Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin left Buckingham Palace and joined, during a procession followed by tens of thousands of people, Westminster Hall, where it will be on public display until her funeral on Monday.
Starting at 2:22 p.m., a sumptuous procession, as meticulous as it was choreographed, took the funeral procession from Buckingham Palace, where the queen had spent most of her life, to Westminster Hall. In red, the royal guards and their typical black fur caps led the march. Then the oaken coffin appeared, carried on a gun carriage, drawn by several black horses.
Draped with the royal standard, the imperial crown was placed there, resplendent with all its stones and diamonds, as well as a crown of white flowers, among roses, dahlias and foliage collected from the gardens of the royal estates of Balmoral and Windsor. .
The queen’s four sons, except for Andrew, in military uniform, follow her on foot. Right behind them, two of her grandsons William (in uniform) and Harry, in disguise. Behind again, her two wives in two different cars, Meghan and Kate, black veil lowered over their foreheads. Kate, Princess of Wales, travels with the Queen Consort, Camilla, mother-of-pearl necklace and black hat.
Every minute, a cannon shot is fired from Hyde Park, alternating with the bell from Big Ben.
• Religious choir in Westminster
At 3:00 p.m., perfectly respecting the schedule, the coffin enters the Palace of Westminster to the sound of a religious choir, where numerous political leaders are gathered, including the Prime Minister appointed a few days ago, Liz Truss.
Set in a purple-draped catafalque (funeral dais), the casket rests on a red dais in the center of the nave of the century-old building. A short religious service follows, celebrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church.
• “Long live the king”
Shortly before 4 p.m., the King and Queen Consort left Westminster to shouts of “Long live the King.”
Members of Parliament, all dressed in black, take turns leaving. The great hall of Westminster is empty except for the royal guard, and their black mourning armbands, who will watch over the body day and night, their backs to him with their heads bowed… and press photographers, gathered on the stairs near of the entrance.
• Thousands of people pay their respects to the Queen
The public, who had been waiting for the first since Monday night, was finally able to enter at 4 p.m. The remains of the Queen are now accessible to the public from her closed coffin.
For just under five days, the population will be able to meet briefly, 24 hours a day, until the early hours of September 19, a few hours before the start of the funeral.
Mostly with tears or teary eyes, visitors can only spend a few seconds in front of the coffin.
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected. The line could extend for several kilometers. The authorities asked the public to “dress appropriately to pay homage” to the sovereign.
Source: BFM TV
