King Charles and sons escort Queen Elizabeth’s coffin as folks line as much as pay respects

King Charles, his sons Princes William and Harry, and different senior royals joined a solemn procession accompanying Queen Elizabeth’s coffin because the late monarch made her last journey from Buckingham Palace on Wednesday.

Huge crowds gathered in central London to witness the queen being taken from the palace to parliament as artillery weapons fired salutes and Big Ben tolled, the newest in a sequence of poignant ceremonies because the nation mourns the queen who died final week aged 96 after seven a long time on the throne.

Lying on a gun carriage, coated by the Royal Standard flag and with the Imperial State Crown positioned on a cushion on high alongside a wreath of flowers, the coffin bearing Elizabeth’s physique was taken in a sluggish, sombre procession from her London residence to Westminster Hall. There it would lie in state for 4 days.

General view through the reception of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth for her mendacity in state at Westminster Hall in London (Photo: Reuters)

Walking immediately behind had been Charles and his siblings, Anne, Andrew and Edward.

In a bunch that adopted had been Charles’s sons Princes William and Harry, a doleful scene harking back to when, as boys 25 years in the past, they adopted the casket of their mom Princess Diana when it was taken on an identical procession by central London.

It was additionally a symbolic present of unity as William, 40, now the Prince of Wales, and Harry, 37, the Duke of Sussex, are stated to be barely be on talking phrases after a bitter falling out within the final couple of years.

“It was very moving, seeing the family. It was a powerful show of unity,” stated Jenny Frame, 54, who waited for greater than 4 hours to see the procession.

Paul Wiltshire, 65, commented: “I don’t think we’ll see anything like that again ever, or a queen like that again. An end of an era.”

HUSHED SILENCE

A army band enjoying funeral marches and troopers in ceremonial scarlet uniforms accompanied the gun carriage pulled by the King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, because it moved slowly by central London, the place many roads had been closed to visitors.

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, is carried on a horse-drawn gun carriage of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery (Photo: Reuters)

Guns fired each minute in Hyde Park, whereas parliament’s well-known Big Ben bell additionally rang at 60-second intervals. The crowd stood in a hushed silence as they watched the procession however then broke into spontaneous applause when it handed. Some threw flowers.

Other senior royals, together with Charles’ spouse Camilla, now the Queen Consort, Kate, William’s spouse and now Princess of Wales, and Harry’s spouse, Meghan, travelled by automotive.

When the procession reached Westminster Hall, a medieval constructing with origins relationship again to 1097 and the oldest a part of the Palace of Westminster that homes the British parliament, the coffin was carried inside by troopers from the Grenadier Guards and positioned on a catafalque surrounded by candles.

A brief service adopted, carried out by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the religious head of the Anglican Church, as senior politicians watched on. The royals quietly departed, with Harry and Meghan holding palms.

A relentless vigil will probably be held by troopers in full ceremonial uniforms on the 4 corners of the catafalque.

Just after 5 pm, the general public started to file previous the coffin, some in tears, many bowing their heads. There will probably be a relentless stream of mourners, 24 hours a day, through the 4 days of mendacity in state that lasts till the morning of the funeral on Sept. 19.

“It was quite overwhelming,” stated Thomas Hughes, 20, who waited almost 14 hours along with his brother to view the queen mendacity in state. “When you put yourself through that, and then you get to the moment you’re waiting for, you are just that little bit more emotional. It’s a very powerful thing.”

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson stated Elizabeth had three key roles in her life: head of the household, head of the nation, and head of state. Wednesday marked the second the coffin handed from the household to the state.

LONG QUEUE

People began ready in line late on Tuesday, sleeping on the road within the rain, to be one of many first to file previous the coffin. By Wednesday afternoon, the queue was 2.5 miles lengthy.

The authorities has warned the queue may ultimately stretch for as much as 10 miles (16 kilometres) alongside the southern financial institution of the River Thames.

Among these gathered, some had been there to characterize aged dad and mom, others to witness historical past, and plenty of to thank a girl who, having ascended the throne in 1952, was nonetheless holding official authorities conferences simply two days earlier than she died.

“She’s an icon of icons,” mourner Chris Imafidon stated. “I must at least endure this camping out of respect.”

Speaking to folks within the queue, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell quipped: “We are honouring two great British traditions – loving the queen and loving a queue.”

Elizabeth’s coffin was flown again to London late on Tuesday from Scotland, the place it had been since her demise at her Scottish summer time vacation residence, Balmoral Castle.

The coffin of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth is transported in a procession from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament (Photo: Reuters)

In Scotland, about 33,000 folks filed previous the coffin through the 24 hours it was at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, however the memorial in London is a a lot bigger event.

As many as 750,000 mourners are anticipated to stroll by Westminster Hall to pay their last respects.

A senior palace official described Wednesday’s poignant pageant as comparatively small and private. The full-scale ceremonial procession on the day of her funeral is more likely to be one of many greatest the nation has ever witnessed.

Royalty, presidents and different world leaders are anticipated to attend, though nobody from sure nations, reminiscent of Russia, Afghanistan, and Syria will probably be invited.

U.S. President Joe Biden, who has stated he will probably be there, spoke to the brand new king earlier on Wednesday, the White House stated, and “conveyed the great admiration of the American people for the queen”.

A spokesperson for the king stated he had additionally accomplished a sequence of cellphone calls to different leaders, together with the presidents of Ireland and France and the governors basic of Australia, Canada and Jamaica.

READ | Queen Elizabeth II’s last flight is essentially the most tracked in historical past

— ENDS —