All eight of Queen Elizabeth II’s grandchildren stood in silent vigil by her coffin on Saturday, capping another huge day in which thousands came to pay their last respects. Mourners huddled in a queue that wrapped around London, enduring the city’s coldest night in months and waits of up to 16 hours. Authorities warned that colder weather was expected Saturday night. “Tonight’s forecast is cold. Warm clothing is recommended,” the relevant ministry tweeted. Princes William and Harry stood silently at either end of the casket, heads bowed, for the 15-minute vigil in Westminster’s vast chamber where the casket has lain since Wednesday, as a line of mourners filed past the late monarch’s body. -condition. The Queen died on September 8 at her summer estate in the Scottish Highlands, aged 96. 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. 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. With cries of “God save the king”, Charles and William addressed mourners near Lambeth Bridge as they neared the end of a long line to view the state in state at Westminster’s historic 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.
World leaders arrive in London
Ahead of the state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday, world leaders also began arriving in the British capital. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese were among the dignitaries who paid their last respects on Saturday, while New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was seen walking towards the casket on Friday. 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. 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 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. Inside the hushed hall, some mourners wept as current soldiers and veterans saluted their former commander-in-chief. Others in line dropped to their knees. 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 the UK.
