Another triple tap, and they hit it. King Charles, red-eyed and blinking, took his place at the head of the coffin, the Princess Royal and the Earl of Wessex on either side of him, and the Duke of York at his feet. Slowly, and together, they turned outside. Then they stood, their backs to the coffin, motionless, their heads bowed. It was her children’s last touching ritual tribute to a mother and their queen, before her state funeral on Monday. And, like so many other times this past week, a deeply private moment played out so very publicly. Members of the audience continued to slowly pass from either side, their soft footsteps the only sound in the great hall as the King and his brothers stood guard. Other members of the royal family, including the Queen Consort and the Countess of Wessex, watched closely. After 15 minutes and with another triple thump, the four left – their task done. It was the second time her children had paid their respects in this way, the first being at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, where her coffin rested before the return journey to Buckingham Palace. But on this occasion in Westminster Hall, Prince Andrew was allowed to wear military uniform, as his royal status had previously restricted him to morning dress. On Saturday night, the Queen’s eight grandchildren will hold a vigil by her coffin, it has been confirmed. The Prince of Wales will stand at the head and the Duke of Sussex at the feet. At the King’s request, they will both be in uniform with Harry, as a non-working royal, being given leave for the official occasion. The other grandchildren will be in morning coats and dark formal dress with decorations. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The princes’ vigil was first held in 1936 when King George V’s four sons watched his coffin as it lay in state. In 2002, the four grandsons of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, held a vigil at her coffin in Westminster Hall.
