LONDON. Queen Elizabeth’s coffin remains at Buckingham Palace this morning, watched over by her children and grandchildren after arriving in London from Edinburgh last night. The body has returned to what has been her abode for a life of hers, since she, in 1952, she ascended the throne when she was just 26 years old. For days now, British citizens have been lining up to pay their last respects to the body of Elizabeth II. And millions of people are expected at Westminster Hall, where she can be paid tribute for 4 days.
London, the coffin of Queen Elizabeth arrives at Buckingham Palace to the applause of the crowd
At 3 pm local time, 4 pm in Italy, the procession will take you to Westminster Hall, where – after a short suffrage rite officiated by the Anglican archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and by the rector of Westminster Abbey – they will be opened the doors for the homage of the people destined to last for 4 days: until the eve of the solemn state funeral on Monday 19. During the procession, cannon shots will be fired in Hyde Park and the tolling of the bells of Big Ben will ring.
Many people are already on the streets and there are those who are starting to queue around the funeral home, in an atmosphere of participation in which the overall mobilization of millions of people is expected. Michelle Donelan, minister of culture of the British government of Liz Truss, warned that the queues for the entrance to Westminster Hall could reach, in these days, waiting times “up to 30 hours”, according to the organizational structures.
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Meanwhile, the safety devices are already in place, with barriers and police lines: visitors have been forewarned that they will have to be patient and undergo checks similar to those at airports, as well as being invited to a silent demeanor of respect and not to film or take pictures with mobile phones near the coffin. The remains of the sovereign, who died on 8 September at the age of 96 of the Scottish residence of Balmoral, will be moved with a slow procession this afternoon in the path between Buckingham Palace and Westminster, followed in procession by King Carl III, eldest son and heir of Elizabeth, from both of his sons (with the new Prince of Wales, William, again side by side with the “rebel” Harry, according to Bbc) and other members of the royal family.
London Heathrow Airport has decided to suspend some of its scheduled flights between 13.50 and 15.40 “to ensure silence in central London while Queen Elizabeth’s funeral procession moves between Buckingham Palace and Westminster Hall”. The airport itself made it known. “Out of respect for the period of mourning for the disappearance of her Majesty – explained a spokesman – Heathrow will make the appropriate changes to its flight operations”.