THOUSANDS of mourners desperate to catch a glimpse of the Queen’s lying-in-state face a mammoth wait of at least eight hours.
A security source told The Sun that the line of well-wishers stretched close to two miles as of 07.30 this morning, from Westminster Hall all the way back to London Bridge.
By lunchtime, it is expected to wind back to Southwark Park in South East London as the nation waits to pay tribute.
Brits have travelled from across the country and the world to pay their final respects to the monarch.
Among those lining the route this morning was Northern Ireland veteran Andrew Wilkinson, 54, who made the journey down from his home in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
He stood at the back of the queue this morning on Clink Street near London Bridge wearing a bowler hat and a polished campaign medal, the ex-Blues and Royals Captain was bullish about the long wait ahead.
He told The Sun: “She served our nation for 96 years. An eight-hour wait to pay my respects isn’t a big shift is it?
“I’m prepared for about five or six hours but that last bit will be tough.
“I watched the procession on television yesterday and wished I’d been there, it was beautiful.”
Sarah Dowling-Fennell, 45, and Kathleen Mitrovic, 66, got the 10pm train from Leamington Spa to join the back of the queue at midnight.
They entered Westminster Hall eight hours later after using paracetamol and ibuprofen gel to get through a night standing on their feet.
Kathleen said: “There’s been a lot of aches and pains. I’ve got a slipped disc. But the hurting seemed to be relieved once we saw her.”
Julie added: “I just feel so honoured to have seen our longest reigning monarch at rest.”
Now, the Mail Online has reported that the Queue to see Her Majesty could shut down early on Sunday, or even Saturday, as queues reach up to 30 hours.
Government officials are unsure just how many mourning Brits will arrive in the capital in the coming days, but they are braced for vast numbers.
Read our Royal Family live blog for the latest news & updates…
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Will and Kate to visit Sandringham today to view tributes to The Queen
The new Prince and Princess of Wales are set to visit the Sandringham estate today.
The couple will arrive at around 12.30pm and spend time looking at the sea of floral tributes left for Her Majesty.
It is currently unknown as to whether William and Kate will speak to mourners during their visit.
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Royal guard collapses while on duty beside Her Majesty’s coffin
A live stream of Her Majesty lying in state had to be pulled off air yesterday, as a royal guard seemingly collapsed in front of shocked mourners.
The guard can be seen swaying on his feet, before collapsing and falling from Her Majesty’s podium.
The Queen’s coffin sits on a podium, known as a catafalque, as she lies in state until Monday, the day of her funeral.
The live stream, which saw thousands of Brits pay their respects to Her Majesty The Queen, had to be cut short, as onlookers rushed to help the guard.
Click here to see the shocking footage
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King Charles travels to Highgrove estate for a day of reflection
The new King has faced a relentless tide of royal duties since his mother passed away last Thursday.
With that in mind, Charles III is set to take a day of quiet reflection today, as he rests in Highgrove estate.
The day away from public duties has always formed part of the London Bridge operation – the detailed plan in the event of the Queen’s death.
It is expected to allow Charles to pause and reflect on the days gone by since his mother died peacefully at Balmoral on Thursday.
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Calls for annual ‘Queen Elizabeth day’ as bank holiday petition launched
A petition has so far gained 100,000 signatures calling for an annual “Queen Elizabeth Day” bank holiday in honour of Her Majesty.
The campaign, launched by John Harris on change.org, calls for September 8, the day the Queen died, is made an annual day off.
The petition reads: “Queen Elizabeth II is our longest reigning monarch, and arguably the nation’s, and the world’s most popular monarch.
“In the words of President Macron, ‘To you, she was your Queen, to us, she was THE Queen… the most constant symbol of Great Britain.'”
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A list of prohibited items at Wesminster Hall
If you’re heading to view the Queen lying in state, don’t be caught out by carrying a prohibited item on your person.
Prohibited items at Westminster Hall are:
- Bags larger than 40cm x 30cm x 20cm in size (larger bags can be left at the bag drop facility)
- Flasks or water bottles, except clear water bottles which must be empty
- Food and liquid of any kind
- Flowers or other tribute items
- Sharp items
- Personal defence equipment
- Paint sprays, padlocks, chains, climbing gear, and dangerous items
- Fireworks, smoke canisters, air-horns, flares, whistles, laser devices
- Banners, placards, flags, advertising or marketing messages,
- Coolers, hampers, sleeping bags, blankets, folding chairs and camping equipment
- Non-foldable pushchairs
- Any other items as directed by security staff or police
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Transport for London ‘facing biggest challenge in its history’
Transport for London (TfL) is facing the “biggest event and challenge” in its history as more than one million people are expected to travel to the centre of the capital to pay their respects to the Queen, according to its boss.
Andy Byford, the organisation’s commissioner,m said planning for the Queen’s lying in state and funeral is more complicated than the 2012 Olympics as it is “impossible” to accurately predict crowd sizes.
TfL is “used to dealing with big crowds” and will take measures such as temporarily restricting access to the busiest Tube stations and directing passengers to other stations to “spread the load”, he said.
Mr Byford added that the situation is being managed “minute by minute” from a command centre alongside other agencies and Government departments.
London Underground stations near Buckingham Palace have seen a surge in passenger numbers since the Queen died on Thursday.
Mr Byford said: “The most recent approximation or estimate is that there will be around potentially up to 750,000 people in the queue for lying in state, which is itself a huge number.
“But then if you take the whole 10-day mourning period and the various events that happen during that – obviously some happened elsewhere – but even the London element of that, we are talking well north of a million people.
“So this is huge. This is the biggest event and challenge that TfL has faced in its history, and we must rise to that challenge.”
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The order of The Procession
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What religion is the Royal Family?
Religion lies at the heart of the Royal Family and the late Queen often cited her faith in her public addresses to the nation.
Britain’s presiding monarch is the head of the Church of England and all members of the Royal Family are Christened into the Church of England, which is a Protestant strain of Christianity.
The reigning monarch, who’s currently King Charles III, holds the title of Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
During her 1953 Coronation, the late Queen Elizabeth II was anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury and took an oath to “maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England”.
As part of their role as the Defender of the Faith, the monarch helps the Prime Minister appoint archbishops, bishops and deans of the Church of England.
The Queen professed a personal Christian faith in her Christmas speeches.
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Pictured: Harry and Meghan provide each other support
Meghan and Harry were reunited for a short service led by the Archbishop of Canterbury in Westminster Hall, and walked out afterwards hand-in-hand.
According to body language expert Judi James, the gesture was “emotionally impulsive” and showed they were both grateful to be back together.
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Mourners enter Westminster
Mourners are entering Westminster to pay a final tribute to the Queen as she lies in state.
Thousands of tearful members of the public are queueing through the streets in emotional scenes following her death last Thursday.
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What happens at the changing of the vigil?
Every 20 minutes members of the public are stopped from moving past the Queen’s coffin as the changing of the vigil takes place.
During this time the guards are swapped by another four to carry out the vigil for the next 20 minutes.
Each corner is guarded 24 hours a day by soldiers from units that serve the Royal Household, including the Grenadier Guards and Blues and Royals.
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What is a pallbearer?
A pallbearer is someone who is selected by a close family member of the deceased to help carry the casket to the burial site at a funeral.
Before the funeral service or mass, pallbearers gather around the casket and slowly carry it down the aisle to the front of the church or place of worship.
After the service or mass, pallbearers carry the casket out of the church or place of worship and to the hearse.
Pallbearers place the casket on a special piece of equipment that lifts it to the back of the hearse.
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Woman tells of her last minute journey to London
A woman who gave her name only as Carol, 79, flew to London from Rome to make sure she could attend the procession of the Queen’s coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall.
Carol, who has lived in the Italian capital for the last 50 years, said: “I wanted to be here for this historic occasion.”
She added that she had seen the Queen once during her lifetime, as a young child when the monarch and Philip visited her birthplace of Leeds shortly after their marriage in 1947.
“They passed in front of our street and Prince Philip got out of the car – which shocked people as it was against protocol at the time,” said Carol, who did not give her surname.
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Joe Biden spoke with King Charles this morning
US President Joe Biden spoke to King Charles this morning.
A White House readout said Mr Biden “recalled fondly the Queen’s kindness and hospitality, including when she hosted him and the First Lady at Windsor Castle last June.”
“He also conveyed the great admiration of the American people for the Queen, whose dignity and constancy deepened the enduring friendship and special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. President Biden conveyed his wish to continue a close relationship with the King.”
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Deliveries expected to be paused
The online retailer, ASOS, said customer deliveries would be paused out of respect for the Queen’s funeral.
A company spokesperson said: “ASOS will operate its usual bank holiday plan on the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.
“The majority of ASOS staff will not be working and our carrier partners will not be delivering – customer delivery schedules will be updated accordingly.”
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McDonald’s will close for Queen’s funeral
The fast food giant said all its restaurants will close until 5pm on the day of the funeral.
The burger chain announced the news on Twitter.
It said: “In honour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and to enable everyone at McDonald’s to pay their respects, our restaurants across the UK will be closed until midnight until 5pm on Monday September 19.”
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Queue update
The queue is currently at approximately 2.4 miles long and has stretched all the way to Southwark Bridge.
It is expected that mourners could be waiting up 10 hours until they finally get a sight of the Queen’s coffin.
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Pictured: Members of the public pay their respects as they pass the coffin of Queen Elizabeth
Credit: AFP 
Credit: AFP -
Rangers will sing national anthem against UEFA’s wishes
The Queen will be honoured at tonight’s Champions League game between Rangers and Napoli.
-
What religion is the Royal Family?
Religion lies at the heart of the Royal Family and the late Queen often cited her faith in her public addresses to the nation.
Britain’s presiding monarch is the head of the Church of England and all members of the Royal Family are Christened into the Church of England, which is a Protestant strain of Christianity.
The reigning monarch, who’s currently King Charles III, holds the title of Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
During her 1953 Coronation, the late Queen Elizabeth II was anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury and took an oath to “maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England”.
As part of their role as the Defender of the Faith, the monarch helps the Prime Minister appoint archbishops, bishops and deans of the Church of England.
The Queen professed a personal Christian faith in her Christmas speeches.
-
Pictured: Harry and Meghan provide each other support
Meghan and Harry were reunited for a short service led by the Archbishop of Canterbury in Westminster Hall, and walked out afterwards hand-in-hand.
According to body language expert Judi James, the gesture was “emotionally impulsive” and showed they were both grateful to be back together.
-
Mourners enter Westminster
Mourners are entering Westminster to pay a final tribute to the Queen as she lies in state.
Thousands of tearful members of the public are queueing through the streets in emotional scenes following her death last Thursday.
-
What happens at the changing of the vigil?
Every 20 minutes members of the public are stopped from moving past the Queen’s coffin as the changing of the vigil takes place.
During this time the guards are swapped by another four to carry out the vigil for the next 20 minutes.
Each corner is guarded 24 hours a day by soldiers from units that serve the Royal Household, including the Grenadier Guards and Blues and Royals.
-
What is a pallbearer?
A pallbearer is someone who is selected by a close family member of the deceased to help carry the casket to the burial site at a funeral.
Before the funeral service or mass, pallbearers gather around the casket and slowly carry it down the aisle to the front of the church or place of worship.
After the service or mass, pallbearers carry the casket out of the church or place of worship and to the hearse.
Pallbearers place the casket on a special piece of equipment that lifts it to the back of the hearse.
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Queen’s Lying in State opens to the public
Members of the general public will be able to view the Queen’s coffin from now.
Opening at 6pm, the public will file past Her Majesty’s closed coffin and pay their final respects as she lays in state for the next few days.
Her Lying in State will finish at 6.30am on Monday, the day of her state funeral.