Many people had queued amid waits of up to 16 hours, braving the British capital’s coldest night in months. Later, all the Queen’s grandchildren stood by her coffin. Prince William and Prince Harry, the sons of King Charles III, were joined by Princess Anne’s children Zara Tyndall and Peter Phillips. Prince Andrew’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenia. and Prince Edward’s two children — Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn. William, now the heir to the throne, stood with his head bowed at the head of the coffin and Harry at the feet. Both princes, who are army veterans, were in uniform. A tide of people wanting to say goodbye ran into the Westminster Hall of Parliament, where the Queen’s coffin lies, draped in her Royal Standard and topped with a diamond crown. Numbers have grown steadily since the public were first welcomed on Wednesday, with a queue snaking around Southwark Park stretching at least eight kilometers In honor of their patience, King Charles III and Prince William made an unannounced visit on Saturday to greet people waiting to pass Elizabeth’s coffin, shaking hands and thanking mourners queuing near Lambeth Bridge. King Charles III greets members of the public who have lined up on London’s South Bank near the River Thames on Saturday as they wait to see Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin ahead of her funeral on Monday. (Aaron Chown/Press Association/The Associated Press) Harry, who served in Afghanistan as a British Army officer, wore civilian clothes during the Queen’s coffin procession from Buckingham Palace because he is no longer a member of the royal family. He and his wife Meghan stepped down from royal duties and moved to the United States in 2020. The King, however, requested that both William and Harry wear their military uniforms at the Westminster Hall vigil. You can watch live coverage of the Queen’s funeral from 5am. ET on Monday on CBC TV, CBC News Network, CBC Gem, CBCNews.ca and the CBC News app. At noon ET, the show will turn to Ottawa for a national memorial service. The CBC News Network will broadcast the funeral at 7 p.m. ET. CBC Radio One’s live coverage of the funeral will begin at 5:30 a.m. ET, which will also be available on the CBC Listen app.
Trudeau pays tribute to the late monarch
On Saturday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stopped by to view the casket before a meeting with the King at Buckingham Palace. The King also met with the prime ministers of the other 14 countries where he is head of state. Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau also signed a book of condolence at Lancaster House, and the prime minister delivered a message reflecting the Queen’s legacy in Canada. WATCHES | Trudeau praises Queen Elizabeth’s “stability and stability”:
Trudeau praises Queen Elizabeth’s “stability and stability.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau stopped to view Queen Elizabeth’s coffin in Westminster Hall and later signed a book of condolence at Lancaster House as a tribute to the late monarch. “I first met Her Majesty when I was seven years old and her presence throughout my life has been constant, inspiring and graceful,” he said. “As prime minister, I benefited from her advice, her thoughtfulness, her curiosity, her sense of humor and commitment that demonstrated a deep, profound and abiding concern and love for Canadians.” The royal family confirmed that King Charles met with Trudeau as well as Anthony Albanese of Australia, Philip Davis of the Bahamas, Andrew Holness of Jamaica and New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern. King Charles, left, shakes hands with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday. (Stefan Rousseau/Pool/The Associated Press) Many braved a cold evening waiting in line, while others entered Southwark Park to join the queue, despite the UK’s Department of Culture telling citizens to stay home as waiting times had increased to 24 hours. This number was later revised downwards. Overnight, volunteers handed out blankets and cups of tea to people queuing as the temperature dropped to 6C. Despite the weather, mourners described the warmth of a shared experience. “It was cold all night but we had great mates, met new friends. The camaraderie was great,” said Chris Harman from London. “It was worth it. I would do it again and again and again. I would walk to the ends of the earth for my queen.” Members of the public spend their evening queuing for Queen Elizabeth II’s stay on Friday in London. (Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)
The funeral was set for Monday
The tide of people wanting to say goodbye to the Queen has grown steadily since the public was first welcomed into the hall on Wednesday. On Friday, authorities temporarily stopped allowing more visitors to join the end of the line. Some mourners had already staked out prime viewing locations in the heart of London for the late monarch’s funeral on Monday. The state funeral, which will be attended by nearly 100 presidents and heads of government, including those from Canada, the United States, France, Australia, Japan and Jamaica, is likely to be one of the largest ceremonial events ever held never in Britain. Shirin Thorpe, 62, from Sevenoaks south of the English capital, arrived on Thursday and built on Saturday near Westminster tube station. It is close to the historic hall where the Queen lies in state and Westminster Abbey, where her funeral will take place. “There will be millions of people here and we didn’t want to miss the opportunity,” he said. The Queen’s death on September 8 at her summer estate in the Scottish Highlands has sparked an outpouring of emotion across the country and 10 days of highly choreographed events. For retiree Hasmukh Vara, 62, his decision to stand for 13 hours to observe the lying state reflected his desire to thank the late monarch — and Britain — after moving to the country from Kenya in the 1970s. Stepping out of the huge, brightly lit room in the cool Friday darkness, next to the River Thames, he described himself as feeling “very, very high”. “We came as refugees to this country,” he told Reuters. “For the rest of my life, I’m indebted to her because she gave us a home. It’s something we can never, ever forget. It’s a big deal for me and my family.” WATCHES | Armed forces, royal family prepare for Queen’s funeral:
Armed forces, royal family prepare for Queen’s funeral
Armed forces from Commonwealth countries met members of the royal family ahead of the Queen’s funeral on Monday. Meanwhile, the line of mourners hoping to pay their respects before the funeral continues to grow.
