September 12, 2022 19:21
Mourners will be able to glimpse Queen Elizabeth’s casket around the clock as it cools from Wednesday evening to early on the day of the funeral, and authorities prepare for a huge turnout.
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to bid farewell to Britain’s longest-reigning monarch before her state funeral scheduled for September 19, which will be attended by world leaders.
Rail operators said they expected “unprecedented demand for travel” within London, and advised passengers to prepare to complete the route to their final destinations on foot.
The British Ministry of Culture said that members of the public will be able to look at the casket in Westminster Hall in Parliament 24 hours a day from 5 pm (1600 GMT) on Wednesday 14 September until 0630 am on 19 September.
“Those wishing to attend will be required to wait in queues for many hours, possibly throughout the night… Large numbers are expected, and it is advisable to check in advance and plan accordingly and prepare for long waiting times,” the ministry said.
Placing the body is a rare honor in Britain, and it has previously been given on only nine other occasions, mostly to members of the royal family, including the mother of Queen Elizabeth in 2002 when an estimated 200,000 people flocked to pay their farewells. Queen Elizabeth’s closed coffin will rest inside Westminster Hall.
And stands guard at each of the corners of the platform around the clock. There will be airport-style security checks in Westminster Hall, the oldest building in the British Parliament, in addition to strict restrictions allowing only small bags to be carried.
The casket will be preceded by a ceremonial procession through central London from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall on Wednesday.
Queen Elizabeth died on September 8 at Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands and her coffin was transported to Edinburgh on Sunday. He is scheduled to be flown to London on Tuesday.
Source: agencies
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