Grandchildren stand silent at vigil
LONDON: Princes William and Harry and their six cousins have held an emotional vigil at the lying in state of their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, in Westminster Hall.
The Prince of Wales stood at the head of the coffin, with his brother, the Duke of Sussex at the foot; their heads bowed in the Queen’s honour in sombre silence in the vast Westminster Hall. Both wore the Blues and Royals No 1 uniform.
Future king William was flanked at the corners by his cousins Zara Tindall and Peter Philips. Harry was between Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, with 18yearold Lady Louise Windsor and Viscount Severn — the Queen’s youngest grandchild who is just 14 — at the middle on either side of the coffin.
Mourners filing past slowed almost to a stop to look upon the younger generation of the royal family as they stood in the spotlight, united in grief for their grandmother but maintaining their composure — just as the Queen was famed for — throughout.
The grandchildren, invited by the King, had wanted to pay their respects as their parents had done the evening before. It is the only time Harry, who was stripped of his honorary military titles by the Queen postMegxit, will be seen in military dress at ceremonial occasions as he mourns the Queen — having been given permission to do so by his father, the King.
The Countess of looked griefstricken
Wessex as she watched her children Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn take on the difficult role.
Beatrice and Eugenie, just an hour before, had paid an emotional tribute to the Queen.
‘‘Goodbye dear Grannie — It has been the honour of our lives to have been your granddaughters,’’ they said.
The sisters, in a written message, thanked their grandmother for ‘‘making us laugh, for including us, for picking heather and raspberries, for marching soldiers, for our teas, for comfort, for joy’’.
The prince and the King went on a walkabout on Saturday afternoon local time to greet mourners in the queue for the lying in state.
Afterwards the King was given a tour of the Metropolitan Police Service special operations room.
Hundreds of people in line at Lambeth, south London, cheered and applauded while the royal duo shook scores of hands.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex also met wellwishers outside Buckingham Palace.
‘‘I know that my mother would really appreciate this fantastic support,’’ Edward told the crowd.
With world leaders and dignitaries arriving, the King embarked on a host of diplomatic duties as head of state.
He held audiences with five prime ministers — Canada’s Justin Trudeau, Australia’s leader Anthony Albanese, The Bahamas’ Philip Davis, Jamaican PM Andrew Holness and New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern.
He also staged a palace lunch for governorsgeneral from the Commonwealth realms, where he was joined by the Princess of Wales, the Prince of Wales and the Queen Consort.
At Westminster Abbey, people were working around the clock to put in place the final preparations for the funeral tomorrow New Zealand time.
The Dean of Westminster, the Very Rev Dr David Hoyle, who will lead the ceremony, said the service would be grand and on a scale that even Westminster Abbey doesn’t often do.
‘‘Part of this is about remembering [the Queen’s] significance, her place in history, her place in the nation and Commonwealth.
‘‘But it’s a funeral. It’s for a grieving family. That’s really important — personal sorrow [is] at the heart of this.’’ — AAP