By Angus McSwan and Farouk Suleiman
LONDON (Archyde.com) – Mourners passed through the night in front of Queen Elizabeth’s coffin in London’s Old Westminster Hall to bid farewell to Britain’s longest-reigning queen ahead of her funeral scheduled for Monday.
After processions and ceremonies that lasted for days, with the body of the Queen brought from Balmoral in Scotland, where she died last Thursday at the age of 96, to London, ordinary citizens had the opportunity to participate directly in one of the ceremonies. Many tears shed as they passed by the coffin.
Officials expect up to 750,000 mourners to bid farewell to the Queen’s coffin in Westminster Hall until 6:30 am (0730 GMT) on Monday.
The queue stretched several miles from the south bank of the Thames, passing landmarks such as Tower Bridge and a replica of the Shakespeare Globe theater, across Lambeth Bridge and as close to Westminster Hall. People waited many hours.
“You do all of this because you want to pay respect to this lady,” said Thomas Hughes, 20, who waited nearly 14 hours with his brother to watch the Queen’s coffin. more affected.”
Most of the depositors were British and some from outside the country. They were young and old, including former soldiers wearing military decorations and children carried by their parents. Many stopped at the coffin and bowed their heads, and others shed tears.
Some came on behalf of their elderly parents, while others came to witness history and thank a woman who, even just two days before her death, had held official government meetings despite her accession to the throne since 1952.
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth was placed in the center of Westminster Hall on a purple platform on a red platform. It is covered with the Scottish royal flag and topped with the imperial crown resting on a cushion, along with a wreath.
Soldiers and guards in red coats, who usually stand guard on the Tower of London, stood with their heads bowed.
Kenneth Taylor, 72, was among the first to enter the hall. He came from Reading, in central England, with a neighbour, and stayed up all night in a tent in line.
He said he was sad when he saw the Queen’s coffin and felt a lump in his throat.
“We lost a special person,” he said. Her service to this country has been truly loyal and solid. She was probably what I would describe as the Queen of Queens.”
The casket was carried from Buckingham Palace on a cannon cart and escorted by soldiers in scarlet uniforms in a solemn procession on Wednesday followingnoon.
Behind the casket, King Charles and his two sons, Princes William and Harry and other senior members of the royal family walked in a sombre sight. The two princes united in mourning for their grandmother, the queen, despite the dispute between them. Thursday is Harry’s 38th birthday.
The full funeral service is likely to be one of the largest the country has ever seen and will pose a major security challenge.
Members of the royal families and other presidents and leaders from around the world are expected to attend the funeral, but there are dignitaries and leaders from certain countries who were not invited, such as the leaders of Russia, Afghanistan and Syria.
The White House said US President Joe Biden, who has announced he will attend the funeral, spoke to King Charles on Wednesday and “expressed the great admiration the American people have for the Queen.”