Thousands of mourners waited for hours for the chance to file past Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin while she is lying in state. King Charles III reflected on his first week on the throne.
The line to pay respects to the queen stretched across a bridge and along the river beyond Tower Bridge for nine hours. Authorities brought in portable toilets and other facilities to make the wait less torturous.
A health care professional said she was glad there was a queue because it gave them time to see what was ahead of them. If I’d rushed through, I wouldn’t have liked it.
The focus of commemorations after the queen’s death was in the heart of political power in London. Her body will lie in state at the hall until Monday, when it will be taken to the abbey.
The first state funeral in Britain in 50 years took place on Thursday. The heads of state and royalty from around the world are expected to attend the event.
The queen and her late husband, Prince Philip, will be buried together at Windsor on Monday.
Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and King Felipe VI of Spain are both on the guest list for the funeral.
Trudeau met the queen when he was a child and said she was one of his favorites.
He said that she was always curious, engaged and thoughtful, and that she gave her best advice on a range of issues.
After a day of high ceremony and high emotions on Wednesday as the queen’s coffin was carried in a somber procession from Buckingham Palace, the king was spending Thursday working and in private reflection. Charles has spoken to a number of world leaders.
Prince William, the heir to the throne, and his wife, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, visited the royal family’s Sandringham estate in eastern England on Thursday to pay respects to some of the well-wishers. The couple walked along metal barriers as they received flowers from the public. The queen’s youngest son, Prince Edward, and his wife,Sophie, visited Manchester and Glasgow to thank the people who supported them.
The queen left Buckingham Palace in a horse-drawn carriage and was saluted by cannons and Big Ben in a solemn procession through the streets of London.
The coffin was adorned with a wreath of white roses and a purple velvet pillow. Elizabeth has been the head of state for seven decades.
Many Britons said a personal goodbye to the only monarch they’ve ever known when she lied-in-state.
Kate, Princess of Wales reacts with a well-wisher as she and Prince William view floral tributes Thursday left by members of the public. (AP/Pool/Toby Melville)
The gallery shows Britons paying respects to the queen.