause for a nationwide silence on Sunday night to remember the Queen, who died on September 8 at the age of 96 after 70 years on the throne. Declared a public holiday, the funeral is broadcast to large television audiences around the world and screened to large numbers in parks and public spaces across the country.
Police officers from all over the country will be on duty as part of the largest one-day policing operation in London’s history.
Crowds also gathered near Windsor Castle on Sunday as the Queen was enshrined in a private family ceremony Monday night.
55-year-old teacher Anna Pettigrew said: “I think it was very moving and a very fitting tribute to an amazing Queen.” Camilla, the new Queen’s consort, paid tribute to the Queen in a video message, saying that the monarch is on the male-dominated world stage. As a “lonely woman,” she said, “She carved out her own role.”
“I will always remember her smile. I will never forget that smile,” said Camilla, who is married to Charles.
Prince Andrew also paid tribute to his mother, saying he will forever cherish “your love, care, care and confidence in your son.” Told.
Andrew, the third of the Queen’s four children, was released from royal duties and stripped of his military honorary titles because of his friendship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. After the Queen’s four children – Charles, Princess Anne, Andrew and Prince Edward – stayed vigil around her coffin on Friday, it was her grandchildren’s turn on Saturday night.
Charles’ sons William and Prince Harry were joined by Anne’s children Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips. Andrew’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. Edward his two children—Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.
William bowed to the coffin’s head and Harry stood at his feet with his head bowed. The crowd moved slowly and quietly passed by.
“You could tell they were serious about their grandmother, the Queen,” said Ian Mockett, a civil engineer in Oxford, Southern England. “Considering what has happened in the last few years, it was nice to see them together as a set of grandchildren.” , was temporarily breached. London police said on Sunday that his 28-year-old London resident, Muhammad Khan, has been charged with conduct intended to “cause alarm, harassment or distress”. He has a court date on Monday.
The lying state continues until early Monday morning, when a gun carriage drawn by 142 Royal Navy sailors transports the Queen’s coffin to nearby Westminster Abbey for her funeral. This is the finale of her ten-day national mourning for Britain’s longest-reigning queen. Monarch. After monastery services on Monday, the late Queen’s coffin will be hauled through London’s historic center in a state artillery car. She will then be transported in her hearse to Windsor to be buried with her late husband, Prince Philip, who died last year at the age of 99. (AP) RUP RUP
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