Queen lying in state: William and Harry stand vigil over coffin as Biden arrives for funeral – as it happened

Last modified: 10: 00 PM GMT+0

Queen’s grandchildren keep watch over coffin in Westminster Hall. This blog is now closed

Summary

Here’s a round-up of what has happened today, as Queen Elizabeth II’s eight grandchildren stood vigil over her coffin in Westminster Hall, and King Charles and the Prince of Wales met people queuing to see her lying in state.

  • The Queen’s eight grandchildren stood watch over her coffin as she lay in state in Westminster Hall. The group, including Prince William and Prince Harry who were dressed in military uniform, stood around the coffin for about 15 minutes on Saturday night.

  • The King and Prince William met people in Lambeth who were in the line to see the Queen lying in state. The surprise visit saw them talk to people in the crowd, as others shouted “god save the King”.

  • The accessible queue to see the Queen’s coffin has closed permanently, with all time slots until the ceremony ends at 6.30am on Monday taken up.

  • Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice have issued a moving tribute to their grandmother, which recounted picking raspberries and lavender with the late monarch.

  • US president Joe Biden has arrived in the UK ahead of the funeral on Monday.

That’s all for today. Thousands continue to queue to see the Queen’s coffin, as the wait time is estimated to be 17 hours. Further updates are expected overnight via the DCMS Twitter account, and the live Youtube tracker.

Updated

As queuewatch continues, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has said in its latest bulletin that the estimated wait for people in the line to see the Queen lying in state is 17 hours, a four-hour increase on its last update a couple of hours ago.

The snaking queue still begins in Southwark Park, some five miles from Westminster Hall.

Temperatures are forecast to drop on Saturday night, with advice being given for people to wrap up warm.

Updated

Joe Biden lands in UK ahead of Queen’s funeral

The US president Joe Biden has arrived at the UK before the Queen’s funeral on Monday.

He landed at Stansted airport with his wife Jill, after leaving Maryland in the north-east US on Sunday. World leaders from across the globe will arrive in London in the next 24 hours to attend the ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Canadian PM Justin Trudeau is among those already in the UK capital, with him meeting King Charles on Sunday.

Biden will meet Liz Truss on Wednesday in New York. Previous plans for a discussion on Sunday in London have been cancelled.

Updated


The Guardian’s Miranda Bryant has looked at the people who are making up the long queues that have reached up to five miles in south London to see the Queen lying in state.

Having waited hours in line to see the Queen lying in state – and with hours more left to go – well-wishers gave the new King Charles and Prince of Wales an upbeat reception during their surprise visit to the queue that in just a few days has become a London landmark.

With William telling a child “you’re over halfway” and his father telling a woman “I hope you’re not too frozen”, the royals were met with cheers and raised mobile phones as they greeted those waiting in Lambeth with smiles and handshakes.

The phenomenon of “the queue”, as it’s become known, has attracted fascination, confusion and awe around Britain and across the world.

Who would be willing to wait outdoors for as long as 24 hours, braving the elements along the Thames, for a few seconds alongside the Queen’s coffin – and why?

Read more:

Updated

Details are being published of where public screens will be erected in parks and venues across the UK for people to watch the Queen’s funeral on Monday.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has said it will be shown in various locations, from Hyde Park in London to Coleraine Town Hall in Northern Ireland.

About 125 cinemas in the UK will be screening the event, along with churches and pubs.

Sky News, ITV and BBC will be broadcasting the event for those watching at home.

Two thousand people will attend in person at Westminster Abbey when the event begins at 11am. The Queen’s coffin will be moved from the Palace of Westminster 15 minutes before, and there will be a national two minutes’ silence at 11.55am.

A public procession will begin at 12.15pm as the Queen’s coffin makes the 1.5 mile journey from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch, near Hyde Park corner.

It will then be taken by hearse to Windsor in Berkshire.

According to PA Media, places where public screenings will take place include:

  • Hyde Park, London.

  • Cathedral Square, Sheffield.

  • Centenary Square, Birmingham.

  • Bitts Park, Cumbria.

  • Holyrood Park, Edinburgh.

  • Coleraine Town Hall, Northern Ireland.

  • Bedford Corn Exchange, Bedfordshire.

  • Bradford Cathedral, Yorkshire.

  • University Square, Coventry.

  • Northernhay Gardens, Exeter.

  • Sandy Park conference centre, Exeter.

  • Exeter City Football Club, Exeter.

  • Millennium Square, Leeds.

  • Manchester Cathedral.

  • Old Eldon Square, Newcastle.

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has signed the book of condolence at Lancaster House and tweeted:

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II served for her entire life, and bore the weight of her duties with impeccable grace. Sophie and I are in London for Her Majesty’s funeral – and today, we marked the solemn occasion by signing the book of condolences. (Photo: David Parry/PA Wire) pic.twitter.com/bossnrf2VJ

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) September 17, 2022

After meeting King Charles III at the Metropolitan police service special operations room in London to discuss the policing operation for Monday’s state funeral for the Queen, Met police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: “It was a privilege to introduce His Majesty King Charles to some of the teams working hard behind the scenes to deliver this monumental policing operation, which will culminate in us deploying the greatest number of officers in the Met’s history for a pre-planned event on Monday.

“It gave officers and staff a real boost.”

Updated

Key event

The government tracker says the current waiting time in the queue is 13.5 hours and people in the line are in Southwark Park.

It adds “if the park reaches capacity, entry to the queue will be paused” and tonight is forecast to be cold.

Updated

This Morning presenters 'did not jump queue' say show

ITV show This Morning has said its presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby did not “jump the queue” for the Queen’s lying in state and were there to report on the event as media.

The pair have received criticism from some on social media after they appeared inside Westminster Hall without having taken part in the queue.

A statement shared on a story on the programme’s Instagram account said: “Hello everyone, we would like to clarify something. We asked Phillip and Holly to be part of a film for this Tuesday’s programme.

“They did not jump the queue, have VIP access or file past the Queen lying in state – but instead were there in a professional capacity as part of the world’s media to report on the event.”

Updated

The Observer’s Vanessa Thorpe has looked back at the Observer’s coverage of previous state and ceremonial funerals, the new themes that arise and those that recur.

Muffled drums, the catafalque, plumed helmets and a new familiarity with the earl marshal; these are the characteristics shared by the great state funerals of the last century and a quarter of British history. But past press coverage of “national bereavement”, as the Observer referred to the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, reveals another common factor.

A state funeral, a rare event, has to be explained to every generation. Its pomp and arcane lore is always mysterious. So news reports read like a sombre catechism; a list of conventions designed to give identity to a nation.

In 1910, on the death of Victoria’s son, Edward VII, an Observer writer made this point when he praised Westminster Hall and Saint George’s chapel in Windsor by quoting the Scottish historian Thomas Carlyle, who had, he thought, “never said a truer word than ‘the Bible of every nation is its own history’ and in these two buildings … are two of the most glorious pages of that Bible – not imprinted on perishable paper, but carved in noble stone.”

Monday’s funeral will trace a template set at the end of Victoria’s reign. Elizabeth II, like her forebears, will go to the Windsor chapel described at the death of her grandfather in 1936 by our special correspondent as “that perfect specimen of Perpendicular architecture”.

Updated

PA Media has been speaking to people in the queue to see the Queen lying in state.

People could have to wait up to 13 hours before they get inside Westminster Hall, according to the government.

Sarah Silas, 60, joined the queue to see the Queen’s coffin at about 6pm on Saturday, just over 36 hours before the lying in state period is scheduled to end.

She travelled from Walsall, in the West Midlands, to show her gratitude for “what Her Majesty and the royal family did” for the country of Zimbabwe, where she was born.

When asked how she felt about waiting overnight to attend the lying in state, she said: “I’m just happy that at least I have the opportunity to say goodbye because of the work that they did.”

Speaking about the new King Charles she said: “He actually came and handed over to the president, Canaan Banana, the constitution for Zimbabwe. So he actually gave Zimbabwe to us.

“We’re very grateful for him, and we’re very happy that he is the King now.”

Leo Jones, 42, travelled from Menorca to see the Queen lying in state.

He said: “Her Majesty has given a lifetime to the UK and what’s waiting a day?

“I just think that connection that the UK has with the royal family, this just really ignites it as well.

“I think it’s quite patriotic, seeing thousands of people gather for this real milestone event in the history of the UK.”

Updated

Updated

The online auction site eBay has removed dozens of listings for wristbands given to people queueing to see the Queen’s coffin as online traders sought to cash in on memorabilia from the occasion.

Some used wristbands were attracting bids of up to £70,000 before they were removed.

An eBay spokesperson said: “These items are against our policies and we are removing them from our site.”

Its event ticket policy prohibits the sale of most tickets, including those for events that are free to the public.

Read more:

Three bangs on the ground from the sword by a guard signals the end of the vigil.

The grandchildren step off the platform near the catafalque, and file away behind the Prince of Wales, who looks understandably emotional.

He leads them up stairs at the back of Westminster Hall to leave, as family members and friends watch on from a balcony to the side. The public resume filing past.

Updated

The Queen’s grandchildren walk down the steps, led by the Prince of Wales.

Behind him is his brother, the Duke of Sussex, both are in uniform.

Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice of York follow, along with Viscount Severn and Lady Louise Windsor, as the eldest of the group, Peter Phillips and his younger sister Zara Tindall bring up the rear.

They walk towards the catafalque. William pauses at the side nearest the head of the coffin, which has the imperial crown on top. The others process around the side and pause at the edges.

Three knocks of the sword mark its beginning. The group walks up the steps in unison, turning to face outwards, bowing their heads.

The public will continue to process past them for the duration of the vigil.

It follows a vigil carried out by their parents on Friday night. The same event took place in Edinburgh at St Giles Cathedral on Monday, and was originally known as the “vigil of the princes” when it was first carried out in 1936, after the death of George V.

When George VI died in 1952, it did not take place as he had no male heirs, as Elizabeth II ascended to the throne.

Updated

Vigil by Queen's grandchildren begins

The Queen’s eight grandchildren are to take part in a vigil, keeping watch over her coffin in Westminster Hall shortly.

King Charles’ children, princes William and Harry, will be joined by Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, and Lady Louise and Viscount Severn, whose father is Prince Edward. Viscount Severn is just 14 years old.

The Prince of Wales and Harry will be allowed to wear military uniform. The King’s younger son was not originally going to be allowed to wear it, but an intervention meant he now has permission.

Updated

The latest update on the main queue to see the Queen lying in state; the wait time is now up to 11 hours, the lowest it has been in the projection by the government for days.

The accessible queue was closed permanently on Saturday afternoon, meaning the line that currently begins in Southwark Park is the only way to wait and see the monarch’s coffin in Westminster Hall.

HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN'S LYING-IN-STATE QUEUE UPDATE, 5:00PM, 17 Sep

Estimated queueing time is up to 11 hours

Queue end is in Southwark Park

Tracker: https://t.co/T7se5mVwE5

Plan ahead: https://t.co/eWKx1gGIrN

Journey planner: https://t.co/XnDRCfkM45 pic.twitter.com/kjy0iv33PM

— Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (@DCMS) September 17, 2022

Updated

Beatrice and Eugenie: 'We thought you'd be here forever'

Two of the Queen’s granddaughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, have paid their own tribute to their grandmother, saying they thought that she would be there “forever”.

The sisters, who are the daughters of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, said there had been “tears and laughter, silences and chatter, hugs and loneliness, and a collective loss for you, our beloved Queen and our beloved grannie”.

It is full of evocative personal memories they have of their time with the Queen, including picking heather and raspberries.

The statement reads:

Our dearest grannie,

We’ve not been able to put much into words since you left us all.

There have been tears and laughter, silences and chatter, hugs and loneliness, and a collective loss for you, our beloved Queen and our beloved grannie.

We, like many, thought you’d be here forever. And we all miss you terribly.

You were our matriarch, our guide, our loving hand on our backs leading us through this world. You taught us so much and we will cherish those lessons and memories forever.

For now dear grannie, all we want to say is thank you. Thank you for making us laugh, for including us, for picking heather and raspberries, for marching soldiers, for our teas, for comfort, for joy. You, being you, will never know the impact you have had on our family and so many people around the world.

The world mourns you and the tributes would really make you smile. They are all too true of the remarkable leader you are.

We’re so happy you’re back with grandpa. Goodbye dear grannie, it has been the honour of our lives to have been your granddaughters and we’re so very proud of you.

We know that dear uncle Charles, the King, will continue to lead in your example as he too has dedicated his life to service.

God save the King.

‘You were our matriarch, our guide, our loving hand on our backs leading us through this world. You taught us so much and we will cherish those lessons and memories forever.”

- Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie

🔗https://t.co/VBmygy9ae9 pic.twitter.com/QHq5sT9vNE

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 17, 2022

Updated

The Queen’s death has ignited debates and discussions in Commonwealth countries, including Antigua and Barbuda according to Agence France-Presse. The governor general met King Charles at Buckingham Palace earlier on Saturday.

Republican movements may be gaining steam in British realms across the globe, but in the tiny Caribbean paradise of Antigua and Barbuda, residents have decidedly mixed feelings about their leaders’ push to break that final link.

Days after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Antigua and Barbuda became the first of the 14 remaining realms now ruled over by her son, Charles, to openly float the idea of replacing the British monarch as its head of state.

Doing so would not be “an act of hostility” but “the final step to complete the circle of independence,” the prime minister, Gaston Browne, told ITV news, saying that he hopes to hold a referendum on the matter within the next three years.

Whether his people want to take that step is an open question, admitted Browne’s chief of staff, Lionel Hurst, during an interview at the prime minister’s office overlooking the port capital of St John’s in the country’s main island, Antigua.

“We’re not sure yet,” he said on Friday. If Browne wins the next general election, which must be held by 2023, the years before any referendum would be spent “selling the idea” to Antiguans and Barbudans.

On St John’s busy Market Street, most residents agreed the idea would need to be sold.

“I think we should stay with the crown. This country cannot manage on its own,” Leonie Barker, 53, told AFP after buying groceries ahead of Tropical Storm Fiona, due to brush past the island on Friday night.

Others said that it was too early to take a stand.

Education and engagement on the idea are needed, Peter Thomas, 58, said.

“I think we have reached a stage in life [where] we would like to be on our own, but are we ready? That’s the next story,” he said.

Updated

Accessible queue 'permanently closed'

The accessible queue to see the Queen lying in state has closed “permanently”.

It was closed temporarily yesterday overnight after it reached capacity. The alternative queue was set up for people with mobility issues or who may need assistance attending the event at Westminster Hall.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has said that all wristbands for time slots have already been allocated.

The accessible queue for Lying-in-State has reached full capacity and is now permanently closed

Wristbands for all time slots are allocated so that as many people as possible can pay their respects

Please do not join the queue at Tate Britain. Thank you for your understanding pic.twitter.com/wKruNLCxiK

— Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (@DCMS) September 17, 2022

Updated

The latest update from the most famous queue in Britain, as the government has said the wait time is “at least 13 hours” to see the Queen’s coffin.

That’s a big fall compared to the past few days, where it was closed as it reached capacity and at one point people were warned that it would take at least 24 hours.

The line still ends in Southwark Park, five miles away from Westminster Hall. Temperatures are predicted to fall to below 10C again tonight, with the public warned to wrap up if they are planning on waiting overnight.

Venues along the queue’s route, including the National Theatre on the Southbank have opened as “rest centres”. The Salvation Army is also on the scene giving out bottles of water.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has warned that the queue will close well before 6:30am on Monday, when the Queen’s lying in state will end.

HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN'S LYING-IN-STATE QUEUE UPDATE, 3:40PM, 17 Sep

Estimated queueing time is up to 13 hours

Queue end is in Southwark Park

Tracker: https://t.co/T7se5mW4tD

Plan ahead: https://t.co/rIslN2ArkR

Journey planner: https://t.co/XnDRCfljTD pic.twitter.com/sknekFufNA

— Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (@DCMS) September 17, 2022

Updated

A sketch of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip drawn in the aftermath of her death that went viral is being sold to raise money for charity.

In the illustration, the Queen can be seen reunited with her husband on a picnic blanket above the words “Hello again Lilibet”, a childhood nickname.

The pair, who have their arms around each other, are joined by one of the Queen’s many beloved Corgis.

Kerri Cunningham, 34, from Lancashire, is not usually in the business of sketching the royal family but as news of the Queen’s death broke, she decided to pay tribute to the monarch.

The inspiration for the drawing came from a photo of the Queen and Philip sitting in the grass at Balmoral on a family picnic.

It was so natural and wasn’t something you’d usually see. When it became clear how poorly she was, the image sprung to mind,” Cunningham said.

“They were just two people who loved each other in their happy place. It really moved me at the time.”

Updated

People with disabilities wanting to pay their respects to the Queen have reported waiting for hours after the accessible queue, which had been temporarily closed, reopened.

The accessible queue built up when it was closed, and stretched for about several miles by the time it reopened at noon.

Shortly after midday, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said that the accessible queue had resumed.

But in a statement posted on Twitter, it added: “The area is busy and capacity is limited. There may be lengthy queues. The queue may need to be paused if capacity is reached and all available time slots are taken.”

Dr Erin Dooley said she had been unsure whether to make the hour’s journey from her home in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, because of what she called “spotty and misleading comms from the government”.

“All of my information to date has been from Twitter,” Dooley, a lecturer at the University of Bristol, said. “An online booking system would have been best, an information app at the bare minimum.”

Updated

Posts containing abuse and misinformation were widely shared on social media in the days after the news broke – many of them aimed at Camilla, the new Queen Consort.

Doctored photos of Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, and posts claiming that Her late Majesty had been murdered because she held secrets on politicians, or was killed by the Covid-19 vaccine, were also widely shared, analysis shows.

On TikTok, the fastest-growing news source in the UK, whose user base is dominated by Gen Z, the most watched royal-themed clips included those that derided Camilla’s appearance and pitted her against the late Diana, Princess of Wales.

One video, liked 1.1m times on TikTok since it was posted a week ago, contained a montage of photos of Camilla and Diana. The captions read: “The woman he cheated with … The woman he cheated on,” prompting vitriolic comparisons between the women in the comment section.

Updated

There are reports on Twitter that Green Park has been closed to the public this afternoon, as hundreds descend on the area to lay floral tributes.

Green Park, avoid if you can, it’s crazy the way they’ve blocked all sensible entry points pic.twitter.com/EzJD2X7vCq

— Kevin Dixie 💧 (@kevindixie) September 17, 2022

Earlier on Saturday, The Royal Parks tweeted: “St James’s Park, The Green Park and the areas around Buckingham Palace are exceptionally busy. If you are coming to lay flowers, there is a Floral Tribute Garden in Hyde Park.”

Green park sits adjacent to Buckingham Palace, and has attracted thousands of floral bouquets over the past week.

PM's Biden talks cancelled as 'full bilateral meeting' planned on Wednesday

Downing Street has announced that Liz Truss will hold a full bilateral meeting with the US president, Joe Biden, in New York on Wednesday, instead of the Sunday afternoon meeting originally planned ahead of the Queen’s funeral.

Biden was due to be one of six leaders to meet the prime minister over the weekend.

The White House also confirmed that the Biden’s meeting with Truss would not take place this weekend in the UK, but next week in New York.

“The President will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Truss on Wednesday in New York when both are attending UNGA,” a spokesperson said.

Meetings with the Irish taoiseach to discuss the Northern Ireland protocol and talks with leaders from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Poland will continue as arranged for Saturday and Sunday. These are not being classified as full bi-laterals.

On Saturday, the prime minister held a phone call with Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan, president of the UAE, during which he expressed his condolences following the death of the Queen.

It is expected Truss will hold a call with Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, this evening.

Updated

The Earl and Countess of Wessex have met well-wishers outside Buckingham Palace.

Edward and Sophie were greeted with cheers from the crowd as they emerged from the palace on Saturday afternoon.

The Queen’s youngest son could be heard asking mourners where they had come from and whether they were making their way to Green Park to lay flowers.

Meanwhile, his wife was given bouquets and a stuffed toy as she shook hands with those gathered.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex have greeted crowds outside Buckingham Palace.

Latest: https://t.co/8AFWhoW82a

📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/yQQxF0Penk

— Sky News (@SkyNews) September 17, 2022

The Prince and Princess of Wales joined the King and Queen Consort for a Buckingham Palace lunch with governors-general from the Commonwealth realms.

The governors-general of Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu were among those present.

Second hand wristbands given out to people queuing to see the Queen laying in state in Westminster Hall are being sold on eBay for triple figures, Sky News reports.

Some mourners have posted their used wristbands on the online marketplace, with one fetching £199.99.

At least five of the bands have sold on the site so far, with more auctions ending over the next few days.

Bids on bands currently on sale include a bright orange one from Saturday, which has already received bids of over £400.

Liz Truss has concluded meetings with her counterparts from Australia and New Zealand at the government’s Chevening country residence.

The prime minister spoke with Australian leader Anthony Albanese and New Zealand’s premier Jacinda Ardern as she kicked off talks with world leaders travelling to the UK for the Queen’s funeral.

The London ambulance service have said they have cared for 710 people along the lying-in-state queuing route since Wednesday, with 81 people taken to hospital.

The service said it treated 291 patients on Wednesday, of whom 17 were taken to hospital, 144 patients on Thursday, of whom 25 were taken to hospital, and 275 patients on Friday, of whom 39 were taken to hospital.

The majority of the incidents were faints and collapses, which resulted in head injuries, the service said.

There are also concerns the numbers could rise with temperatures due to drop tonight.

Director for ambulance operations, Darren Farmer, said: “It’s important that people joining the queue follow the advice provided on the government website, including bringing with them any regular medication, appropriate clothing, drink plenty of water and eat regularly.

“It’s likely to be cold, so it’s important people wear appropriate clothing to keep them warm.”

Updated

The King has thanked emergency service staff for their work during the mourning period and ahead of the Queen’s funeral on Monday.

Charles met London’s Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, and was briefed by the deputy assistant commissioner, Jane Connors, and Commander Karen Findlay, who are leading police operations around London ahead of and during the funeral of the Queen.

The Prince of Wales also visited the Met service special operations room, while the home secretary, Suella Braverman, and the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, were present.

During the visit on Saturday in Lambeth, south London, he also met police staff, who he thanked for their planning and delivery of policing in the days leading up to his mother’s funeral, as well as workers at London Ambulance Service, London Fire Brigade, Transport for London and the army.

The funeral is expected to be “the largest international event that the UK has hosted in decades, possibly ever”, according to sources.

While speaking to the operation planning team, who also prepare the policing efforts at football matches and protests in the capital, the King asked them questions relating to the planning around Operation London Bridge.

He asked the officers: “Have you been planning for a long time... or have you just been drafted in?”

One officer responded: “Yes your Majesty, we’ve been planning for about three years. There were teams before us.”

He replied: “And the plans are working?”

The officer said: “They are, absolutely.”

“That’s the most encouraging thing,” the King said, and began to chuckle.

Updated

The daughter of a canon in St George’s chapel at Windsor castle recalls her childhood at the royal residence and encounters with the monarch in this piece for the Observer:

It was always a comforting feeling when the Queen was at home, a sense that the whole community of the Castle was gathered together, especially as night fell and the great Henry VII gateway closed to the public. After the hubbub of the day, the Castle precincts returned to the feeling of a small, intimate village.

My little sister Nikki and I were only six and nine when we came to live in Windsor Castle. On the day of our move, and while driving west in our little green mini behind the removal van, my father pointed to the castle on the hill and announced that this would be our new home. After a moment my sister piped up from the back of the car, full of expectation: “Oh Daddy, isn’t it exciting going to live with the Queen!”.

The Prince of Wales thanked people for waiting in line for many hours for the Queen’s lying in state, as he shook hands with mourners.

Several people cried after meeting him, and one woman told him: “You’ll be a brilliant king one day”.

Charles left before William, both of them in cars surrounded by police vehicles.

Updated

It has been reported in the last few minutes that visitors shouted “God save the King” as he moved down the queue, and Prince William apologised to mourners for the long wait.

As the King and the new Prince of Wales left the crowd after the brief visit, mourners shouted an impromptu “three cheers for the King”, bringing the crowd of hundreds into a roar.

It comes after former England captain David Beckham waited 12 hours through the night to view the Queen’s coffin, among other celebrities including Susanna Reid, Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.

Updated

A clip from Twitter of the King greeting some of those currently queuing to see Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin.

The King greets people currently queuing to see Queen Elizabeth II's coffin

Latest https://t.co/mVlxDQ7xNW pic.twitter.com/SEeajLpA5E

— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) September 17, 2022

Updated

King and Prince of Wales greet people in queue to see coffin

The King and Prince of Wales are meeting people waiting in the queue for the Queen’s lying in state at Westminster Hall.

As King Charles III got out of the car along Albert Embankment, he was immediately greeted with cheers.

“I hope you’re not too frozen,” the King could be heard telling one woman.

He chatted briefly to a woman clutching a Paddington Bear toy who said she had come from Peru.

The Prince of Wales also made a surprise appearance and spent time shaking hands with people in the crowd – he remarked how warm some of them were.

As the King made his way along the queue people were consistently urged by a security guard to put their “phones down, shake hands and enjoy the moment”.

Updated

Satellite imagery taken this afternoon above London shows the queue winding along the Thames. It’s actually visible from space!

A line long enough to see from space:@Maxar satellite imagery taken this afternoon above London shows people waiting to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Hall. pic.twitter.com/7IS8Y3R7x0

— Michael Sheetz (@thesheetztweetz) September 16, 2022

Updated

A press release from Buckingham Palace details some of King Charles’s engagements for Saturday:

10:45am: The King receives the First Sea Lord, Chief of the Air Staff, Chief of the General Staff, Chief of the Defence Staff, Vice Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of United Kingdom Strategic Command in the 1844 Room, Buckingham Palace.

1pm: The King receives the Governors General of the Realms for a reception and lunch at Buckingham Palace.

3:45pm: The King receives prime ministers of the realms in the 1844 Room, Buckingham Palace.

Those in attendance today include the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau; the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese; the prime minister of the Bahamas, Philip Davis; the Jamaican prime minister, Andrew Holness; and the prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern.

Updated

Queue update: Although mourners are still directed to join the back of the queue from Southwark Park, there is constant movement until the Thames path along Bermondsey Wall East, where things become more stationary. Bright pink wristbands, which state they do not guarantee entry to Westminster Hall, continue to be handed out.

Hundreds of soldiers have taken part in early-morning rehearsals in Windsor ahead of the Queen’s funeral.

After Monday’s service at Westminster Abbey, the late monarch’s coffin will be driven from London to Windsor in the state hearse.

The hearse will then travel in procession to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle through the Long Walk, which will be lined by members of the armed forces.

In the early hours of Saturday morning, marching bands playing music and Grenadier Guards flanking a hearse were spotted rehearsing ahead of the service.

Mounted police officers walked in front of the procession, followed by members of the Life Guards carrying swords, as well as a pipe band dressed in tartan and members of the Household Cavalry.

About 30 Grenadier Guards, walking in two single-file lines, marched alongside the hearse.

The Grenadier Guards is one of the most senior regiments in the British army, with soldiers recognised by the scarlet tunic and bearskin uniforms they wear on ceremonial duty at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.

Interactive
A map of the Queen’s final journey from Westminster Abbey to Windsor castle.

One spectator said she set her alarm for 3.15am to watch the rehearsals.

Katharine Horsfall said: “It’s been quite a long wait to get to the bit that I really wanted to see which was quite beautiful really, so on the day I think it will be an amazing tribute to the Queen.

“A great send-off with all the pageantry that she so well deserves.”

The Queen’s final resting place will be the King George VI memorial chapel, an annex to the main chapel where her mother and father were buried, along with the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret.

The late Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin will move from the Royal Vault to the memorial chapel to join the Queen’s.

Updated

A man was arrested on Friday “following a disturbance” in Westminster Hall, where the Queen is lying in state, after reports of someone running up the steps to the catafalque and touching the coffin.

A witness described the moment the person “pushed her [seven-year-old niece] out the way, ran up to the coffin, lifted up the standard and tried to do I don’t know what”.

Tracey Holland said: “Darcey was grabbed out of the way and the police had him within two seconds. We’re just trying to get her back in so she can go round again, respectfully, because she’s been up since 2am this morning, she’s been in the queue for 15 hours.”

Updated

Here is a collection of photos showing the Queen meeting celebrities over the years, from Marilyn Monroe and Paul McCartney to Lady Gaga and the Spice Girls.

Updated

A lovely thread on Twitter here from Jules Birkby, who queued for nearly 16 hours with her mother to pay their respects to the Queen yesterday.

She travelled from Leeds to the capital on Thursday night, and finally got in to Westminster Hall on Friday afternoon.

Some highlights:

  • “It’s been magical watching London come to life over the last hour. We’re getting very strange looks from people walking to work though – a combination of wonder, disbelief and pity.”

  • “Lady next to me queuing in HEELS”

  • “We’ve moved about 50 metres in about an hour. Every so often there’s an enthusiastic gasp from the crowd when we begin to move… but then a collective “ohhh” of disappointment when we stop again just a few metres on.”

To conclude, she said: “It’s been amazing. The Queue introduced us to so many ace people: we’ve laughed, cried and cheered each other on. And while we came close to an existential crisis around 5am, we pulled through with a hot cup of tea and all was well again”.

There are very few people I’d do this for. But it seems I’m on the train to London to join a very long overnight queue with my dear old Mum.

Here comes a rolling thread about #TheQueue pic.twitter.com/cycAvknBcn

— Jules Birkby (@NowThenSunshine) September 15, 2022

Updated

The latest news on the main lying-in-state queue suggests the wait time is now down to 16 hours. Earlier this morning, the DCMS said the estimated wait time was 24 hours.

HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN'S LYING-IN-STATE QUEUE UPDATE, 10:00AM, 17 Sept

Estimated queueing time is up to 16 hours

Queue end is in Southwark Park

Tracker: https://t.co/T7se5mW4tD

Plan ahead: https://t.co/rIslN2ArkR

Journey planner: https://t.co/XnDRCfljTD pic.twitter.com/JeVygJMObS

— Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (@DCMS) September 17, 2022

The imperial state crown, the latest incarnation of which has been resting on the Queen’s coffin as thousands of people have filed past this week, has witnessed many resonant moments in history, and a few less majestic ones too.

After the death of the Queen’s grandfather, George V, for instance, the king’s coffin was being transported from London’s King’s Cross station with the crown on top when the jolting of cobbled streets caused the diamond-encrusted globe on top, and the cross and sapphire it supports, to snap off and roll into a gutter.

Though it was hastily retrieved, the dead monarch lay in state under a mutilated crown, which many in the crowd, including the new king, Edward VIII, took as a bad omen. Eleven months later, sure enough, Edward abdicated.

Updated

According to an update from the DCMS at 9am this morning, the accessibility queue for those wishing to pay their respects to the Queen is closed until midday as it has reached capacity.

This queue is only those with accessibility needs, who are allowed to bring one carer.

HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN'S LYING-IN-STATE ACCESSIBLE QUEUE UPDATE, 09:00AM, 17 Sep

The accessible queue is closed until midday today and capacity is limited. Please don't try to arrive early

The queue is only for people with accessibility needs, and you can only bring one carer pic.twitter.com/VOroKri2CT

— Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (@DCMS) September 17, 2022

Updated

Recipients of the highest honours that can be awarded to military personnel and civilians for services to their country are to take part in the procession at the Queen’s funeral.

Seventeen of the 23 recipients of the Victoria Cross for military valour and George Cross for civilian gallantry will be in attendance at the service on Monday, including one from New Zealand and four from Australia.

Among the George Cross recipients attending is Jim Beaton GC CVO who was awarded the honour after he was shot three times while foiling a gunman’s attempted kidnap of the Queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, in 1974.

“It was a privilege to work for Her Majesty,” Beaton said. “I have many very fond memories.”

Interactive
A map showing the Queen’s funeral route from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey and on to Wellington Arch.

Seven will be involved in the Procession of the Orders of Chivalry, including CSgt Johnson Beharry VC, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for twice saving colleagues while under fire in Iraq.

Beharry, 43, of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment, said: “I am deeply saddened at the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

“Pinning upon me the Victoria Cross is among the fondest memories that I will hold very closely to my heart. I feel very humble and honoured and indeed fortunate to be included in her funeral procession.”

The sheer span of Elizabeth II’s reign and the enormous changes that happened during it defy easy descriptions, writes Matthew Engel.

Churchill, in a majestic prime ministerial radio address the day after Elizabeth II became queen, invoked “the grandeur and genius of the Elizabethan age”, and the concept of “new Elizabethans” did take hold for a while. A plane and a new fast train (less than seven hours from King’s Cross to Edinburgh) were both named the Elizabethan.

But it did not stick. The last eponymous age was Queen Victoria’s reign. “Victorian” instantly evokes the image of her times, or at least their perception as “prudish, strict; old-fashioned, outdated”, (Oxford English Dictionary). It is even used in the US, particularly to describe houses.

Perhaps it is because the second Elizabethan age has seen such an extraordinary pace of change that trying to encompass it with a single adjective is futile.

In a sign of just how fixated some people have become with ‘The Queue’, this morning’s BBC weather forecast included a specific temperature prediction for it – a chilly seven degrees.

Good morning!

It's a chilly start out there ...even a bit of frost around for some of you

Matt | https://t.co/DZH80OEqu3 pic.twitter.com/Hgu7suCfgv

— BBC Weather (@bbcweather) September 17, 2022

Wait time to see Queen's coffin is at least 24 hours

In an update at 8am, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said the end point of the queue for the Queen’s lying in state was once more accessible in Southwark Park.

The DCMS had earlier warned people not to travel to join the queue and to check back later on Saturday morning for updates on wait times.

The latest waiting time is now said to be 24 hours, although there are warnings that entry to the queue may once again be paused if the park reaches capacity.

HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN'S LYING-IN-STATE QUEUE UPDATE, 8AM, 17 SEP

The queue is in Southwark Park and wait times are at least 24 hours

If the park reaches capacity, entry to the queue will be paused pic.twitter.com/urY8RxfNHj

— Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (@DCMS) September 17, 2022

Updated

Miles of television broadcast cabling has been laid, almost every satellite truck in the UK has been hired out and international broadcasters are offering wads of money to anyone who can secure them a broadcast location overlooking the ceremony.

Monday’s funeral of Queen Elizabeth II is a global TV event that has been planned for decades – yet at the same time pulled together in just 10 days.

“I’ve been in the business so long I first started rehearsing the Bridges Events 30 years ago,” said the presenter Dermot Murnaghan, 64, referring to an internal codename for deaths of major royals.

Yet even the best-rehearsed plans can fall apart, as Murnaghan found out last Thursday when telling viewers that the Queen had died. “It ended up with me making the announcement in the pouring rain holding an umbrella, my phone, and with water peeing down my neck.”

Almost every major British TV channel – with the exception of Channel 5, which is showing the Emoji Movie – has cleared its schedule for royal coverage on Monday.

For the most part, viewers will see the same raw images of the main events on the BBC, ITV and Sky News. All three outlets have coordinated on a plan to pool their resources in order to provide a single national video feed of proceedings.

Here is a quick summary of what to expect on the agenda today:

  • The Queen’s lying in state continues, with representatives from the Commonwealth realms invited to pay their respects.

  • The King will meet the chiefs of staff at Buckingham Palace, before visiting police headquarters to thank representatives from the emergency services involved in the planning and delivery of the events during this period.

  • The King and Queen Consort will attend a lunch for governor generals. The King will then meet realm prime ministers at Buckingham Palace.

  • On Saturday evening, the Queen’s eight grandchildren will stand vigil beside her coffin. The Prince of Wales will stand at the head and the Duke of Sussex at the foot. At the King’s request, they will both be in uniform with Harry, as a nonworking royal, granted permission for the solemn occasion. The other grandchildren will be in morning coats and dark formal dress with decorations.

  • A rehearsal for the funeral service will take place inside Westminster Abbey.

Updated

If you didn’t see the news last night, a man has been arrested “following a disturbance” in Westminster Hall, after reports of someone running up the steps to the catafalque and touching the coffin.

The Metropolitan police were said to have rushed to detain the man just before 10pm on Friday evening, the second full day that mourners have been able to pay their respects to the former monarch, just hours after senior royals held a vigil.

A source told the Guardian that the man darted out of the line passing the catafalque and managed to climb the steps and touch the coffin, before they were swiftly detained – an account that was not denied by either the Met or House of Commons.

Since it was confirmed last Saturday that Queen Elizabeth’s funeral would be held on Monday 19 September, a slew of businesses and services have said they will be reducing operations or closing for all or part of the day as a mark of respect.

With the day declared a bank holiday, many employers have given staff the entire day off and most shops will be closed. So what will be open on Monday and when?

Truss to meet world leaders ahead of Queen's funeral

Liz Truss is holding the first of her confirmed meetings with world leaders today, as they make the trip to the UK for the Queen’s funeral.

The prime minister will speak with New Zealand’s premier, Jacinda Ardern, and Australian leader, Anthony Albanese, on Saturday, with the conversations framed by No 10 as chats rather than formal bilateral meetings.

Downing Street suggested they would be an opportunity for condolences over the Queen’s death, with politics likely to come up.

The first of the weekend’s meetings will be based at the government’s Chevening country residence, rather than Chequers, which is said to be undergoing routine maintenance work after Boris Johnson’s exit.

Ardern has said the Queen’s death and new King will be the “focus of conversation”, with the pair also likely to discuss Ukraine and the UK’s free trade agreement with New Zealand.

The conversation between Truss and Albanese may also touch on trade, with the countries last year signing a deal estimated by the government to be worth £2.3bn to the UK economy.

Truss also has a packed diary on Sunday, with plans to meet the US president, Joe Biden, Irish taoiseach, Micheal Martin, Canadian premier, Justin Trudeau, and the Polish leader, Andrzej Duda, in Downing Street.

Truss previously met Biden as foreign secretary, but this will be their first in-person conversation since she became prime minister.

It will take place against a backdrop of disputes over the Northern Ireland protocol and difficulties working towards a trade deal with the White House.

The controversial post-Brexit treaty is also likely to come up when she speaks to Martin, amid strained relations between the two countries over the trading arrangements.

Meanwhile, the Chinese foreign ministry has confirmed the country’s vice-president, Wang Qishan, will attend the state funeral on Monday, rather than leader Xi Jinping. He is not expected to be among those to meet Truss during the visit.

Updated

Queen's grandchildren to hold vigil at her coffin with Duke of Sussex in uniform

The Queen’s grandchildren will stand guard around her coffin in Westminster today, hours after their parents held their own vigil.

Notably, the Duke of Sussex will join his brother the Prince of Wales in wearing uniform around the coffin in Westminster Hall.

Harry, who saw action on the frontline during two tours of duty in Afghanistan, has previously been denied the chance to wear his military uniform as he publicly mourns because he is no longer a working royal.

Despite being a former army officer, he has been in civilian dress for official events, including walking behind his grandmother’s coffin on Wednesday when it was carried to Westminster Hall for lying in state.

But royal sources say the King has decided his youngest son can wear uniform for the vigil, saying he will stand at the foot of the coffin, with William at the head.

William will be flanked by his cousins Zara Tindall and Peter Philips, while Harry will be with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, with Lady Louise Windsor and her brother Viscount Severn at the middle of the coffin.

On Friday evening, the Queen’s children, Charles, the Duke of York, the Princess Royal and the Earl of Wessex, took part in their own vigil.

Updated

Updated

Do not travel to join queue, government urges

The queue to see the queen’s coffin is now “near total capacity” with a wait time of more than 24 hours, the government has warned.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is urging people not to travel to join it.

Overnight, the wait time to see the coffin passed 25 hours.

Good morning. Members of the public have once again queued through the night to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II, whose coffin remains in Westminster Hall in central London.

The government says the wait time is now more than 24 hours and people are urged not to travel to join the queue until further notice.

Last night, three measured taps of the guard’s stick on the stone steps inside Westminster Hall signalled the start of the vigil of the princes as the Queen’s four children, led by the King, marched slowly down, stopping in front of the catafalque.

Another triple tap, and they stepped on to it. King Charles, red-eyed and blinking, took up his place at the head of the coffin, the Princess Royal and Earl of Wessex to each side of it, and the Duke of York at its foot.

Members of the public continued to file slowly past on both sides as the King and his siblings mounted guard. Other members of the royal family, including the Queen Consort and Countess of Wessex, watched from nearby. After 15 minutes, and with another triple tap, the four stepped down, their vigil done.

Today, it will be the turn of the Queen’s grandchildren.

We’ll bring you updates from that, and any other royal developments, throughout the day.

Contributors

Harry Taylor (now), Jessica Murray ,Sophie Zeldin-O'Neill (earlier)

The GuardianTramp

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