Prince George, Princess Charlotte expected to attend funeral
LONDON – Prince William and his wife Catherine’s 9-year-old son, Prince George, and 7-year-old daughter, Princess Charlotte, are expected to attend Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral, according to funeral orders.
George, now second in line to the throne, and his sister will walk through Westminster Abbey with the royal family in procession behind the Queen’s coffin as it is carried by pallbearers on Monday.
George and Charlotte will walk together behind their parents, followed by Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and other royal family members.
The royal children’s 4-year-old brother, Prince Louis, is not expected to attend.
Palace releases an image of a smiling Queen Elizabeth
This previously unseen photo of Queen Elizabeth was released late Sunday by Buckingham Palace. It was taken in May at Windsor Castle.
The queue to pay respects to the queen has officially closed
The UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has officially closed the queue to pay their last respects to Queen Elizabeth II. The last estimated waiting time was eight hours.
Her state funeral is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. London time (6 a.m. ET) after a short procession from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey.
More than 2,000 people are expected to attend.
King Charles III thanks public for support
Britain’s King Charles III on Sunday thanked members of the public in Britain and around the world for their support after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
“My wife and I have been so deeply touched by the many messages of condolence and support we have received,” the king wrote in a statement released by Buckingham Palace.
The king also described how the royal family have been “moved beyond measure” by members of the public who have paid their respects in London, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Charles also thanked the “countless people” who have been of such support and comfort to “my family and myself in this time of grief.”
Queen Elizabeth II honored with moment of silence across Britain
LONDON – People across Britain have paused for a minute’s silence in memory of Queen Elizabeth II on the eve of her funeral.
The government had encouraged people to take a minute for reflection at home, with neighbors or in locally organized ceremonies.
In Westminster Hall, where the Queen lies in state, the line of mourners stopped for 60 seconds.
The Queen will be laid to rest at Windsor Castle on Monday after a state funeral at Westminster Abbey in London attended by royals, heads of state and dignitaries from around the world.
‘Our hearts go out to the Royal family’: The Bidens’ condolence book inscriptions
Here’s what the Bidens wrote in their condolence signings for the Queen, according to the White House.
Queen Elizabeth was admired worldwide for her unwavering commitment to service. She treated everyone with dignity and respect. Jill and I were honored to have met her and felt her warmth. Our hearts go out to the Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom.
Queen Elizabeth II lived her life for the people she served with wisdom and grace. We will never forget her warmth, kindness and the conversations we shared. May God grant her eternal rest.
Meet the mourners spending hours in line to say goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II
The queue of mourners waiting to pay their last respects to Queen Elizabeth II has stretched 5 miles across London, resulting in an influx of people willing to wait at least 13 hours to say their final goodbyes.
Photographer Alice Zoo walked the route on Saturday, starting from the end of the queue at London’s Southwark Park to its beginning at Westminster Bridge, asking loyal subjects how long they had waited and how much longer they thought they might have to go.
Ukraine’s first lady appears at Westminster Hall to pay respects to Queen Elizabeth II
LONDON – Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, has appeared at London’s Westminster Hall to pay her respects to Queen Elizabeth II.
British royal officials said Zelenska also met with Catherine, Princess of Wales, at Buckingham Palace on Sunday afternoon. They have not released further details.
World leaders, including President Joe Biden, have flown to London to attend the Queen’s funeral on Monday.
Zelenska is expected to join 2,000 dignitaries and guests at Westminster Abbey for the service. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not expected to attend as the war in Ukraine continues.
Bidens arrive at Buckingham Palace for King Charles’ reception
The President and First Lady have arrived at Buckingham Palace for a reception hosted by King Charles III ahead of the Queen’s state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday.
President and first lady pay respects to Queen Elizabeth II in London
Biden signs book of condolences for the queen
Biden signed the condolence book for Queen Elizabeth II, with the first lady behind him, at Lancaster House.
In brief remarks after the signing, the president praised the Queen for her “honorable” service and recalled times she would have him over for tea, saying he “would eat everything she put in front of me.”
“It’s a loss that leaves a huge hole that you sometimes think you’ll never overcome,” Biden said. “But as I have told the king, she will be with him all the way.”
The first lady later signed a separate book of condolence at the bottom of a staircase in the mansion in London’s West End.
British army veteran joins line to see queen
A British Army veteran traveled more than 100 miles to join the long line of people in London waiting to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II.
Carrying a casket full of medals from his years of military service, Bob Thompson, 61, said he and his wife had come from Somerset, south-west England, for the funeral.
“We made the decision at the last minute to stand in line,” Thompson said. He added that he did not mind queuing for the estimated 14 hours it could take to get to Westminster Hall in central London, where the Queen lies in state.
“I turn 62 tomorrow,” he said. “I will use it with the queen.”
Bidens pay respects to the queen at Westminster Hall
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden traveled to Westminster Hall on Sunday to pay their respects to the Queen as she lay in state.
The Bidens were seen with the US ambassador to the UK, Jane Hartley, on a balcony overlooking the mourners. The president, who is Catholic, made the sign of the cross to the crowd.
Royal lying in state traditions endure a century of change
When Queen Elizabeth II’s grandfather, King George V, died 86 years ago, many homes in Britain had little or no electricity and large sections of the population still lived in slums.
Life in 1936 is unrecognizable to the British today. But despite nearly a century of change, the images from the Queen’s lie-in-state this week are almost exact replicas of those from when George V lay-in-state.
Both used the same large, medieval Westminster Hall with the coffin resting on a royal purple platform in the middle. A brass cross is at one end of the casket, the royal standard is draped above, and tall candlesticks and scarlet and gold clad ceremonial guards are carefully placed around it.
Historians say that maintaining such traditions consistently over time is essential to maintaining reverence for the monarchy.
Chinese officials barred from visiting the queen’s lying in state
Chinese officials have been banned from visiting Westminster Hall because of the Queen’s lies in state, House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle told the BBC on Sunday.
The decision to bar the Chinese ambassador and accredited officials from attending Westminster Hall in Parliament came after seven members of the British Parliament and one peer were sanctioned by Beijing last year.
“Holding a reception in the House of Commons when MPs and a peer have been sanctioned is not acceptable,” he said.
‘You’re doing great!’ Steward cheers as thousands line up
As the masses marched through mazes in Southwark Park to pick up their wristbands to allow them to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster, steward Rabia Sheikh cheered them on.
“Good afternoon, beautiful people,” said Sheikh, 33, smiling and in an increasingly hoarse voice, “You’re doing well! Well done.”
A muffled Big Ben to punctuate last days of mourning
Parliament’s iconic bell, known as Big Ben, will ring on Sunday at (3 p.m. ET) to mark what the government has called a national moment of reflection.
The bell will then be rung again after the end of the minute of silence, according to a statement from Parliament, with a silencer being used to produce a quieter tone. Big Ben will toll again on Monday at one-minute intervals as a huge procession departs after the state funeral.
‘Dear Mummy’: Prince Andrew’s personal tribute to the queen
Prince Andrew, the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II, released a personal tribute to the late monarch on Sunday.
“Mother, your love for a son, your compassion, your care, your confidence I will cherish forever,” the Duke of York said in a statement.
In recent years, Andrew has defended himself against allegations of sexual abuse of underage women through his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of procuring a child for prostitution.
In January, Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew was returning his military affiliations and royal patronage to his mother, the Queen. In February, he settled a lawsuit with Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was 17 years old when she was trafficked by Epstein and abused by Andrew.
‘Worth it’: Mourner who joined line at 2:30 a.m. has no regrets
Dave Wheeler of Birmingham said he picked up a wristband that will allow him to see the Queen lie in state around 2:30 a.m. Sunday (9 p.m. Saturday ET) in Southwark Park in south London.
By 10 o’clock he had arrived near the London Eye, which is a short walk from Westminster Hall, where Elizabeth’s coffin is. He figured he had another dozen hours of slow walking before he reached the queen.
“It’s worth it,” said Wheeler, 71. “The biggest challenge facing King Charles is holding the Commonwealth together. The Queen was the glue.”
More than 1,000 mourners in line have received medical treatment
More than 1,000 people queuing to see the Queen’s coffin and in surrounding areas have received medical treatment since Wednesday, London’s Ambulance Service said on Sunday.
Out of nearly 300 patients, 17 had been taken to hospital on Wednesday, it said. That number had risen to 55 out of 400 on Saturday. Mourners have stood in the long line for hours, braving the cooler weather.
Queen’s love for animals went beyond corgis
They are reviled in the US as rats with wings. But in the United Kingdom, pigeons hold a more respected position as accomplished racers and little-known favorites of Queen Elizabeth II.
Long before the Queen became Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, the young princess took a keen interest in animals of all shapes and sizes, including pigeons, horses and, of course, corgis.
She was also a keen sportswoman, often pictured angling in Scotland with Prince Philip or driving herself to the stables on the Sandringham Estate. Her trademark printed scarves, tweeds and galoshes worn on hunting, shooting and fishing expeditions were as recognizable as her handbags.
King Charles III to host foreign leaders, new U.K. prime minister
Britain’s new King Charles III, Camilla, the Queen Consort and other members of the royal family will host a reception for foreign guests and heads of state at Buckingham Palace on Sunday evening.
Prior to the reception, the King will meet with the Prime Ministers of Tuvalu, Antigua and Barbuda and Papua New Guinea.
And at lunchtime, the King will host the newly elected Prime Minister of Great Britain, Liz Truss, also at Buckingham Palace.
Lining up overnight to pay their respects
Queen Elizabeth’s complicated LGBTQ legacy
In 1952, when Queen Elizabeth II took the throne after the death of her father, same-sex sexual relations were criminalized in Great Britain. The same laws were also brought to the Commonwealth countries it colonized.
When she died, the landscape of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer rights looked dramatically different – at least in Britain – in part because she endorsed many pro-LGBTQ measures, such as same-sex marriage.
That support has led some to claim she was a “quiet” supporter of LGBTQ rights, but to others she was just doing her job.
Man charged in incident near queen’s coffin
A man has been charged in connection with an incident on Friday at Westminster Hall, where the Queen has been lying in state, London police said on Saturday.
A 28-year-old man was arrested and charged with moving to cause alarm, harassment or distress, according to a statement from London’s Metropolitan Police. He was due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
A parliamentary spokesman said a person had “moved out of the queue and towards the Catafalque”, or raised platform.
The person was removed from the hall and the queue resumed with “minimal disruption,” the spokesman said.
The platform where the Queen’s casket is displayed was guarded at all times by the sovereign’s bodyguard, foot guards or the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
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