It was updated on September 17, 2022.
Queen Elizabeth II is lying in state in Parliament’s Westminster Hall, draped in her Royal Standard and capped with a diamond-encrusted crown, after a man was arrested for disorderly conduct. A person got out of the line to look at the queen’s coffin and tried to approach it on the platform.
A man tried to run up to the coffin and lift the standard, but his niece was pushed out of the way, according to the woman. She said police took the man into custody.
The live television feed of the mourners briefly stopped at 10 p.m. as police took a man into custody two hours after King Charles III and his siblings stood together.
A man was arrested for a public-order offense.
Since the public was admitted to the hall on Wednesday, the number of people wanting to farewell the queen has grown. Authorities temporarily stopped allowing more visitors to join the end of the line on Friday.
Volunteers gave blankets and cups of tea to people in line as the temperature dropped. The mourners described the warmth of the experience.
We had wonderful companions and new friends. Chris said the camaraderie was great. It was worth it, that’s what I said. I’d do it again and again. I would go for my queen.
The four children of the queen stood around the flag-draped coffin for 15 minutes on Friday evening as members of the public silently streamed into the hall. The baby’s cry was the only noise.
Edward said the royal family was “overwhelmed by the tide of emotion that has engulfed us and the sheer number of people who have gone out of their way to express their own love, admiration and respect”
People from all walks of life have lined up to see the queen. Many bowed their heads before the coffin. The veterans’ medals were shining in the spotlights. People cried. Others kissed each other. Many were proud to have spent hours in line to offer a tribute, even if it was only a short time.
The waiting time grew to as much as 24 hours. David Beckham lined up for over twelve hours to pay his respects. He bowed briefly to the coffin before walking out of the building.
“We have been lucky as a nation to have had someone who has led us the way she has led us, with kindness, with caring and always reassurance,” Beckham said.
The state funeral for Britain’s longest-reigning monarch will take place on Monday, when the queen’s coffin will be taken to the abbey.
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