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LONDON (Reuters) – US President Joe Biden is expected to salute Queen Elizabeth’s coffin in London on Sunday, joining hundreds of thousands of people who have come forward to bypass Britain’s late monarch while she lies in the state.
Biden will later join King Charles and dozens of world leaders and royals from around the world at a reception ahead of Elizabeth’s grand state funeral on Monday. Read more
Elizabeth’s body has been lying in historic Westminster Hall since Wednesday, people from all walks of life and from around the world Recordings have been in the past in a constant emotional stream, many queuing all night and some for up to 24 hours.
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“Her legacy will loom large in the pages of British history and in the story of our world,” Biden said in a message following news of the Queen’s death on September 8 at the age of 96.
He was one of the fourteen US presidents in her reign, and Elizabeth met all but Lyndon Johnson, beginning with Harry Truman in 1951 when she was still a princess. Read more
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who was seen swaying on the coffin, were among the dignitaries who had already paid their respects.
Britain hosted a series of poignant, carefully designed celebrations in the ten days following Elizabeth’s death, reflecting the traditions and festival of the British royal family whose dynasties stretch back nearly 1,000 years.
“Matriarch”
On Saturday evening, the Queen’s eight grandchildren, including Charles’ sons Princes William and Harry, held a vigil in front of her coffin, following a similar celebration by her children the day before. Read more
“You have been our mothers, our guide, and our loving hand on our backs guiding us through this world,” Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, daughters of Prince Andrew, second son of the Queen and Duke of York, said in a statement.
“Farewell my dear, it has been the honor of our lives to be your granddaughters and we are so proud of you.”
People pay respects to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, after her death, as she lay in state, in London, Britain, September 17, 2022. British Parliament / Jessica Taylor / Posted via Reuters
Camilla, wife of new King Charles and now Queen, said the late Queen’s smile was “unforgettable,” in a letter honoring the late monarch released on Sunday.
“She’s been a part of our lives forever,” Camilla said. “I’m 75 now and I can’t remember anyone but the Queen.” “She has those gorgeous blue eyes, and when she smiles they light up her entire face. I will always remember her smile. That smile is unforgettable.” Read more
A minute’s silence will be held at 8 pm (1900 GMT) on Sunday.
Members of the British royal family and government are now looking forward to Monday’s funeral at Westminster Abbey, the site of the coronation, weddings and burials of English and then British kings and queens since William I in 1066.
London police described the ceremony as the largest security operation they had ever carried out.
Nearly 500 guests representing 200 countries and regions will attend – including presidents, prime ministers, kings, queens and sultans – and huge crowds are expected to roam the streets. Read more
Britain has not held a state funeral on the Queen’s planned scale since World War Two leader Winston Churchill.
The government said large screens to watch the concert would be held in Hyde Park in London and in cities across the country. The funeral will also be broadcast live by three broadcasters.
Television rating service Overnights.TV has estimated that via the BBC and other news channels, around 33 million people in Britain watched the day she died.
Such was the desire to pay tribute to the popular monarch, the only person most Britons had known since she took power in 1952, as tens of thousands patiently waited in line along the Thames to spend a few brief seconds on the side. her coffin.
By the time the lying in her case ends Monday, officials estimated that as many as 750,000 may have come forward.
She didn’t believe all of this, she didn’t really believe it, Prince William said as he joined his father Charles, the new king, to speak to mourners waiting in line on Saturday. “An amazing thing.”
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Additional reporting by Jeff Mason. Editing by Christina Fincher and Allison Williams
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