Crowds flock to see Elizabeth II’s coffin in London

The queue to view the coffin stretched 4.2 kilometers on Thursday morning, along the south bank of the Thames and then across the bridge to Parliament. Thousands of people in line didn’t mind waiting for hours.

“I was glad to be in the queue because it gave us time to see what was in front of us, prepared us and absorbed the whole environment,” said Nimisha Maru, a healthcare professional. I wouldn’t have liked it if I was in a hurry. »

After a day of great ceremony and emotion as the Queen was led in a modest procession from Buckingham Palace, the King spent the day in ‘private reflection’ at his residence in Highgrove, western England. Charles has held calls with US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron and is addressing world leaders – many of whom will be in London for the Queen’s funeral on Monday.

Heir to the throne Prince William and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, will visit the royal family’s estate in Sandringham in eastern England to view some of the tributes left by well-wishers.

Separately, more details have been revealed about the state funeral to be held at Westminster Abbey on Monday.

Around 2,000 guests including many international dignitaries will attend the ceremony. Two minutes of silence will be observed across the country at the end of the funeral.

The Queen’s coffin will then be taken to the British capital in a horse-drawn carriage. He will be flown back to Windsor, where the Queen will be buried alongside her late husband Prince Philip, who died last year.

Depart from Buckingham Palace

The Queen left Buckingham Palace for the last time on Wednesday, transported by horse-drawn carriage and greeted by the sound of cannons and Big Ben, in a solemn procession through flag-draped and crowded streets to London’s Westminster Hall.

Charles, his siblings and sons walked behind the coffin, which was covered with a wreath of white roses and the wreath was placed on a purple velvet pillow.

The motorcade marked Elizabeth’s seven decades as head of state as a national mourning procession wound its way through the British capital’s grand boulevards and historic monuments.

The 900-year-old Westminster Hall is now the center of events as the Queen will be on display there until Monday. Thousands of people have already paid their respects, presenting a coffin draped in a royal wreath and topped with a diamond-encrusted crown.

Old and young, dressed in dark suits or jeans and trainers, walked in a steady stream through the historic hall, where Guy Fawkes and Charles I tried on, where kings and queens feasted sumptuously, medieval buildings and relics of previous monarchs. are displayed.

After passing the coffin, many mourners looked back before exiting the chamber’s large oak doors. Some wiped away tears; Others bowed or bowed. One dropped to one knee and kissed him goodbye.

Keith Smart, an engineer and British Army veteran, wiped away tears as he left the room. He waited for more than 10 hours for a chance to say goodbye.

“Everyone in the group behaved impeccably. No hate, all friends. It was wonderful, he reported. And then, walking into this room, seeing this, I collapsed inside. I did not bow – I knelt on the ground, on my knees, I bowed to the queen. »

The late night silence was broken when one of the guards looking around the coffin collapsed and fell from its elevated platform. The man, his chest adorned with medals, was seen on live television swinging to his feet before falling to the ground. Two policemen helped her.

Crowds line up every time the Queen’s coffin is moved on its long journey from Scotland – where the sovereign died on September 8 at the age of 96 – to London.

Thousands of people braved a typical London drizzle on Tuesday evening as the coffin slowly made its way to Buckingham Palace, with interior lights illuminating the coffin.

Earlier in Edinburgh, around 33,000 people marched silently past his coffin in 24 hours at St Giles’ Cathedral.