Braving miles of queues, the British gathered in their thousands on Thursday in London in front of the coffin of their adored queen, joined in their emotion by Prince William who evoked the painful memories of his mother Diana.
Four days before the grandiose funeral of the sovereign, who died on September 8 at the age of 96, the flow of visitors remained uninterrupted at Westminster Hall.
The queue exceeded Thursday seven kilometers, a wait of eight hours, to access the oldest room in Parliament where the sovereign lies in an oak coffin, on an imposing catafalque surmounted by the sparkling imperial crown. Some bow their heads in respect, others throw a kiss, make a small bow or wipe away a tear.
” It was really beautiful. Very moving. Very silent. There is the weight of history,” says Sarah Mellor, visibly moved. After waiting seven hours, she “just said thank you” to the queen.
After her death in Scotland and a final night at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday evening, the Queen’s remains returned to Westminster after a solemn procession through central London on Wednesday, led by King Charles III, his siblings and his children William and Harry.
Now heir to the throne, Prince William gathered Thursday with his wife Kate at the Sandringham residence in eastern England, where the Queen loved to spend Christmas. He shared the painful memories brought up by the funeral march, 25 years after the death of his mother Diana.
“The procession yesterday was a test. It brought back memories, ”said according to images from Sky News William to Britons who came to greet him.
“He told us how difficult it was yesterday because it brought back memories of his mother’s funeral,” said Jane Wells, 54, present in Sandringham, quoted by the PA agency.
Fifteen-year-old William moved the world in 1997 when he walked alongside his twelve-year-old brother Harry behind the coffin of his mother, who died in Paris after being chased by the paparazzi.
“Princes’ Vigil”
A rock of stability in crises and change, Elizabeth II, who died in Scotland after a long reign of more than 70 years – a record in the United Kingdom – was a reassuring image for millions of Britons during her reign .
“I don’t think we’ll ever have a monarch like her again,” said Rupa Jones, a 43-year-old Londoner dressed in black, who waited six and a half hours in the night to parade in front of the coffin.
Anticipating a queue of up to fifteen kilometers, the authorities warned of “draconian restrictions”, worthy of airports. In particular, the public can only bring a small bag and no food, drink, flowers or photos are authorized.
They will be joined on Friday by the children of the queen, including King Charles III, who will gather at 7:30 p.m. local time (2:30 p.m. in Quebec) during a “vigil of princes”.
Two minutes of silence
Monday, declared a public holiday, the crowd promises to be massive for the state funeral, the first since the death of Winston Churchill in 1965, a huge security challenge for which London is preparing feverishly.
They will take place at 11 a.m. at Westminster Abbey in the presence of more than 2,000 guests, including hundreds of foreign dignitaries and crowned heads, and 200 Britons decorated by the Queen for their commitment to associations or in the response to the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19.
After the “Last Post”, a tribute to fallen soldiers in the British army, has sounded, two minutes of silence will be observed, around 12:55 p.m.
Draconian security
The burial will take place at 7.30 p.m. during a ceremony reserved for close family members at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, on the western outskirts of the capital.
While awaiting this last farewell, Charles III, 73, retired to his country residence in Highgrove on Thursday for his first day without an official engagement since his accession to the throne.
Along with Queen Consort Camilla, the King will travel to Wales on Friday, the final leg of their tour of the four constituent nations of the UK 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 of the new king has skyrocketed since his accession to the throne.