Queen’s coffin lying-in-state after final journey from Buckingham Palace

September 15, 2022 34 Views No Comment

September 15 (PTI): The coffin of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, is lying-in-state at Westminster Hall after its final journey from Buckingham Palace in London on Wednesday.

King Charles III and his sons, Princes William and Harry, joined a sombre procession as the coffin of the late monarch left her official London residence to be conveyed to the historic hall in the Houses of Parliament complex to lie in state until the state funeral at Westminster Abbey nearby on Monday.

Members of the public began filing past at 5pm local time and will have until 6.30am on the day of the funeral, by which time several thousands are expected to have queued for hours to pay their respects to the Queen.

At 2.22 pm local time on Wednesday, the coffin placed on a horse-drawn gun carriage of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery began its ceremonial procession of under two kilometres to the Palace of Westminster.

The Queen’s heir, Charles, and her grandchildren William and Harry walked side by side behind the coffin, with gun salutes firing from Hyde Park and Big Ben tolling during a sombre journey. The Queen’s other children, Princess Anne and Princes Andrew and Edward, were also among the senior royals in the procession behind the carriage.

Thousands lined the route of the procession, which went past the Mall towards the Palace of Westminster by the river Thames.

The coffin was received at Westminster Hall by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Most Reverend Justin Welby, to conduct a short service assisted by the Very Revd Dr David Hoyle, the Dean of Westminster.

This ceremony was joined by other members of the royal family, including Kate, Princess of Wales, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, as the coffin was placed on a catafalque, or raised platform.

As the Lying-in-State stage of the ceremony began, a continuous vigil was mounted by officers of the Household Division, the King’s Bodyguards of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, The King’s Bodyguard for Scotland, the Royal Company of Archers and the Yeomen of the Guard.

Overnight on Tuesday, the coffin spent its final night in the Bow Room at Buckingham Palace for the most private part of the ongoing state mourning since the Queen passed away in Scotland last Thursday.

Earlier on Tuesday, crowds lined the streets of Edinburgh as a cortege took the coffin to the airport after lying in state at St. Giles’ Cathedral in the Scottish capital. There was applause as the coffin left the cathedral, where thousands filed past since Monday to pay their respects to the late monarch.

The Scottish government said more than 33,000 people had paid their respects in Edinburgh before the coffin was taken by road to Edinburgh Airport. It was flown to London, accompanied by the Queen’s daughter Princess Anne, on a Royal Air Force aircraft that was used to evacuate thousands of people fleeing the Taliban in Kabul last year.

The C-17 Globemaster has also been used to take humanitarian aid and weapons to Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.

The aircraft landed at RAF Northolt before being taken to Buckingham Palace, where it was met by King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla as well as other members of the royal family.

It was received by a guard of honour — formed by the King’s Guard — before being taken to the Bow Room inside the palace to be watched overnight by a rota of chaplains.

Earlier on Tuesday, King Charles left Scotland for Northern Ireland as part of his Operation Spring Tide tour of state mourning to different parts of the United Kingdom.

He visited Belfast for the first time as monarch and met Northern Ireland’s political and religious leaders and took part in a prayer service at St. Anne’s Cathedral.

“Now, with that shining example before me, and with God’s help, I take up my new duties resolved to seek the welfare of all the inhabitants of Northern Ireland. During the years of my mother’s reign, it has been a privilege to bear witness to such a devoted life. May it be granted to us all to fulfil the tasks before us so well,” he said in a short statement.

The King is scheduled to visit Wales at the end of the week, ahead of ceremonial events and audiences planned as world leaders who begin arriving in the UK for the state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday morning.

Queen Elizabeth II died aged 96 peacefully at her Balmoral Castle summer residence in Scotland on Thursday.