Thousands pay respects to Queen Elizabeth
As she lies in state in London
LONDON (Reuters) – Mourners from all walks of life filed past the coffin of Queen Elizabeth through the night as she lay in state in London’s ancient Westminster Hall, paying their final respects to Britain’s longest-reigning monarch before her funeral on Monday.
After days of processions and ritual as the queen’s body was brought to London from Balmoral, Scotland, where she died last Thursday at the age of 96, this was the opportunity for ordinary people to take a direct part in a ceremony.
As King Charles returned to his Highgrove home in the southern English region of Gloucestershire after days of scheduled events, officials expected some 750,000 people to view his mother’s coffin before the lying in state ends at 6:30 a.m. on Monday.
The line stretched back several miles along the south bank of the River Thames, past landmarks such as Tower Bridge and a replica of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, crossing Lambeth Bridge as it neared Westminster Hall. People waited many hours.
Thomas Hughes, 20, who waited nearly 14 hours overnight with his brother, said finally viewing the coffin was overwhelming.
“You do it all because you want to pay respect to this lady ... and I think 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,” he said. “It’s a very powerful thing.”
Most were Britons, but some were from overseas. They were young and old, and included former soldiers in military medals and babies being carried by their parents. Many stopped by the coffin to bow their head. Others wiped away tears.
Some were there to represent elderly parents, others to witness history and to thank a woman who, having ascended the throne in 1952, was still holding official government meetings just two days before she died.
Queen Elizabeth’s coffin lay in the center of Westminster Hall on a purple catafalque placed on a red platform. It was covered by the Royal Standard flag and topped with the Imperial State Crown placed on a cushion, alongside a wreath of flowers.
Soldiers and “Beefeaters” – the red-coated warders usually found guarding the Tower of London – stood vigil with bowed heads.
Among the first inside was Kenneth Taylor, 72, from Reading in central England, who had come with a neighbor and stayed overnight in a tent in the queue.
Tearing up, Taylor said that on seeing the queen lying in state, he felt sad.
“A lump came to my throat.You know, we’ve lost someone special. Her service to this country was really steadfast and unswerving. And she’s probably what I would call the queen of queens,” he said.