The interminable queue which stretches for several kilometers and could reach fifteen, from Westminster Hall to the south-east of the capital, on the other side of the Thames, is far from discouraging them.
No more than the draconian security put in place to be able to parade briefly in front of the closed coffin of the 96-year-old sovereign, who died on September 8 and unanimously hailed for her total devotion to the Crown.
Last step before the 10-day funeral of a poignant national mourning, the remains have been accessible to the public since late Wednesday afternoon. She was then transferred in an emotionally charged solemn procession from Buckingham Palace, the official residence of Elizabeth II during her record-breaking 70-year reign.
In order not to lose your place in the queue, only a short pee break is possible in one of the 500 temporary toilets specially erected for the occasion. Hundreds of volunteers are expected to manage the crowd, as well as refreshments in businesses or institutions along the line, such as the National Theater.
“She has given so much to us and to the world. The least we can do is stand in line for a few hours to see her resting,” Adam Armendariz, a sales manager, told AFP. 35 year old came straight after his day at work. Although he only took his laptop, he says he is ready to “wait as long as necessary”.
– Crown –
Arrival from Scotland where the sovereign died, the remains are presented on an imposing catafalque at Westminster Hall, the oldest room in the British parliament open 24 hours a day until Monday 6:30 a.m., day of the final farewell with a national funeral at Westminster Abbey, in the presence of hundreds of foreign dignitaries and crowned heads.
Placed on a gun carriage, covered with the royal standard and surmounted by the imperial crown worn by Elizabeth II during her coronation in 1953, the oak coffin had been followed on foot by King Charles III, the monarch’s eldest son. , and other prominent members of the royal family.
Some members of the public had taken the lead, not hesitating to wait from the previous night in front of the parliament. Like Nina Kaistoffioson, a 40-year-old artist in “tears”, who came to say “thank you” to the queen for “her service to the nation”. She had spent two days waiting in the rain, but had packed a change of clothes before heading back to the cathedral.
– “Draconian” security –
Because the authorities have warned of “draconian restrictions”, worthy of airports, and asked the public to “dress appropriately to pay homage” to the sovereign, omnipresent through several generations of Britons and rock of stability in the crises and the changes.
Inside Westminster Hall, the public may only bring a small bag, and no food or drink other than a clear, empty bottle of water is permitted.
Before these long farewells over several days, the coffin of Elizabeth II had already been exposed for 24 hours in Edinburgh, from Monday evening to Tuesday, greeted by some 33,000 people.
Monday, the crowd promises to be even more massive for the funeral of the century, a huge security challenge for which London is preparing feverishly. Among the heads of state expected, US President Joe Biden expressed on Wednesday “the great admiration of the American people for the queen” and his “desire to continue a close relationship” with King Charles III.
For this historic event, a public holiday has been declared and many businesses, including almost all supermarkets, will keep the curtain down.
Before, the 73-year-old sovereign and the queen consort will travel to Wales on Friday, the last stop on their tour of the four constituent nations of the United Kingdom after England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Older than any British sovereign when they ascended to the throne, he takes office at a difficult time for the UK, which has just had a new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, and plunged into a social crisis. and economical. Long low, the popularity rating has skyrocketed since his accession to the throne.
