King Charles III thanked Sunday evening all those who have supported him and his family since the death, on September 8, of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. His funeral on Monday promises to be grandiose with a huge crowd and dignitaries from all over the world.
As the national mourning that followed the death of the sovereign comes to an end, the new king thanked in a press release “all these countless people” who have shown their support. “In London, Edinburgh, Hillsborough and Cardiff, we (he and his wife, editor’s note) were moved beyond measure by all who took the trouble to come and pay tribute to the lifelong service of my dear mother, the late Queen,” he wrote.
Earlier in the evening, at 8 p.m. (9 p.m. in Switzerland), the UK froze for a minute’s silence. Britons had been invited to experience “this moment of reflection” in their homes, on their doorsteps or on their streets, or at community events and vigils. Thousands of people continued to line up to pay their last respects.
Signature of Ignazio Cassis
Joe Biden, accompanied by his wife Jill, made the sign of the cross in front of the coffin of the late sovereign, exposed to Westminster Hall, the oldest room of the British Parliament. He paid tribute to the sense of “dignity” and “service” of Elizabeth II, who died on September 8 at the age of 96.
Confederation President Ignazio Cassis and his wife Paola signed the book of condolences for the Queen at Lancaster House. The Federal Councilor then expressed his deep sympathy to His Majesty, King Charles III, son of the late Queen.
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived at Westminster Hall with his wife Brigitte, hand in hand, both dressed in black, with dark trainers and sunglasses. “We share the pain of the British,” Emmanuel Macron told reporters.
The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen or the King of Spain, Felipe VI, also bowed before the remains of the queen, as well as the first Ukrainian lady, Olena Zelenska, visibly very moved. Foreign leaders were to be received at Buckingham Palace in the early evening, for Charles III’s first major diplomatic meeting.
First lodges
The public still has until 6:30 a.m. (7:30 a.m. in Switzerland) Monday to gather in front of the queen’s coffin, which has been on display since Wednesday. But given the considerable waiting time to file past the coffin – at least 10 hours announced late Sunday afternoon – the government warned that the decision to ban new arrivals from joining the queue, become a phenomenon in itself, would be taken during the day.
In this continuous parade which saw tens – even hundreds – of thousands of people pass, only one incident was noted: a man was charged with disturbing the public order after leaving the line and approaching the coffin Friday.
The United Kingdom was to freeze in the evening Sunday in a minute of silence for a “moment of reflection”, in memory of its monarch who reigned 70 years, an unprecedented longevity in British history, until his death in his Scottish residence of Balmoral.
The organization of state funerals, the first since those of Winston Churchill in 1965, represents an unprecedented challenge for the London police, and mobilizes thousands of police and military personnel. Backstage, rehearsals are in full swing, and around Westminster Hall, the most ardent are already camped out to secure a place of choice.
To his surprise, Shaleen MacLeod, from Glasgow, managed to secure a place in the front line on Sunday morning to see the procession pass on Monday. “I expected to be behind,” this fervent admirer of the queen told AFP.
“Not boring”
Monday morning, 2,000 guests, including heads of state, will meet at Westminster Abbey, where Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953, for the high point of tributes paid in immense emotion since the death of the monarch. to worldwide popularity.
It will be “the best of funeral ceremonies”, former Archbishop of York John Sentamu warned the BBC. The Queen did not want a “boring” service, he added, announcing a ceremony that would “elevate” and “warm” hearts.
Last of the Queen’s children to pay tribute to her, Prince Andrew, reputedly favorite son of Elizabeth II and who fell into disgrace after accusations of sexual abuse ended in a financial agreement, hailed her “compassion”, her “trust” , his “advice” and his “humor”.
In a recorded video message to be broadcast on the BBC on Sunday, Queen Consort Camilla insists on the difficulties that “lonely woman” Elizabeth II faced in a world of predominantly male heads of state and government.
Popularity on the rise
As if to both gauge and maintain the bond between the British and the royal family, the queen’s children and grandchildren have multiplied their meetings with the public in recent days, while the period of mourning crushes all other news in the Kingdom. United.
Since the 70th anniversary celebrations of Elizabeth II’s reign in June, the proportion of Britons who want to keep the monarchy has risen by five points, to 67%, according to a YouGov poll published on Sunday. Charles recorded a jump in popularity (70% favorable opinions) but remained behind his son William (84%) and his wife, Kate (80%).
After a final procession, Elizabeth II will be buried privately on Monday in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, west London, next to her father King George VI and her husband Prince Philip.
This article has been published automatically. Sources: ats / afp