Prince Andrew has paid tribute to his mother, the late Queen, saying he will “forever cherish” her “love for a son”. The Duke of York praised the Queen’s “compassion” and “trust” in a statement on Sunday afternoon. He said: “Dear mother, mother, Your Majesty, three in one. “Your Majesty, it has been an honor and a privilege to serve you. Mother – of the nation, your dedication and personal service to our nation is unique and unique. People show you their love and respect in so many different ways and I know you try to honor their respect. “Mom, your love for a son, your compassion, your care, your trust I will treasure forever.” It comes as people have been warned not to head out to join the queue for the Queen’s stay in state, as it is expected to close later today. The government said: “To avoid disappointment, do not start to join the queue.” World leaders have begun arriving in London for the Queen’s funeral as today marks the monarch’s last day in state.
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The Archbishop of Canterbury prepares for the Queen’s sermon
The Archbishop of Canterbury has reflected on the sense of loss the nation is feeling as it awaits the Queen’s “final farewell”, in a special radio broadcast. On BBC Radio 4 on Sunday night, the Most Reverend Justin Welby said prayers for those who “wake, work, watch or weep” as we “head into the last watches of the night” and paid tribute to the Queen’s humanity. The archbishop, who will deliver the homily at the Queen’s state funeral on Monday, spoke of those who took part in the preparations or who cared for others, because “life goes on”. In his homily for the Queen, broadcast shortly after the national minute’s silence at 8pm, the archbishop said: “Tonight we pass into the last watches of the night as we await tomorrow’s final farewell. “There will be many tonight who will think ahead to tomorrow. there will be many already in service, preparing. “There will be many working tonight, caring for others, because life goes on, and hospitals and care homes and many other parts of our lives still need care. “There will be many who watch loved ones hurt or get sick and many who will cry for those they have lost or fear they will lose. “For those who wake, work, watch or cry tonight, we know and pray that God is watching with them.” (Getty Images) Sam Rkaina18 September 2022 20:44 1663529508
The Queen’s terminus is moved to London Bridge
With 10 hours to go, the end of the queue to see the coffin is now at London Bridge. Entry to the queue will close when it reaches final capacity. The latest estimate for the wait time is seven hours – the shortest it’s been since the queue started on Thursday. People huddle under blankets for warmth as they queue to visit Her Majesty’s coffin (Getty Images) Sam Rkaina18 September 2022 20:31 1663528505
Police response to protests ‘will be balanced’
Asked how officers would respond to potential protests, Mr Cundy said officers had been briefed and the force “will always take a balanced and proportionate response to any issues we find”. “In the last week we have had so many people come here to London to pay their respects to Her Majesty the Queen. “All our officers who will be on duty for the state funeral and route and across London have been briefed, understand what their role is and they all feel incredibly privileged to be part of this comprehensive police response. “We will always take a balanced and proportionate response to any issues we find. And we will only take measures that are absolutely necessary.” A man holds a placard as he attends a protest outside Cardiff Castle (REUTERS/Carl Recine) Sam Rkaina18 September 2022 20:15 1663527877
The Nation observes a minute’s silence for the Queen
The country observed a minute’s silence in honor of the Queen. People across the UK fell silent at 8pm ahead of the monarch’s funeral on Monday. (REUTERS) Sam Rkaina18 September 2022 20:04 1663526705
Thousands of police begin the route to Windsor Castle
Around 2,300 police officers will line the Queen’s final journey from Westminster Abbey to Windsor Castle. More than 3,000 officers from forces outside London will be part of the 10,000-strong team policing the funeral on Monday, which Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy described as the “final and most complex phase” of the operation following his death monarch. . Speaking to the PA news agency in the capital’s police force’s special operations room on Sunday, Mr Cundy said: “This is a police operation that the Met has been planning for a long time, but on Monday we will enter the final and most complex phase of it our police operation. “First and foremost, our priority is to ensure a safe and secure state funeral and procession route, but also safe and secure for all who attend. “As part of the route from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch, we will have 1,000 police officers along with military personnel covering the route. “These officers will deal with the huge crowds we expect in London and I would ask anyone, if you are coming to London, to pay your respects and see Her Majesty the Queen: if you see anything out of the ordinary, if you hear anything suspicious , please speak to one of the thousands of police officers who will be on duty.” A policeman speaks to members of the public at the Horse Guards Parade (Getty Images) Sam Rkaina18 September 2022 19:45 1663525805
Food confiscated from the queues will be donated to charity
Food confiscated from people waiting in line for the Queen to lie in state is being donated to charity. People are not allowed to take food or drink into the Palace of Westminster and any such items will be confiscated. Charity The Felix Project said it expects to collect over two tonnes of food, mainly snacks such as crisps, chocolate and biscuits, and also accepts unwanted blankets. With people waiting up to 24 hours to complete the five-mile route from Southwark Park to Westminster Hall to pay their respects to the Queen, they come with plenty of food to keep them going. When they arrive at Victoria Tower Gardens, the food is confiscated before being allowed to enter the parliamentary estate, and instead of being thrown away, all non-perishable and closed packaging is saved. The Felix Project will distribute the items to the thousands of community groups it works with across the capital. The charity’s chief executive Charlotte Hill said: “We are honored to be here to play a small part in this extremely poignant event and to know that an extra level of good is being done here. “This food is an extremely unique donation and will help hundreds of people who struggle to afford to eat. “We support thousands of organizations that help a huge range of people and every day more people are contacting us asking us to give them food. “We need more food, so opportunities like this are really great.” The charity got involved after being told by the Scout Association that a lot of food was being thrown in the bin. The queue is set to close later on Sunday (James Manning/PA) (PA Wire) Sam Rkaina18 September 2022 19:30 1663524005
Queen’s legacy a reminder UK-Irish relations ‘must be fostered’
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said the Queen’s legacy was a reminder of the importance of “nourishing” British-Irish relations as he praised the late monarch’s “genuine actions” towards reconciliation. The Taoiseach was speaking from London ahead of the state funeral on Monday morning. Mr Martin and his wife Mary, along with Irish President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina, will be among 500 foreign dignitaries to attend the funeral at Westminster Abbey. The two couples attended Westminster Hall on Sunday afternoon, before signing a book of condolences at Lancaster House. The Irish delegation was also due to attend a reception hosted by the King at Buckingham Palace on Sunday night for visiting heads of state. Speaking to reporters in London, Mr Martin said it was a “very important moment in history”, adding: “Her warmth, her genuine energy, both in her actions and in what she did, made a huge contribution.” He said the Queen’s 2011 visit to Ireland was the culmination of “tremendous work” that “cemented” reconciled Anglo-Irish relations in the modern era and would be remembered for a long time. “In many ways, it gives us all time to pause and reflect on the importance of the British-Irish relationship, the need to nurture it, to nurture it, for future generations.” (Jonathan Hordle/WPA Pool/Getty Images) Sam Rkaina18 September 2022 19:00 1663523105
The Queen’s funeral cost over £5 million
How many people lined up to see the Queen Mother lie in state? An estimated 200,000 people paid their respects over three days to the Queen Mother in 2002 – the last person in state in the UK. The funeral itself had 2,200 guests. At their longest, queues stretched across Lambeth Bridge and all the way along the South Bank to Southwark Cathedral, with people warned to wait up to 12 hours at peak times. How much did the Queen’s funeral cost? Arrangements for the Queen Mother’s funeral cost more than £5.4 million. Policing costs came to £4.3m and the Queen’s stay in state came to £825,000, according to a House of Commons research paper. Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother in 1993 (AP) Sam Rkaina18 September 2022 18:45 1663522205
Lying in a state with numbers
How many people went to see the Queen lie in state at St Giles Cathedral? About 33,000…
