World ‘will unite’ for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral as mourners queue for miles
By Angus MacSwan and Humza Jilani
LONDON (Reuters) -The state funeral of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth will unite folks from throughout the globe, the official answerable for the massive ceremonial occasion stated on Thursday, as mourners from all walks of life queued for hours to file previous the late monarch’s coffin.
World leaders will collect on Monday for the funeral for Elizabeth, queen for 70 years whose international stature was virtually the ultimate.
She is presently mendacity in state in London’s historic Westminster Corridor, the place tens of hundreds are ready patiently in line to pay their closing respects to Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.
“These occasions are going down in opposition to the backdrop of an outpouring of grief, affection, and gratitude for folks in the UK, the Commonwealth, and internationally,” stated the Earl Marshal, Edward Fitzalan-Howard, the Duke of Norfolk, England’s most senior peer who’s answerable for state events.
“It’s our goal and perception that the state funeral and occasions of the subsequent few days will unite folks throughout the globe,” he advised reporters.”
As he spoke, the queue to see the queen’s coffin stretched greater than 4 miles (6.5 km) alongside the south financial institution of the River Thames, crossing Lambeth Bridge because it neared Westminster Corridor.
As King Charles returned to his Highgrove residence within the southern English county of Gloucestershire after days of scheduled occasions, officers anticipated about 750,000 folks to view his mom’s coffin earlier than the mendacity in state ends at 6.30 a.m. (0530 GMT) on Monday.
Some had travelled from overseas, dropping off baggage at close by motels to hitch these shifting slowly by Westminster Corridor. Mourners included former Prime Minister Theresa Might and her husband Philip, who bowed their heads earlier than the coffin as they filed previous with members of the general public.
(Reporting by Farouq Suleiman, Alistair Smout, Angus MacSwan, Michael Holden, William James, Kate Holton, Kylie MacLellan and Elizabeth Piper, Enhancing by Janet Lawrence, William Maclean)
