Given the mass of mourners, British authorities initially advised against queuing for Queen Elizabeth II’s farewell. The waiting times would be at least 24 hours. The day before, security forces had suspended access for seven hours.
“The queue is almost full, with waiting times of at least 24 hours. Please don’t queue,” the UK government’s live tracker said Saturday morning. The route runs several miles from the UK Parliament, where the Queen’s closed casket has been laid, along the Thames to Southwark Park.
Unofficial Queue
The day before, security forces had suspended access to the major social event for seven hours. This created an unofficial queuing queue. On Saturday night, thousands of people waited patiently in temperatures below 10 degrees to pay their respects to the Queen by her coffin in the Westminster Hall of the British Parliament.
It is estimated that a total of 750,000 people could queue and more than a million could travel to London during the full 10-day mourning period.
The Queen died on September 8 at the age of 96 at her Scottish estate Balmoral Castle. Her state funeral is scheduled for next Monday. 2,200 people are expected to attend the funeral service, just as many attended her mother’s funeral in 2002. Sovereigns and heads of state such as US President Joe Biden, German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his Austrian counterpart Alexander Van der Bellen have announced their arrival.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
