Royal guard collapses next to Queen’s coffin on first night in state
Members of the public file past the late Queen’s coffin to pay their respects after queuing for hours overnight as her lie in state began at Westminster Hall.
The queue currently stretches back 3.5 miles to Tower Bridge, with some mourners saying they waited nine hours to reach his coffin.
King Charles III is taking a day of rest and reflection today and is not taking part in any events. The new Prince and Princess of Wales will visit Sandrigham Estate in Norfolk to see the flowers and tributes left by well-wishers.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex will travel to Manchester, where they will light a candle in the Queen’s memory at the cathedral.
Meanwhile, the Princess Royal, accompanied by her husband, Sir Tim Laurence, will visit Glasgow City Chambers to meet representatives of organizations of which the Queen was a patron.
On Wednesday, King Charles III and the rest of the former monarch’s family marched in tribute behind his coffin as it moved from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster.
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Watch: Changing of the Guard at the Palace of Westminster
The Queen’s coffin guard rotates every twenty minutes. The mourning queue stops while the change occurs.
Holly Bancroft September 15, 2022 11:47 am
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What happens later today?
The Prince and Princess of Wales will look at the flowers and tributes left at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
King Charles has a private day of reflection and is not expected to attend any events.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex will travel to Manchester, where they will light a candle in the Queen’s memory at the cathedral. They will also see flowers left in St Ann’s Square and view the book of condolence at Manchester Central Library.
The Princess Royal, accompanied by her husband, Sir Tim Laurence, will visit Glasgow City Chambers to meet representatives of the organizations of which the Queen is a patron.
Holly Bancroft September 15, 2022 11:21 am
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The queue is currently 3.5 miles long, starting near Tower Bridge
The queue to see the Queen lying in state has now reached 3.5 miles.
The start of the queue is now near Tower Bridge.
(AFP via Getty Images)
(PA)
Holly Bancroft September 15, 2022 11:05 am
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Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II: what will happen on this day?
Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II: what will happen on this day?
Holly Bancroft September 15, 2022 11:01 am
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Watch: Former Prime Minister Theresa May has lined up to pay her respects at the Queen’s coffin
Theresa May lines up to pay her respects at Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin
Holly Bancroft September 15, 2022 10:37 am
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MPs can skip the queue to see the Queen’s coffin
People queuing to see the Queen’s coffin have condemned the special privileges given to MPs to skip the queue.
MPs can skip the queue and bring up to four guests, the Daily Mail has reported.
Julie Newman, 56, said the special treatment was “an abuse of privilege”.
“I don’t mind queuing, because everyone queues. But there’s no excuse for skipping the queue. It is not fair.”
“For something like this, it’s not fair,” Dexter Bowls said.
(EPA)
Holly Bancroft September 15, 2022 10:22 am
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End of the queue currently near Southwark Cathedral
The end of the queue to see the Queen’s coffin is at Southwark Cathedral, near London Bridge.
The line has grown slightly to nearly three miles long by 9 a.m. Thursday.
In an update on social media, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport said the queue was 2.8 miles long. The weather forecast is cloudy and people heading to the queue can use What3words: frozen.angel.guitar to locate the end.
Holly Bancroft September 15, 2022 9:41 am
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“I got a lump in my throat”: what is it like to see the Queen’s coffin?
Among the first inside was Kenneth Taylor, 72, from Reading, central England, who had come with a neighbor and slept in a tent in the queue.
Weeping, Taylor said seeing the Queen lying in state made her feel sad. “I got a lump in my throat.”
“You know, we’ve lost someone special. Her service to this country was truly steadfast and unwavering. And she’s probably what I would call the queen of queens.”
Thomas Hughes, 20, who waited almost 14 hours overnight with his brother, said finally seeing the coffin was overwhelming.
“You do everything because you want to respect that lady … and I think when you go through that, and then you get to the moment you’re waiting for, you feel a little more emotional,” he said. said “It’s a very powerful thing.”
Holly Bancroft September 15, 2022 9:37 am
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The funeral rehearsal took place at midnight
Rehearsals have taken place overnight for the Queen’s funeral.
Members of the army were filmed in Westminster at 2.45am on Thursday morning carrying a coffin.
(Getty Images)
(PA)
(Getty Images)
Holly Bancroft September 15, 2022 9:15 am
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Meet the people queuing to see the Queen’s coffin
Mavis Sibanda told my colleague Maryam Zakir-Hussain that she wanted to have a “last memory of the Queen” on such a historic day.
“I’m from Zambia, so it’s always been on my mind. I wanted to be a part of what’s happening.”
Hilary Noble (left) and Mavis Sibanda (right) came down to see history in the making
(The Independent)
Patricia Wass from Devon said she was prepared to wait all night to see the Queen’s coffin.
The 64-year-old said: “My mum is a fervent royalist and is very upset about the Queen’s death and I wanted to do this for her too.”
She had been very emotional since the Queen’s death, and so was prepared to stand in line “for as long as it takes.” If it’s all night, it’s all night.”
Meanwhile, 22-year-old Tzu-Ching Hung arrived in London from Taiwan yesterday and wanted to take the opportunity to witness history while in the UK.
“It’s amazing to see so many people come to pay their respects to the Queen.”
While the crowd was mostly lively and welcoming, there were some classic queuing policies that soon turned nasty.
Devon’s Patricia Wass is prepared to queue for as long as it takes, while Taiwan’s Tzu-Ching Hung
(The Independent)
Holly Bancroft September 15, 2022 8:51 am