Queen lying in state: wait time to see coffin now 19 hours as King and siblings end vigil – as it happened

  • 9/16/2022
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Waiting time down from 22 hours to 19.5 The wait time to see the Queen’s coffin is now at least 19.5 hours, according to the government tracker (down from 22 hours). Entry to the queue is now at Southwark park. The tracker is also warning of cold temperatures. That"s it from me for tonight. Here"s a summary of today"s key events: King Charles, accompanied by his siblings, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Wessex and the Duke of York, led a vigil beside their mother’s coffin. A minute’s silence was observed at the first Premier League games since the death of the Queen, after games were postponed last week. The new King was booed by anti-monarchy protesters in Cardiff. Members of the public continued to queue for up to 24 hours to pay their respects to the late Queen. Mourners included former England football captain David Beckham, who – it is believed – waited in line for 13 hours. Waiting time down from 22 hours to 19.5 The wait time to see the Queen’s coffin is now at least 19.5 hours, according to the government tracker (down from 22 hours). Entry to the queue is now at Southwark park. The tracker is also warning of cold temperatures. Prime minister Liz Truss will meet with a number of world leaders including US president Joe Biden, Irish taoiseach Micheál Martin and Canadian premier Justin Trudeau when they visit Britain for the Queen’s funeral. A No 10 spokesperson said Truss will meet privately with Anthony Albanese and Jacinda Ardern, the premiers of Australia and New Zealand, at the government’s Chevening country residence on Saturday. (Chevening, which Truss had as a retreat when she was foreign secretary, is being used rather than Chequers, as the prime ministerial country residence is undergoing maintenance.) This was a little earlier, when Charles – visiting Wales – was heckled on the cost of “his parade”. As mentioned below earlier (see 8:08pm) football paid tribute to the Queen before kickoffs tonight in the Premier League and Women’s Super League. One of the minutes’ silence was at Villa Park, home to Aston Villa, before their game against Southampton. It followed a singing of the national anthem by Laura Wright, which was backed loudly by both sets of fans. People will be able to join the accessible queue to see the Queen’s coffin from midday tomorrow, after it was halted earlier on Friday evening. It was set up for people who need additional assistance in attending the lying in state in Westminster Hall, including for those who have mobility issues. Tributes to the Queen before Friday night football fixtures After three strikes on the ground indicating the end of the vigil, the Queen’s children step off the platform holding the catafalque. In the end it lasted just shy of the 15 minutes expected. King Charles leads his siblings away, followed by Princess Anne and Prince Edward, followed by Prince Andrew, all dressed in military uniform. The public continue to file past. A similar vigil will take place on Saturday night, featuring the Queen’s grandchildren. The wait continues to stand at at least 22 hours. The Queen’s grandchildren Eugenie and Beatrice can be seen on the balcony to the side in Westminster Hall, along with their cousins, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips. Tindall is standing alongside her husband, former rugby player Mike, with their children Mia and Lena. The King’s wife, Camilla, the Queen Consort looks on. Also present are the Duke of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent. Queen"s children begin vigil in Westminster Hall The King leads out his siblings. He’s followed by the Princess Royal, the Duke of Wessex and the Duke of York, all in military dress. Members of the public who were due to file out have paused in the exit of Westminster Hall to get a glimpse as the royals walk towards the catafalque holding their mother, the Queen’s coffin. Charles pauses at the edge of the stage, near the head of the coffin which has the imperial crown on top of it. The royals then step on to the platform, towards the catafalque, pause, and turn around to face outwards. Charles in particular, understandably, looks emotional. Members of the public continue to file past, paying their respects. Members of the wider family are gathered on a raised platform on the side of Westminster Hall, and are currently looking over members of the public that are filing past the Queen’s coffin. Those on the outer edge of the catafalque include the Yeoman of the Guard and the Welsh Guard. A reminder that this ceremony did not take place the last time the monarch died, George VI in 1952, as there were no male heirs and it was a male-only ceremony until this year, when Princess Anne has taken part. The King has just been seen arriving at Westminster Hall after leaving Buckingham Palace, his car being cheered by crowds as it drove past. The vigil is now expected to begin at closer to 7.45pm. We’re just waiting for King Charles and his siblings to begin the vigil over the Queen’s coffin in Westminster Hall, which will begin shortly. He, along with Prince Andrew, Princess Anne and Prince Edward will stand guard at the catafalque from about 7:30pm for 15 minutes. In a ceremony known as the vigil of the princes, the Queen’s children will stand at each corner of the coffin. The tradition only started with George V when he died in 1936, according to Sky News. The guard has just changed around the coffin, which suggests that the royals are not far away. It will repeat a ceremony they enacted on Monday, where they stood watch as her coffin lay at rest in St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh. Accessible queue to see Queen"s coffin shuts as main queue wait time drops to 22 hours There are problems for people who are looking to join the accessible queue, which was set up for people who have health conditions that mean they need help attending the lying in state. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has said that it is at capacity for today, and wristbands are not being given out at the moment. It has warned against people trying to join that line to see the Queen’s coffin until it reopens. Meanwhile for people in the main queue that still is trailing in to Southwark Park five miles away from Westminster Hall, there’s some good news as the wait time has been revised downwards to a mere 22 hours. The queue tracker can be watched online here.

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