King Charles III LIVE: Queues build in London ahead of Queen’s lying in state as new monarch to walk behind Her Majesty’s coffin with sons Prince William and Prince Harry as oak casket makes journey from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall
This is MailOnline’s live blog for day five of national mourning, as the Queen‘s coffin is taken from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall and her lying-in-state begins:
Host commentator
In her tribute to the Queen, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen referred to the messages the young Princess Elizabeth delivered to wartime evacuees and her ‘historic address’ during the pandemic.
‘She spoke not only to the heart of her nation but to the soul of the whole world,’ Ms von der Leyen said during her state of the European Union address in Strasbourg.
‘When I think of the situation we are in today, her words at the height of the pandemic still resonate with me.
‘She said ‘We will succeed and that success will belong to every one of us’.
‘She always reminded us that our future is built on new ideas and founded in our oldest values.’
Former member of the Balmoral Guard Duncan Rasor, who met the Queen while serving in Scotland, wore his military medals and Glengarry headdress as he queued for the lying in state in London.
The 48-year-old served in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and said: ‘I spent four months up in Balmoral valley and so I did get to meet the Queen and spend some time with her.
‘So, from a personal perspective, I wanted to come and pay my respects for everything that she’s done.’
He described spending time with the royal family as an ‘extraordinary privilege’ and added: ‘Even though they are on holiday up in Balmoral, they are still working, and it just never stops.
‘I think that is something which is starting to become more apparent to people is quite how hard Her Majesty has worked for her entire life.’
He served in the regiment between 1997 and 2002 and wore a Northern Ireland medal and a Kosovo medal.
Asked why he decided to wear his medals and Glengarry headdress, he said: ‘She was our Colonel-in-Chief so, having been part of the regiment, I could have come down without it, but I retired 20 years ago so I’m not a serving soldier, but it is a rare opportunity to put on a headdress and wear medals again and just be proud, I guess.’
King Charles has appointed Privy Counsellors following a meeting last night.
The King made his private secretary Sir Clive Alderton a Privy Counsellor.
Cabinet secretary Simon Case, has also joined the Privy Council.
He is a former private secretary to the new Prince of Wales, Prince William.
The Privy Council, a formal body of advisers to the sovereign, met at 6.30pm last night at Buckingham Palace.
Also joining the council was Secretary of State for International Trade, Kemi Badenoch; Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Ranil Jayawardena; Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury, Wendy Morton; Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Chloe Smith and Lord Nicholas True, Lord Privy Seal of the United Kingdom.
Jacqueline Nemorin, Suzanne Howell, and Patricia King did not know each other before they joined the queue to attend the lying in state at the same time, at 6pm on Tuesday.
They are 44th, 45th and 46th in line.
Ms Nemorin said the wait overnight was ‘really terrible’ due to the weather conditions, which she described as ‘raining cats and dogs’.
She added that she managed ‘a little cat nap’ at some point in the night, but her two new friends ‘didn’t sleep at all’.
They have been told that they will be allowed to cross Lambeth Bridge to do security checks at around 3.30pm, before being let into Westminster Hall to see the Queen’s coffin.
Ms Howell said a man who lives in a block of flats on the other side of the river had brought over camping chairs, a blanket and food for the trio.
Ms Howell said: ‘We were told that there would be like a million or millions of people expected and that it could be a 30-hour wait.
‘So that’s why I was saying I was so surprised when we arrived last night and we’re in the 40s (in the queue). I thought this can’t be the queue, I must be in the wrong place.’
She added: ‘We haven’t slept at all, but I don’t feel tired.
‘We’re glad we did it, we’ve got no regrets.’
Mourners line the streets of London to say goodbye to Her Majesty
Up to a million mourners are expected to queue several miles for up to 35 hours across London to pay their final respects to Britain’s longest-reigning monarch from today – amid growing fears that hundreds of thousands may be turned away from seeing the Queen’s coffin in the Palace of Westminster.
Poncho-wearing royal fans camped out in sleeping bags overnight and sheltered under their brollies as the capital was soaked by torrential downpours.
The Queen has spent one final night at Buckingham Palace, her home of 70 years, where she was received by the entire Royal Family including King Charles III, the Queen Consort, the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and thousands of well-wishers lining the A40 from RAF Northolt who applauded and cheered the state hearse as it drove past.
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Prince William and Prince Harry will set aside their feud and support their father King Charles III by marching with him behind the Queen’s coffin as it leaves Buckingham Palace for the final time today.
Her Majesty has spent her final night in the Bow Room of her London home before she is conveyed on a gun carriage to Westminster Hall – the ancient heart of Parliament – where she will lie in state for four days until her funeral on Monday.
More than 1million people are expected to queue in central London for up to 35 hours to walk past her casket – but experts believe only 400,000 will make it inside meaning 600,000 people will be left disappointed.
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Wednesday marks D-Day +5, or D+5, in the plans marking the Queen’s death. Here is the timeline of events expected to take place over the next 24 hours.
Procession:
The Imperial State Crown and a wreath of flowers will be placed on top of the Queen’s coffin.
At 2.22pm, a procession will take the late monarch from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall where she will lie in state.
The King will follow the coffin on foot, joined by his sons the Prince of Wales and Duke of Sussex, as well as the Duke of York, the Princess Royal and the Earl of Wessex.
Anne’s son Peter Phillips and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence will also walk in the procession, as well as the Duke of Gloucester and the Earl of Snowdon.
The Queen Consort, the Princess of Wales, the Countess of Wessex and the Duchess of Sussex will travel by car.
There will be a gun salute from Hyde Park during the procession, with one round fired every minute.
Viewing areas for the public along the route will open at 11am on the day, with large crowds expected to attend.
The procession is set to arrive at Westminster Hall at 3pm.
A service lasting around 20 minutes will be led by the Archbishop of Canterbury accompanied by the Dean of Westminster.
Lying in state:
The lying in state opens to the public at 5pm and will be accessible 24 hours a day.
Tens of thousands are expected to wait in the queue before walking past the coffin, which will be raised on a catafalque and draped in the Royal Standard, with the Orb and Sceptre placed on top.
It will be guarded at all hours by units from the Sovereign’s Bodyguard, the Household Division or Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London.
Metropolitan Police officers will be joined by volunteers and stewards to manage the queue, while toilets and water fountains are provided at various points along the route.
A wristband system will be used to manage the queue, with those waiting in line given a coloured and numbered wristband.
Lambeth Palace is also expected to arrange a multi-faith pastor service to provide support to those who need it.
Senior royals may also pay their own moving tribute, standing guard at some stage around the coffin – the tradition known as the Vigil of the Princes.
Good morning and welcome to MailOnline’s liveblog on Wednesday, September 14, 2022.
The Queen’s coffin will make a poignant journey to Westminster Hall today as the King, his sons Prince William and Prince Harry, and siblings the Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York and Prince Edward,the Earl of Wessex walk behind.
The procession will leave Buckingham Palace at 2.22pm, and arrive at the Palace of Westminster at 3pm.
Thousands of members of the public will be watching the moment as the Queen’s oak coffin travels on a gun carriage through London’s streets.
Lying-in-state will begin at 5pm today, as mourners continue to queue along the bank of the River Thames to pay their respects to the late monarch.
Stay with us throughout today for updates.
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