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LONDON (AP) — Thousands of mourners lined up in Parliament’s Westminster Hall on Thursday, passing Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin as King Charles III spent the day in private to celebrate Reflect on his first week on the throne.
On Thursday morning, the queue stretched 2.6 miles (4.2 kilometers) to watch the Queen lay in state along the south bank of the River Thames, then across a bridge to Parliament. Thousands of people in line didn’t mind the wait time.
“I’m happy to have a cohort because it gives us time to look at what’s ahead of us, get us ready and absorb the whole atmosphere,” said Nimisha Maroo, a healthcare professional. “If I had to rush through, I wouldn’t like it.”
After a day of solemn ceremony and high emotion, the Queen was born in a melancholic procession at Buckingham Palace, with the king spending the day “private reflection” at his Highgrove residence in the west of England. Charles spoke by phone with U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron and spoke with a number of world leaders – many of whom will be in London on Monday for the Queen’s funeral.
Heir to the throne Prince William and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales will visit the royal family’s Sandringham estate in east England to see some of the tributes left by well-wishers.
The Queen left Buckingham Palace for the last time on Wednesday, riding in a carriage, salutes to the blaring of cannons and Big Ben, and marched solemnly through flag-laden, crowded London streets to Westminster Hall.
Charles, his siblings and sons marched behind the coffin with a ring of white roses and her crown on a purple velvet pillow.
The military parade highlights Elizabeth’s seven decades as head of state as the national mourning process shifts to the avenues and historic landmarks of the British capital.
The 900-year-old Westminster Hall is now the focal point of the event as the Queen remains in shape until Monday. Thousands of people have paid their respects as they walked past the royal flag-laden coffin topped with a diamond-encrusted crown.
Crowds of all ages in dark suits or jeans and sneakers flow through the historic halls, where Guy Fawkes and Charles I were tried, where kings and queens held lavish medieval banquets, and where monarchs of all ages A place to sleep here.
After passing through the coffin, most mourners stopped to look back, and then passed through the large oak door of the hall. Some wiped away tears; others bowed their heads or curtseyed. A man knelt on the ground and blew a farewell kiss.
Engineer and British Army veteran Keith Smart wiped away tears as he left the hall. He waited more than ten hours for a chance to say goodbye.
“Everyone in the crowd acted impeccably. There was no malice, everyone was friends. It was fantastic,” he said. “And then, going into that room and seeing that, I just broke down inside. I didn’t bow – I was on my knees, I was on my knees, I bowed my head to the Queen.”
The silence of the night was broken, and a guard guarding the coffin fell and fell forward from a raised platform. The man can be seen on the Queen’s coffin, which was broadcast live, with medals adorning his chest, wobbly on his feet before tumbling forward to the floor. Two police officers arrived to assist him.
Whenever the Queen’s coffin makes its long journey from Scotland (the Queen died on September 8 at the age of 96) to London, people line up.
Lights from inside the hearse illuminated the coffin as the hearse slowly drove from an air force base to Buckingham Palace on Tuesday night as thousands braved the typical London drizzle.
Earlier, in Edinburgh, around 33,000 people silently passed her coffin for 24 hours at St Giles Cathedral.
Follow the AP’s coverage of the Queen https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii
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