Show only key events Please enable JavaScript to use this feature Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will depart today to represent the nation at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in London on Monday. A quarter of the 2,000 seats at Westminster Abbey have been reserved for heads of state and their partners, with Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron and Japan’s Emperor Naruhito the most high-profile guests confirmed to be from overseas. At the request of the late Queen, 10 “everyday” Australians are also invited to attend, including Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott, senior Australians of the Year from this year and last year and Chris Waller of the Australian Racing Hall of Fame. Horse trainers Gai and Robbie Waterhouse – who trained some of the Queen’s horses – have also been invited separately by Buckingham Palace, while Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith, a former soldier involved in a defamation case over reports who claims he is being falsely portrayed as a war criminal and murderer, was also invited to attend. Rehearsal for the funeral procession of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth takes place in London, Britain. Photo: Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters Early morning rehearsal for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in London ahead of her funeral on Monday. Photo: Danny Lawson/PAA Rehearsal for the funeral procession of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth takes place in London, Britain. Photo: Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters Updated at 06.34 BST
How long is the queue?
According to the government tracker, the queue to enter Westminster Hall was around 2 miles long, peaking at 6.30am on Thursday morning, stretching back to Blackfriars Bridge as thousands waited to pay their respects. It’s just down from yesterday afternoon when it topped out at about 2.9 miles. The infrastructure established along the route allows peak lengths of up to 10 miles. Some people camped out the night before the Queen’s lie-in-state to make sure they had a chance to pay their respects. Hundreds of thousands of mourners are expected to pass through in the coming days. Guardsmen and soldiers of the Royal Navy take part in a rehearsal for the funeral procession of Queen Elizabeth II in London. The Queen will lie in state at Westminster Hall for four full days before her funeral on Monday. Photo: Felipe Dana/AP Updated at 06.13 BST Early morning rehearsal for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in London ahead of her funeral on Monday. Photo: Danny Lawson/PA Updated 06.12 BST There was concern overnight for the health of a royal guard who collapsed while looking after the Queen’s coffin in Westminster Hall. The guard was standing at the feet of the late monarch’s coffin when he suddenly fell forward and to the floor. Footage taken from a live stream posted on social media around 1am captured the fall. The black-clad guard stood holding a ritual staff. Nearby officials quickly rushed to his aid. The live footage faded into the building’s external, night vision shortly thereafter. Guards from units that include the Sovereign’s Bodyguard, Household, or Yeoman Guards of the Tower of London must remain completely stationary at the four corners of the catafalque. While the soldiers change their positions every 20 minutes, the hours of being completely still while standing are six hours long. Good morning as Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin begins its first full day of lying in state at Westminster Hall in London. Here is a summary of the events leading up to this morning.
Westminster Hall opened on Wednesday evening to allow the public to pay their respects to the Queen. King Charles III earlier led a procession that carried the Queen’s coffin into Westminster Hall from Buckingham Palace. Vigil held in the hall and attended by other senior members of the royal family as well as leaders of political parties. The Queen will lie in state until 6.30am on Monday, when the coffin will be taken to nearby Westminster Abbey for the funeral. Mourners have been warned that the queue to pay their respects to the Queen could last up to 30 hours. The queue stretches for more than two miles along Lambeth Bridge and up the South Bank towards London Bridge. At least two people were treated by paramedics after collapsing in the heat while standing in line. People have described their feelings as they say goodbye to the Queen. “I saw the coronation and the queen has been with me all my life. It’s very sad,” one woman told us. Almost two-thirds of people think Britain will change as a result of the Queen’s death, according to a YouGov poll. Joe Biden offered his condolences to the King, telling him that the Queen’s “dignity and stability” helped strengthen the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. The king also spoke to the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, the president of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, and the governors-general of Australia, Canada and Jamaica, who expressed their support. The Foreign Office continued to narrow the guest list for the Queen’s funeral, adding Syria and Venezuela to the list of countries not invited. India’s president will represent his country at the queen’s funeral on Monday, meaning Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not expected to be among the hundreds of foreign leaders expected to attend.
