London:
King Charles III and his eldest son Prince William were greeted with cheers on Saturday as they shook hands with people who queued for hours through London to see Queen Elizabeth’s coffin as it lay in state for her funeral.
Cries of “God Save the King” erupted from the crowd as the new monarch and heir apparent thanked the crowd before turning to the stream of world leaders arriving Monday for the grand state delegation.
“I’m so happy. He was so calm and kind and he was so gentle,” said Geraldine Potts-Ahmad, a secretary in her late 50s, as she struggled to control her emotions after shaking hands with Charles. .
“He’s going to be the best king. I saw the queen in that gentleness and that tenderness.’
The Queen’s death on September 8 at the age of 96, after a record 70 years on the throne, has sparked a flood of emotions.
Members of the public brave wait times of more than 25 hours, and cold nighttime temperatures, to view her flag-clad coffin.
“She would never believe this, honestly, she really wouldn’t believe it.”
The Prince of Wales says his grandmother, the Queen, would not believe how large the line of people is to see her lying down. pic.twitter.com/K7KmdC4x1z
— Charlie Proctor (@MonarchyUK) September 17, 2022
Princes William and Harry would later lead a vigil for Queen Elizabeth II’s eight grandchildren at her coffin, joining tens of thousands of members of the public who have been queuing around the clock for days.
Since Wednesday, when her coffin was taken to the British Parliament complex, miles of lines have meandered along the River Thames.
Those in Parliament’s Westminster Hall before the recumbent in the state were given a shock late Friday when a man burst from the line and approached the coffin, which is covered with the Imperial state crown.
A live television broadcast of the mourners was briefly interrupted around 10 p.m. (2100 GMT) when police arrested the man, two hours after Charles and his three siblings held their own vigil in the cavernous hall.
“He was arrested for a crime under the Public Order Act and is currently in custody,” London’s Metropolitan Police said.
pass out
About 435 people needed medical treatment, many for head injuries after passing out in line, the London Ambulance Service said.
But Jenna O’Sullivan, a charity worker from Pontypridd in Wales, said her 14-hour wait was worth it after paying her last respects at the coffin.
“It was so emotional, with such a nice atmosphere of peace and tranquility,” said the 36-year-old.
“The line was long, but it felt like a party. We made nice friends.”
Police are mounting Britain’s largest-ever security operation for Monday’s funeral, as hundreds of dignitaries, including US President Joe Biden, will fly in.
Less than two weeks after her premiership, British Prime Minister Liz Truss kicked off a busy weekend of meetings with world leaders, including her New Zealand colleagues, Jacinda Ardern and Australia, Anthony Albanese, at the government’s mansion in Chevening on Saturday.
She was due to meet Biden, Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Polish leader Andrzej Duda on Sunday in Downing Street.
Meanwhile, Charles is set to meet on Saturday with the prime ministers of the Commonwealth realms — the 14 former colonies he now rules over in addition to the United Kingdom — including those of Australia, the Bahamas, Canada, Jamaica and New Zealand.
From Australia and Canada to Jamaica and Papua New Guinea, they have formally proclaimed him their new sovereign.
But republican movements are gaining ground in many of the countries, and efforts to keep them all in the royal fold are likely to be a feature of his reign.
Charles concluded his first tour as monarch to the four British countries on Friday with a visit to Wales, part of an operation dubbed “Spring Tide” to launch him into his new role.
‘Time of emotion’
Back in London, Charles joined the 15-minute vigil with his siblings – Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward – around their mother’s coffin on Friday night.
They stood still, eyes downcast, as members of the audience passed by.
The vigil will be repeated Saturday night by the eight grandchildren, including new heir apparent Prince William and his estranged brother Harry.
Harry — who has toured twice with the British Army in Afghanistan — has received special permission from his father to wear a military uniform, despite no longer being a working royal.
The move turned out to be the latest olive branch Charles had offered to Harry after the prince and his wife Meghan, who now lives in California, accused the royal family of racism.
The personal grief of the Queen’s family plays out in the fierce international attention.
But Edward, the Queen’s youngest son, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the wave of emotions that has washed over us and by the sheer number of people who have gone out of their way to express their own love, admiration and respect.”
The public has until Monday morning to view the coffin before the Queen is honored with Britain’s first state funeral in nearly six decades.
The spectacular ceremony at Westminster Abbey – expected to be watched by billions of people around the world – will see 142 sailors pulling the cart with her lead-lined coffin.
It will be attended by more than 2,000 guests, but leaders from countries at odds with the UK, such as Russia, Belarus and Afghanistan, are not invited.
China’s Vice President Wang Qishan will attend, Beijing’s foreign ministry confirmed after a diplomatic altercation barred Chinese officials from entering the coffin in parliament.
(This story was not edited by DailyExpertNews staff and was generated automatically from a syndicated feed.)