The King, Princess Royal, Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex will stand guard at the four corners of the catafalque at Westminster Hall for the 15-minute vigil. All will be in military uniform, including Prince Andrew, who as a non-working monarch has been banned from wearing uniform for this most personal gesture. The king is “focused on leading the family, the nation, the kingdoms and the Commonwealth in mourning for Queen Elizabeth II,” his spokesman said. Charles is set to host his first major state event at Buckingham Palace in the form of a formal reception for heads of state, foreign royals and foreign official visitors ahead of the state funeral. A busy day of engagements followed as she traveled to Edinburgh and Belfast. He is scheduled to meet with the army chiefs of staff at Buckingham Palace on Saturday and attend a governors-general lunch with the Queen Consort, before meeting with the kingdom’s prime ministers at Buckingham Palace. On Friday, Charles, who was the longest-serving Prince of Wales in UK history, will return to Wales as King when he and the Queen Consort travel to Cardiff and receive a message of condolence from the Welsh Senedd. He will have a private hearing with Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford at Cardiff Castle before attending a reception in the Ballroom hosted by the Welsh Government. His arrival by helicopter in Wales will be marked by a 21-gun salute. King Charles and Camilla will also travel to Lladaff Cathedral for a service of prayer and reflection. On his return to Buckingham Palace, Charles will host faith leaders in the Bow Room at Buckingham Palace before traveling to Westminster Hall to hold the vigil with his siblings. He was spending Thursday in Highgrove, Gloucestershire, where he was said to be conducting government business, receiving his red boxes and taking calls from governors-general and heads of state.
