King Charles’ two sons, dressed in military uniform, stood in silence at a 15-minute vigil in the vast Westminster Hall where the coffin has lain since Wednesday, draped in the Royal Standard and topped with the ornate imperial crown of state. William and Harry were joined by their six cousins, including Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie who earlier paid their respects to Britain’s longest-serving monarch. The Queen died on September 8 at her summer estate in the Scottish Highlands, aged 96. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSign up “You were our matriarch, our guide, our loving hand on our back, guiding us through this world,” said the sisters, daughters of Prince Andrew. “You taught us so much and we will cherish those lessons and memories forever. For now, dear Grandma, all we want to say is thank you.” Hundreds of thousands of people have lined up for hours in a queue stretching along the River Thames, waiting to pass the coffin and pay their respects to the Queen – a testament to the affection in which she was held. The other cousins at Saturday’s vigil were Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, Princess Anne’s children, and Louise and James, Prince Edward’s children. Earlier on Saturday, Charles and his successor William shook hands and greeted well-wishers in the queue, asking people how long they had been there and if they were warm enough. To cheers of ‘hip, hip, hooray’ and shouts of ‘God save the king’, Charles and William addressed mourners near Lambeth Bridge as they neared the end of the huge line to view the state in state at the historic Westminster Hall . On Friday night, Charles joined his three siblings – Princess Anne and Princes Andrew and Edward – in a silent vigil at the coffin. “She wouldn’t believe it, she really wouldn’t believe it,” William was heard telling a husband of the late Queen, who ascended the throne in 1952. “It’s amazing.” One woman told Charles he was “worth the wait” and others wished him well and cheered as he made his way down the line. Ahead of the state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday, world leaders are also beginning to arrive in the British capital. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese were among dignitaries to pay their respects on Saturday, while New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was seen rocking in the casket on Friday. The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Sussex, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice, Lady Louise and Viscount Severn hold a vigil by the coffin of their grandmother Queen Elizabeth II as she lies in state in the sanctuary at Westminster Hall, Palace of Westminster, London. Picture date: Saturday, September 17, 2022 Aaron Chown/Pool via REUTERS read more US President Joe Biden was expected to go to bed on Sunday. On Saturday, Charles met with leaders of the 14 countries where he is head of state, including Canada, Australia and Jamaica, after meeting the governors-general – the people who represent the monarch in the overseas realms – at Buckingham Palace.
SAFETY FUNCTION
London police have described the funeral as the biggest security operation they have ever undertaken, as prime ministers, presidents and royalty gather and huge crowds throng the streets. The king visited police headquarters on Saturday to thank emergency workers involved in the planning. Underscoring the dangers, police said a man was caught and arrested after a witness told Sky News he “ran up to the Queen’s coffin”. Footage showed a man being pinned to the ground by police officers and being led away. By 17:00 (16:00 GMT), Britain’s culture ministry said the waiting time to get to the state was up to 11 hours. Inside the silent hall, some mourners wept, many tearful as current soldiers and veterans saluted their former commander in chief. Others in line dropped to their knees. New friendships, acts of kindness, and the struggles of standing in line for hours, sometimes in the cold overnight, have come to define what has come to be known as just “the line.” Filmmaker Matthew West described how a soldier was offered the chance to go to the front, but turned it down. “That was the highlight. Low light was when we stood still for two hours and I lost the will to live.” There has been an outpouring of emotion across the country and 10 days of choreographed events since the Queen died at Balmoral, Scotland. Her coffin was initially laid to rest in Edinburgh before being taken south to London. The Queen’s children have described being overwhelmed by the reaction to their mother’s death. The state funeral, which will be attended by almost 100 presidents and heads of government, is likely to be one of the biggest ceremonial events ever held in Britain. Soldiers took part in early morning rehearsals in Windsor, where the Queen’s coffin will be carried after the funeral at Westminster Abbey. Bands playing music and the Grenadier Guards, who wear a tall bearskin hat on ceremonial duty, were seen marching down the High Street in preparation. Liz Kelshall from Leatherhead, in southern England, said she brought her two children to Windsor so they would never forget the Queen. “It’s very important for them to grow up and remember that and it’s important for us as a family to come and show some respect for an amazing woman,” he said. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSign up Additional reporting by Sachin Ravikumar and Elizabeth Piper Editing by Rosalba O’Brien, Alison Williams and Frances Kerry Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
