Biden will later join King Charles and many other world leaders and royals from around the world for a reception ahead of Elizabeth’s grand state funeral on Monday. read more Elizabeth’s body has been lying in state at historic Westminster Hall since Wednesday, and people from all walks of life and from around the world have been pouring in a steady, emotional stream, many queuing overnight. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSign up “Her legacy will loom large in the pages of British history, and in the history of our world,” Biden said in a message after news of the Queen’s death on September 8 at the age of 96. She was one of 14 US presidents in her reign, of whom Elizabeth met all but Lyndon Johnson, starting with Harry Truman in 1951, when she was still a princess. read more Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who was seen running to the coffin, are among the dignitaries who have already paid their respects. “The absolute silence of this place is one of the things that makes it so moving,” Arden said, adding that she had shared the moment with people who had queued for 20 hours or more. “The Queen was here for her people and now her people are there for her,” he told the BBC on Sunday. Britain hosted a series of poignant, carefully choreographed ceremonies in the 10 days following Elizabeth’s death, reflecting the traditions and grandeur of the British royal family whose lineage stretches back almost 1,000 years.
“OUR MATRIARCH”
On Saturday night, the Queen’s eight grandchildren, including Charles’ sons Princes William and Harry, held a solemn vigil by her coffin, following a similar observance by her children the day before. read more Camilla, wife of new King Charles and now Queen Consort, said the late Queen’s smile was “unforgettable”, in a tribute message to the late monarch released on Sunday. “It’s been part of our lives forever. I’m 75 now and I can’t remember anyone but the Queen being there,” Camilla said. “She has these beautiful blue eyes, that when she smiles they light up her whole face. I will always remember her smile. That smile is unforgettable.” read more People pay tribute to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, after her death, as she lies in state, in London, Britain, September 17, 2022. British Parliament/Jessica Taylor/Handout via REUTERS read more A minute’s national silence will be observed at 8 p.m. (1900 GMT) on Sunday. The royal family and the British government are now looking ahead to Monday’s funeral at Westminster Abbey, the site of coronations, weddings and burials of English and then British kings and queens since William I in 1066. London police described the ceremony as the biggest security operation they have ever undertaken. Members of the public camped out to secure seats along the procession route.
QUEUE DECISION
Some 500 guests representing nearly 200 countries and territories will attend – including presidents, prime ministers, kings, queens and sultans – and huge crowds are expected to throng the streets. read more Britain has not held a state funeral on the scale planned for the Queen since World War II leader Winston Churchill in 1965. The government said large screens to watch the ceremony would be set up in Hyde Park in London and in cities across the country. The funeral will also be broadcast live by broadcasters. The Overnights.TV viewing service estimated that on the BBC and other news channels, around 33 million people in Britain had tuned in on the day of her death. Such was the desire to pay tribute to the popular monarch, the only one most Britons have known since her accession in 1952, that tens of thousands waited patiently in a queue stretching alongside the River Thames to spend a few seconds on the sidelines. of her coffin. “To think that everyone is there for one person, to highlight what they’ve done for people and in whatever way they felt it touched them or their country,” said Darren Luckhurst, a 49-year-old manager. “Hats, gloves and I guess camaraderie” had helped him through the cold night, he said. A decision on closing the entrance to the line will be made on Sunday, the government said. By the time her status expires on Monday, as many as 750,000 may have been recorded. “He wouldn’t believe it all, he really wouldn’t believe it,” Prince William said as he walked with his father Charles, the new king, to address mourners waiting in line on Saturday. “It’s amazing.” Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSign up Additional reporting by Jeff Mason, Kate Holton and Paul Sandle. Edited by Christina Fincher and Alison Williams Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
