King Charles III and his siblings Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward held a brief vigil next to Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin in Westminster Hall on Friday, joining members of the military who constantly watch over her remains. the last two days.   

  Standing quietly, their heads bowed, the King was at the head of the Queen’s coffin, while his sister Anne, the Princess Royal, and brother Edward, the Earl of Wessex, were at the sides.  Andrew, Duke of York, was at the foot of the coffin.   

  In a break with royal tradition, Prince Andrew – the Queen’s second son – wore his military uniform for the vigil despite stepping down from royal duties in 2019.   

  While custom dictates that only working members of the royal family wear military uniforms during ceremonial occasions, Andrew was allowed to wear his during the vigil as a mark of special respect for the Queen.   

  Many other members of the royal family came to observe the vigil.  Camilla, the Queen Consort, accompanied the King.  The Queen’s granddaughters Zara Tindall and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were there, as was the Queen’s cousin Prince Michael of Kent.  Some of the Queen’s great-grandchildren, seen for the first time since the Queen’s death last Thursday, were also in attendance.   

  The Queen has been in Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster, since Wednesday.  The medieval hall is where the Queen’s ancestors were.  Her father King George VI in 1952, her mother Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 2002, her grandfather George V in 1936 and her great-grandfather Edward VII in 1910 – the first monarch to stay in the state.   

  The Queen’s coffin is draped in the Royal Standard and has the imperial state crown, orb and scepter perched atop it.   

  The public have the opportunity to view the closed coffin in person until 6.30am on Monday, when the room will be closed in preparation for the state funeral later that morning.   

  The queue to pay tribute reached 10 miles on Friday and had to be closed repeatedly after reaching its maximum capacity.  At one point the wait was at least 14 hours, according to the official tracker provided by the government.   

  Continuous watch inside Westminster Hall is maintained by the Royal Guards of the Honorable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, the Royal Company of Archers, the Yeomen of the Guard assisted by the Yeomen Warders of the Tower of London and the Officers of the Household Division during supine position and supine at rest.   

  Each watch lasts for six hours, with the individuals within these watches standing vigil for 20 minutes at a time.   

  The royal vigil on Friday night was held alongside the military guard and was similar to the one held by the Queen’s children at St Mary’s Cathedral.  Giles in Scotland earlier this week.   

  The queen’s eight grandchildren are expected to take the same spot Saturday night when it’s time for them to hold a vigil by their grandmother’s casket, a royal source told CNN on Friday.   

  Prince William, the Prince of Wales, will stand at the head of the coffin and Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, will stand at its feet.  The source added that the Prince of Wales will be joined by Zara Tindall and Peter Philips, who are Princess Anne’s children.  The Duke of Sussex will be flanked by Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, daughters of Prince Andrew, along with Prince Edward’s children, Lady Louise Windsor and Viscount Severn.   

  King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen’s consort, visited Wales earlier on Friday, meeting members of the public and offering condolences.   

  The King said he was taking on his new duties as monarch with “boundless gratitude for the privilege of serving as Prince of Wales”.   

  “It must surely be considered the greatest privilege to belong to a land that can inspire such devotion,” he said.  Speaking in Welsh, the King said his son Prince William, who has taken the title of Prince of Wales from his father, has a “deep love for Wales”.   

  But the new king also met with some signs of disapproval on Friday.  When he arrived at Cardiff Castle in the afternoon, he was greeted with both cheers and boos.   

  While many people in the crowd cheered and waved flags, some protesters shouted loudly.  King Charles was seen shaking his head slightly as his car drove to and from the castle.   

  After returning to London and before attending the vigil at Westminster Hall, Charles hosted a reception for religious leaders in the Bow Room at Buckingham Palace, the palace said in a statement.   

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