EA security guard has collapsed on the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in London’s Westminster Hall. He stood on a small pedestal in front of the coffin on Thursday night, as shown in a live broadcast by the BBC public broadcaster. Then, during a changing of the guard, the guard fell over and hit his face on the ground. In the otherwise very quiet Westminster Hall, where the Queen’s coffin is laid out, the impact was clearly audible. The security guard had already swayed several times before and once stumbled off the pedestal.
Bystanders guards rushed to the fallen man’s aid and rolled him onto his back. Several people who were waiting, who wanted to say goodbye to the queen, clapped their hands in shock in front of their faces. The live stream then switched to an outside view.
Waiting time up to 30 hours
Nothing was initially known about the health of the security guard. The traditional security guards in Britain often have to stand for hours at work. Similar incidents due to circulatory problems have already occurred in the past.
The Queen’s coffin has been laid out for the public in Westminster Hall, the oldest part of Britain’s Parliament, since early Wednesday evening. Until Monday morning, people can slowly walk past the coffin and say goodbye to the long-standing British head of state. Right from the start, a queue stretched around four kilometers through the center of the British capital. Waiting times of up to 30 hours are expected for the coming days. Some estimates put up to two million visitors to pay their respects to the Queen.
In view of the long waiting time, hundreds of helpers, police officers and paramedics are ready. The Queen’s body should remain in state until next Monday morning (7.30 a.m. CEST). He is then transferred to Westminster Abbey, where the funeral service will be held at noon. This is followed by the state funeral, attended by hundreds of heads of state and government, members of royal families and other dignitaries.
It is considered a great honor that Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will travel from Japan – representatives of the oldest hereditary monarchy in the world do not traditionally attend funerals, either in Japan or abroad. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have also been announced.
The Queen’s coffin was carried from Buckingham Palace to Parliament in a solemn procession on Wednesday afternoon, accompanied by immediate family. Queen Elizabeth II died last Thursday at the age of 96 at her Scottish country estate, Balmoral Castle. Her coffin was taken to the Scottish capital of Edinburgh on Sunday and then to London on Tuesday evening.
#Westminster #Hall #Security #guard #collapses #front #Queen #Elizabeth #IIs #coffin