World leaders have begun arriving in London for the Queen’s funeral as today marks the monarch’s last day in state. US President Joe Biden landed in the UK and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Indian President Draupadi Murmu are among the leaders set to arrive in one of the largest gatherings of international dignitaries in years. British law enforcement agencies are gearing up for the country’s biggest security challenge since the Second World War, with events involving more than two thousand guests, 500 foreign dignitaries, 4,000 service personnel and more than a million members of the public expected to line the streets. Public access to Westminster Hall is due to close at 6.30am. on Monday so that the Queen’s coffin can be taken to Westminster Abbey for her funeral. Prince Harry and Prince William were joined in a silent vigil by the Queen’s grandchildren on Saturday night. The Prince of Wales drove his brother, the Duke of Sussex, as well as his cousins Zara Tyndall and Peter Phillips, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and Lady Louise Windsor and Viscount Severn.
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Camilla’s tribute to the Queen will be televised on the eve of the funeral
The Queen Consort is to pay a televised tribute to the late Queen, recalling her “beautiful blue eyes” and saying: “I will always remember her smile”. Camilla’s tribute to her mother-in-law is due to be broadcast on Sunday on the BBC, just before the national minute’s silence at 8pm.
‘I’ll always remember her smile’: Camilla’s televised tribute to Queen ahead of funeral
The Queen Consort’s pre-recorded words about the late monarch will be shown on television on Sunday night Chiara Giordano September 18, 2022 09:30 1663487740
Politics explained: What do the British public think about the monarchy?
The Queen’s funeral dominates the news, with hundreds of thousands of people lining up to pay their respects. But what do the British public think of the monarchy? Our politics correspondent Jon Stone has delved into the polls to find out:
What do the British public think of the monarchy?
Politics Explained: Jon Stone looks at levels of support for the monarchy Chiara Giordano September 18, 2022 08:55 1663485940
Man charged after Queen’s coffin ‘disturbed’
A man arrested in the ancient chamber where Queen Elizabeth II is kept has been charged with public order. Muhammad Khan, 28, of Barleycorn Way, Tower Hamlets, was charged on Saturday with an offense under Section 4A of the Public Order Act for conduct which caused alarm, annoyance or distress at Westminster Hall. Emily Atkinson has more details:
Man charged after ‘disturbance’ by Queen’s coffin at Westminster Hall
Muhammad Khan is due to appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday Chiara Giordano September 18, 2022 08:25 1663484440
Fears that London’s transport network will be overwhelmed by mourners
One of the UK’s biggest processions will take place on Monday as mourners descend on London for the Queen’s funeral. Transport for London (TfL) is preparing for around one million people to visit the capital. Around 250 extra train services will run – including some overnight trains – and National Highways has suspended planned motorway closures across England. There are fears the transport network will be overwhelmed on Monday afternoon if too many people visiting the capital travel home immediately after the funeral which leaves Westminster shortly after midday. Mourners are asked to delay their return journeys and check for travel updates. (Loic Venance/AFP via Getty Images) Chiara Giordano September 18, 2022 08:00 1663482972
Queen had “a great affection for Australians”, says Anthony Albanese
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to the Queen’s relationship with her country and people, saying she had a “great affection for Australians”. Speaking to Sky News Australia, Mr Albanese said: “(The Queen had) A remarkable life, well lived. world. “The Queen was the first Australian monarch to visit. He visited Australia about 16 times. He had a great affection for Australians. “She was someone who had that affection and Australians had affection back for Her Majesty.” Mr Albanese had earlier visited the Queen’s coffin at Westminster Hall, describing it as “an incredibly moving experience”. Chiara Giordano September 18, 2022 07:36 1663480845
Royal program for Sunday
Sunday marks the last full day of statehood and heads of state will continue to arrive for the funeral. Irish President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Micheal Martin are expected to join the list of heads of state who have signed a book of condolences at Lancaster House. The King will have an audience with Prime Minister Liz Truss at Buckingham Palace. The King and Queen Consort will host heads of state and official foreign guests at the palace, in what the King’s spokesman described as an “official state event”. A memorial service for the Queen at the Kelpies Sculptures near Falkirk, Scotland, will see 96 lanterns, one for each year of Her Majesty’s life, lowered into the Pond of Reflection at the foot of the Queen Elizabeth II Canal, before the wreaths. placed in the water. A pre-recorded tribute to the late monarch by the Queen Consort will be broadcast on the BBC shortly before 8pm. Members of the public will be asked to observe a minute’s silence at 8 p.m. to remember the queen.
Sam Rkaina18 September 2022 07:00 1663479045
Just 24 hours left to see the Queen in state
Mourners hoping to see the Queen lie in state have just 24 hours to do so. The late monarch’s coffin will remain in Westminster Hall for the public to view until 6.30am. on Monday, ahead of a state funeral at Westminster Abbey. With waiting times still long, Britons wanting to say their own personal farewell to the monarch will have to join the queue sooner rather than later. Sam Rkaina18 September 2022 06:30 1663478438
Zelensky’s wife Olena will represent Ukraine at the Queen’s funeral
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s wife Olena Zelenska will attend the Queen’s funeral in London on Monday. While the president will not join the heads of state at the funeral, Ms Zelenska will be present at Westminster Abbey. “Olena Zelenska’s presence is yet another sign of global support for Ukraine, while Russia is isolated,” a source was quoted as saying by the Sun. reports Sravasti Dasgupta.
Zelensky’s wife Olena will represent Ukraine at the Queen’s funeral
Ukraine’s First Lady will fly back to the war-torn country immediately after the ceremony Shweta Sharma September 18, 2022 6:20 am 1663477245
How Camilla was accepted by The Firm
On the eve of her Platinum Jubilee in February 2022, the Queen approved that the then Duchess of Cornwall will be known as Queen Consort when the time comes. The Queen said it was her “sincere wish” and called on the public to support both her daughter-in-law and Charles when he becomes king. It was a shrewd move by the monarch in her twilight years to put her affairs in order and ensure as smooth a transition as possible. It ended years of debate over what Camilla – Charles’ former lover – would eventually be named. Camilla was blamed for the collapse of the prince’s marriage to Diana, Princess of Wales, and faced fierce criticism when news of their relationship emerged. But in the decades since the Welsh’s divorce, Diana’s untimely death in 1997 and Camilla’s admission to The Firm, public sentiment towards the former Mrs Parker Bowles has softened. After marrying Charles in 2005, Camilla gradually took a more prominent place in the royal family, including riding alongside the Queen in her Diamond Jubilee procession in 2012. She also began attending the opening of parliament and became a privy councilor in 2016 ahead of the Queen’s official 90th birthday. She is now styled Her Majesty and is expected to be crowned Queen at the King’s coronation. Camilla, seated next to then French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and close to the Queen at a state banquet (Matt Dunham/PA) (PA wire) Sam Rkaina18 September 2022 06:00 1663475445
Camilla to pay televised tribute to the Queen
The Queen Consort is to pay a televised tribute to the late Queen, recalling her “beautiful blue eyes” and saying: “I will always remember her smile”. Camilla, in pre-recorded words, will talk about how Queen Elizabeth II carved her own role over many years in the “difficult position” of the “lone woman” in a male-dominated world. “I can’t remember anyone but the Queen being there,” the Queen Consort will add, as she is among the majority of the nation for whom, until now, the Queen was the only British monarch they ever knew or could remember. The Queen Consort’s tribute to her mother-in-law is due to be broadcast on Sunday – the eve of the Queen’s funeral – on the BBC, just before the national minute’s silence at 8pm. Camilla will say: “He was part of our lives forever. I am now 75 and don’t remember anyone but the Queen being there. “It must have been so hard for her to be a single woman. “There were no female prime ministers or presidents. She was the only one, so I think she carved out her own role.” Remembering the late monarch, Camilla will add: “She has these beautiful blue eyes, which when she smiles light up her whole face. “I will always remember her smile. That smile is unforgettable.” The Queen and Camilla (Danny Lawson/PA) (PA wire) Sam Rkaina18 September 2022 05:30
