Queen lies in state: LIVE updates as queue to see the coffin CLOSES for six hours and Queen’s grandchildren including William and Harry prepare for Saturday night vigil while King Charles visits Wales
- The Queen’s funeral: All the latest Royal Family news and coverage
Here, follow today’s latest breaking news, updates and pictures from the royal family as the Queen’s lying in state enters its second day.
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Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York look at floral tributes to the Queen which have been laid by members of the public near Windsor Castle.
The late monarch’s funeral will be held on Monday.
WATCH: Queue for Queen’s coffin paused for 6 hours due to capacity
https://youtube.com/watch?v=H24ZUzRP9_w%3Frel%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26hl%3Den-US
New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern is among first dignitaries to arrive in London
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has arrived in London ahead of the ‘reception of the century’ on Sunday, which will see the who’s who of the global elite – including presidents, emperors and royal families – gather at Buckingham Palace on the eve of the Queen’s funeral.
King Charles III will host hundreds of dignitaries from every country the UK has diplomatic relations with in what will be the largest gathering of world leaders for a generation.
US President Joe Biden, the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – Olena Zelenska – and King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain are expected to be among the guests at the star-studded affair.
Read the full story at MailOnline here:
More than 30 arrests have been made so far as part of the biggest policing operation in the Met’s history in the lead-up to the Queen’s funeral.
Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said by Friday morning 34 people had been arrested for a ‘range of offences’ but described this as ‘relatively few’, adding that none had been for protesting.
Scotland Yard has not yet been able to provide a breakdown of the offences involved.
The senior officer told reporters the ‘hugely complex’ policing operation is the biggest in the force’s history, surpassing the London 2012 Olympics which saw up to 10,000 police officers on duty per day.
Mr Cundy said: ‘This will be the largest single policing event that the Met Police has ever undertaken.
‘As a single event this is larger than the 2012 Olympics, it is larger than the Platinum Jubilee weekend.
‘The range of officers, police staff and all those supporting the operation is truly immense.’
It will also be the largest global protection operation the force has dealt with, as hundreds of world leaders, dignitaries and other VIPs are expected to attend the state funeral on Monday.
In the wake of the Queen’s death, in mutual aid alone – officers who are drafted in from outside forces to help – there will be 20,000 officer shifts throughout the week and 2,000 officers in a single day at the peak, Mr Cundy said.
Specialist teams involved in the operation include motorbike escort riders, mounted branch carrying out patrols on horseback, firearms officers, dog teams and the marine unit.
The force has used more than 22 miles (36km) of barriers in central London alone to control crowds and keep key areas secure.
The former Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall returned to Wales with smiles this morning before attending a national service at Llandaff Cathedral.
The service has just finished and the couple are expected to leave the cathedral shortly.
Specially-trained anti-terrorism officers are deployed across London to keep the public safe as the nation mourns, the Metropolitan Police has said.
Officers from Project Servator will be on patrol, including on Monday when the Queen’s state funeral is to take place.
The Metropolitan Police’s website explains: ‘Project Servator aims to deter, detect and disrupt a range of criminal activity, including terrorism, while providing a reassuring presence for the public.
‘Our officers are experienced and specially trained to spot the tell-tale signs that someone is planning or preparing to commit an act of crime.’
Across #London there will be specially trained #ProjectServator officers keeping you safe as the nation mourns.
Please be aware of your surroundings and report anything suspicious to a police officer or steward.
For more information: https://t.co/Q5VOkvwqmM pic.twitter.com/Bs3cOGzpAj
The former Prince of Wales returns to Cardiff as King
King Charles III was greeted with cannon fire and cheers as he arrived on Welsh soil for the first time as monarch today.
The former Prince of Wales and the Queen Consort landed just before 11.15am before getting into the waiting Royal limousine to take him to Llandaff Cathedral.
He flew by helicopter from Highrove, where he has spent the last 24 hours mourning his mother the Queen.
On arrival, His Majesty was warmly greeted by Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford and faith leaders before being ushered inside.
Read more about his visit here:
Mourners are reportedly ‘begging’ to be allowed to join the queue to file past the Queen as she lies in state after the entrance to the line in Southwark Park was closed a few minutes ago, media outlets are reporting.
The DCMS announced that entry to the queue would be paused for at least six hours a little over two hours ago – but the entrance in Southwark Park, where the back of the queue currently lies, was only closed in the last few minutes.
Around 200 key workers and volunteers have received invites to the Queen’s funeral, it has been announced.
One of those invited is Natalie Queiroz from Birmingham, who teaches children about the dangers of knife crime after surviving a 2016 attack at the hands of her partner when she was heavily pregnant.
Ms Queiroz, who was recently recognised with an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, was stabbed 24 times during in the attack in Sutton Coldfield.
In a video message posted on her Twitter account on Friday, she said: ‘The cat’s out of the bag it seems. I was told to keep it secret but I believe everyone now knows – it’s a massive, massive honour.’
Adding that she felt privileged to be invited, she also said she was ‘just really humbled to be part of such a huge experience and to be able to say thank you to Her late Majesty the Queen and to fly the flag for Birmingham.’
The Queen’s funeral will take place on Monday, September 19.
The new King appeared tired but in good spirits as he arrived in Cardiff today ahead of a national service of prayer and reflection for his late mother.
He has had probably the busiest and most difficult week of his life after racing up to Balmoral to see the Queen before she passed away last Thursday.
This was followed by a series of complex and exhausting royal engagements, including a national TV address, accession ceremony and royal tour of all the UK’s nations.
A sign at the entrance to Southwark Park in south-east London has finally been changed to announce that the queue to see the Queen lying in state has been paused.
The sign originally said: ‘Lying in state queue: please expect long delays, thank you for your patience.’
The sign changed at around 11.35am to: ‘Entry to Her Majesty’s lying in state queue is temporarily paused. Lying in state queue wait time from this point minimum 14 hours.’
It was previously reported that staff at the park had not received any instructions to close the queue, despite the government stating on social media it had been paused for at least six hours.
Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy has said 34 people have been arrested as part of the policing operation in the lead up to the Queen’s funeral.
He described the number, recorded by Friday morning, ‘relatively few’, and said none were for protesting. Scotland Yard has not yet been able to provide a breakdown of the offences involved.
Mr Cundy told journalists on Friday that the massive policing operation is the biggest in the force’s history, surpassing the 2012 Olympics and Platinum Jubilee.
He said: ‘This will be the largest single policing event that the Met Police has ever undertaken.
‘As a single event this is larger than the 2012 Olympics, it is larger than the Platinum Jubilee weekend. The range of officers, police staff and all those supporting the operation is truly immense.’
King Charles found out about mother’s ill health ‘at same time as the public’
King Charles only found out about his mother’s deteriorating health moments before the public at Dumfries House, a royal editor has claimed.
Newsweek’s Chief Royal Correspondent Jack Royston has revealed King Charles was only told about the downturn in his mother’s health shortly before the news became public.
He explained: ‘Charles and Camilla were in Dumfries House. Camilla was actually about to record an interview with Jenna Bush Hager, who said she heard footsteps running in the hallway.
‘Charles took a call, everything was silent, and they were asked to be silent. Then the next thing she knew, Charles and Camilla were in a helicopter.’
The Welsh language is taking centre stage at the service for the Queen in Llandaff Cathedral.
The King famously knows Welsh well, having studied it at school.
Mark Drakeford, the Welsh First Minister, is currently addressing the congregation in Welsh.
The Army, Navy and RAF have marked King Charles’ first visit to Wales as monarch with a gun salute as he landed in Cardiff just a few minutes ago.
Reservists from 104 Regiment Royal Artillery carried out the gun salute from Cardiff Castle on Friday as Charles arrived at Llandaff Cathedral.
King Charles III and his wife, the Queen Consort, have now arrived at Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff.
The pair arrived to thousands of cheering fans lining the city’s streets just moments ago.
The King and Queen met the Archbishop of Wales before filing into the Cathedral for a service dedicated to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
This marks the beginning of the final stage of the King’s royal tour of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
King Charles III has landed in Wales in his first visit to the country since becoming King.
He will now travel to Llandaff Cathedral for a special service recognising the life and work of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
King Charles’ helicopter has been pictured just moments away from landing in Cardiff.
The King and Queen Consort will be greeted by a gun salute on landing.
The accessible queue for the Queen’s lying-in-state is ‘very busy’ with all this afternoon’s time slots filled up, the government has said.
The DCMS is urging people to ‘consider’ the fact there are ‘long wait times’ before making their way to the queue.
The main queue was closed around an hour ago.
The accessible queue is very busy and time slots for this afternoon have now filled up
There are long wait times
Please consider this before making your way to the accessible queue
Read the guidance: https://t.co/rIslN2ArkR pic.twitter.com/ecobFu0XkF
King Charles III is about to arrive in Cardiff to thousands of cheering royal fans lining the city’s streets.
The King and Queen Consort are attending Llandaff Cathedral for a service to remember the King’s late mother.
UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has already arrived at the cathedral.
The first images of the queue for the queue have emerged from Southwark Park in south London.
What appears to be as many as thousands of people have already joined a long tail of people since the government announced that the queue was closed to new entries.
The DCMS said it would be at least six hours, or 4pm, until the queue is reopened.
Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you, the queue for The Queue pic.twitter.com/NfoiOg0qGA
Genuinely can’t believe what I’m seeing. This is right at the end of the 5 mile long queue @LBC pic.twitter.com/SyLi1S7yPi
Those who joined the queue in time this morning before it closed will pass iconic London landmarks: including the recently added Covid Memorial Wall.
In a solemn moment, mourners have been pictured lining up beside the wall, which commemorates all of the lives lost to Covid during the pandemic.
‘Protests won’t disrupt historic trip’: Mark Drakeford ahead of King Charles’ visit
King Charles III will be greeted with cannon-fire as he sets foot on Welsh soil for the first time as monarch today and Cardiff welcomes the former Prince of Wales – its longest-serving in history.
The monarch and the Queen Consort will this morning land in the Welsh capital by helicopter from Highgrove, where Her Majesty’s mourning son has spent the past 24 hours.
Thousands are expected to gather at Llandaff Cathedral and Cardiff Castle to greet the King, who was Prince of Wales for more than 53 years and whose mother the Queen will be buried with her wedding ring – made of Welsh gold – made so she would ‘always carry a piece of Wales’ with her.
But there will also be protests as the royal couple arrive on Owain Glyndwr Day – celebrating the revered and last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales who died in hiding from Henry V of England in 1415 after leading a battle for independence.
A silent demonstration will begin from 1pm at Cardiff Castle, organisers have said, but First Minister Mark Drakeford believes it will not disrupt the visit, claiming it will be a ‘footnote’ to the main proceedings. He said: ‘People have a legitimate right to protest and there are a variety of views’.
Read more:
Contrary to the government’s messaging on social media, those policing the queue to enter Westminster Hall have said they have received ‘no instructions’ to close the queue.
Hundreds of mourners were witnessed continuing to enter the park despite the Government’s online warning.
One queue attendant told the PA news agency they had yet to receive any instructions to close the gate and stop any more people joining.
Hundreds of people have been pictured continuing to file into the queue to see the Queen lying in state, despite the DCMS tweeting that the line is ‘closed’.
LBC has filmed mourners heading past a sign saying ‘Lying in state entry point’ behind barriers, while queue marshals in high-vis stand by and watch.
People still filing in to Southwark Park although DCMS says the queue will now be paused for 6 hours, as it’s reached capacity @LBC pic.twitter.com/vdoW1AK9MD
Read more: Mourners told to STOP queuing for the Queen
The ‘Elizabeth Line’ of mourners desperate to view the Queen’s coffin at Westminster Hall was shut for at least six hours today after reaching nearly five miles long – an astonishing 14-hour wait.
The Government said in an update just before 10am: ‘Southwark Park has reached capacity. Entry will be paused for at least 6 hours. We are sorry for any inconvenience. Please do not attempt to join the queue until it re-opens.’
On the third day of the Queen’s lying in state, those stood in the queue which hugged the south bank of the River Thames were told the wait time had swelled to ‘at least 14 hours’ and 4.9 miles to Southwark Park in Bermondsey.
Read more details here:
The much-loved morning duo Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield have been pictured paying their respects to the Queen at Westminster Hall this morning.
The TV presenters filed past the coffin together, both dressed in black, shortly after the government announced that the queue would be closed for at least six hours.
The decision to allow the Duke of Sussex to wear his uniform during a vigil at the Queen’s coffin was made by his father, King Charles III, royal sources have said.
Charles also requested that the Queen’s eight grandchildren be allowed to participate in the vigil – standing in quiet contemplation around their grandmother for 15 minutes as a mark of respect – something they were all keen to undertake.
Harry, who saw action on the front line during two tours of duty in Afghanistan, has 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.
An exception had been made for the disgraced Duke of York, who is no longer a working royal but will wear his military uniform as a ‘special mark of respect’ for the Queen when he stands guard around her coffin during a vigil with his siblings on Friday evening.
Now the queue to file past Elizabeth II’s coffin has been paused, the DCMS’ live tracker has changed and tells the public ‘do not attempt to join’.
The queue length, time and location estimates have all disappeared.
Crowds to greet King Charles and wife Camilla on the monarch’s first visit to Wales as King are continuing to grow this morning.
Young children have been pictured joining with their parents, some holding signs which read: ‘Welcome to Wales King Charles.’
Until the Queen’s death last Thursday, King Charles had been the longest-ever serving Prince of Wales.
Devastated mourners have expressed disappointment and frustration after it was announced that the queue to see the Queen lying in state has been closed to new entries for at least six hours.
One Briton, Sarah, said: ‘On the train to London. Thank you so much for my wasted journey. So much for the queue reaching 10miles.’
Another, Matt Shaw, added: ‘That’s a crazy decision when some people have travelled miles to be there.’
On the train to London. Thank you so much for my wasted journey. So much for the queue reaching 10miles
Will the queue for the queue, be called QE2?
It’ll only get worse once the offices close for the weekend and the schools are out…
That’s a crazy decision when some people have travelled miles to be there
Where do you suggest the extra people go? Eventually you have to start to manage the numbers. This has been flagged as a potential scenario for several days
The queue to view the Queen’s coffin has been closed for ‘at least six hours’ after reaching capacity.
More to follow.
HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN'S LYING-IN-STATE QUEUE UPDATE, 09:50 AM, 16 Sept
Southwark Park has reached capacity. Entry will be paused for at least 6 hours. We are sorry for any inconvenience.
Please do not attempt to join the queue until it re-opens.
Check back for further updates pic.twitter.com/XMpyhOrme7
Mourners who have a disability or mobility issues which mean they cannot stand in line for an extended period of time are being reminded this morning to go to the accessibility kiosk and not attempt to join the main queue to file past the Queen’s coffin in Westminster Hall.
The main queue is now almost five miles long, with a wait-time of at least 14 hours.
Anyone with access issues should head to the kiosk by the Tate Modern instead.
Eight of the Queen’s grandchildren will stand vigil beside her coffin in Westminster Hall for 15 minutes on Saturday night, royal sources have confirmed.
The Prince of Wales will stand at the head, the Duke of Sussex at the foot. At the King’s request, they will both be in uniform.
The other grandchildren will be in morning suits and dark formal dresses with decorations.
William will be flanked by his cousins Zara Tindall and Peter Philips, the children of the Princess Royal; while Harry will be with the Duke of York’s daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
The Earl of Wessex’s children Lady Louise and Viscount Severn will stand near the middle of their grandmother’s coffin.
The grandchildren, at the King’s invitation, are said to be very keen to pay their respects – just as their parents are doing on Friday evening.
Members of the public are waiting excitedly for the arrival of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla in Cardiff, as the royal tour concludes there later today.
People are currently waiting behind barriers at Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff, for a Service of Prayer and Reflection for the life of Queen Elizabeth II.
People have brought with them young children including babies, Welsh flags and Union Jack bunting.
The ban on planes flying below a certain altitude over central London has been extended until the end of Monday for the Queen’s funeral.
The Civil Aviation Authority said the ban has been enforced as part of wider security arrangements, and applies to aircraft including personal jets, small balloons, kites and parachutes.
Aircraft are not permitted to fly below 2,500 feet above mean sea level within central London or Windsor, Berkshire, from 6am until 8pm on Monday.
A spokesperson for the regulator said this will create a ‘protective blanket’ over the restricted areas, but will not affect commercial flights because they operate above the altitude limits.
Britons have quipped that they are looking forward to ‘queuing to join the queue’ to see Queen Elizabeth lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday, September 19.
The DCMS tweeted a short while ago that the queue was ‘close to capacity’ and some mourners would be turned away if it reaches its maximum length.
Britons commented on the post, saying: ‘Please join the queue to join the queue’ and ‘Looking forward to updates from the queue to join The Queue’.
In response, one social media user said: ‘I can’t tell what’s real or parody any more.’
So does this mean the queue will now have a queue? #QueueForTheQueen #thequeue https://t.co/JEphoE11hL
Earlier we brought you some of Mark Drakeford’s comments on ‘proportional’ policing around anti-monarchy protests expected in Cardiff later today.
Watch the full interview on Sky News here:
The DCMS has repeated its appeal for mourners to stay away from the end of the queue to pay their respects to the Queen as it says the queue is ‘close to capacity’.
Despite this, the government’s queue tracker has not changed the length of the line from 4.9 miles since 8am this morning.
HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN'S LYING-IN-STATE QUEUE UPDATE, 09:08AM, 16 Sept
Southwark Park is extremely busy. Entry to the queue will be paused if it reaches capacity
If you are planning to join, please consider waiting until numbers have reduced
Tracker: https://t.co/T7se5mW4tD pic.twitter.com/Th6P7uJaHr
Kremlin says decision to ban Vladimir Putin from Queen’s funeral is ‘profoundly immoral’
Kremlin officials have slammed a decision not to invite any Russian officials to Queen Elizabeth’s funeral as ‘profoundly immoral’.
The Kremlin’s spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said: ‘We believe that the UK’s attempt to take advantage of a national tragedy that touched the hearts of millions of people around the world in order to settle scores with us during the days of mourning is deeply immoral.’
Ms Zakharova said the decision to block Russians from the funeral was ‘particularly cynical’ because of the role played by the Queen during the Second World War.
The government has been praised for the decision amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Read more:
Members of the public joining the line to see the late Queen lying in state will now face a wait of at least 14 hours, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has said.
The DCMS updated their live stream moments ago to reflect that although the queue has remained at around five miles in length, the queuing time has now jumped to 14 hours.
Anyone with a disability or mobility issues should not join this queue and seek advise from officials, as there is a separate queue for those affected by these.
More than 100 Heathrow Airport flights will be cancelled to prevent aircraft noise disturbing proceedings at Westminster Abbey and Windsor Castle during the Queen’s funeral on Monday.
The west London airport announced that 15% of its 1,200 flights due to take off or land on Monday will be disrupted.
British Airways – the most-affected airline – will cancel 100 short-haul flights due to the restrictions.
Virgin Atlantic said it will cancel four flights.
The affected flights include those planned during or shortly before or after the two-minute silence at the end of the funeral.
For royal mourners travelling from afar to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, there is a rare opportunity for them to take in London’s sights at the same time.
Although a solemn occasion, the beauty of landmarks such as Tower Bridge, the London Eye and Parliament allow visitors to take in some of the city during the long wait.
Mourners should expect a 4.9 mile queue that will take at least 11.5 hours to complete if they are joining the back of the line to see the Queen lying in state this morning.
The maximum length of the queue is 10 miles, at which point members of the public could face up to a 30 hour wait.
Westminster Hall will remain open for the occasion until 6.30am on Monday, 19 September – the same day as the Queen’s funeral.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=cJxDwDzAwEs%3Frel%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26hl%3Den-US
Mourners enjoyed a beautiful sunrise this morning as they waited in line alongside famous London landmarks such as Tower Bridge.
Watch here:
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has asked members of the public to consider delaying joining the queue to see the Queen’s coffin if they have not already set off this morning.
The queue is currently around five miles long and has reached Southwark Park.
The department said: ‘If the park reaches capacity, entry to the queue will be paused. If you have not yet set off to join, please consider waiting until numbers have reduced.’
The maximum capacity of the queue is 10 miles.
HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN'S LYING-IN-STATE UPDATE, 8:30AM, 16 Sept
The queue is in Southwark Park
If the park reaches capacity, entry to the queue will be paused
If you have not yet set off to join, please consider waiting until numbers have reduced pic.twitter.com/v0NO6s0jji
What3words is being used by the government to more accurately pinpoint the exact end of the queue to file past the Queen lying in state.
The app uses a geocode system to triangulate a user’s location by the use of three coordinates, which have been assigned with permanent unique words from the dictionary.
Developers split the Earth’s service into three-metre squares, each with a unique three-word code.
This allows the app to assign a unique combination of words to anyone’s location, narrowing it down to the three-metre area on the globe’s surface.
The app is used by all sorts of organisations – from tourist information centres to emergency services. It is particularly useful in the UK for mountain rescue services or other off-road emergencies, when there is no street address for a call handler to use.
For those wishing to see the Queen lying in state, what3words enables them to head to the exact endpoint of the queue in real-time.
The current code for the end of the queue is ‘From.Apple.Retail.’
As the UK wakes up on Friday morning, crowds are continuing to pay their respects to the late Queen inside Westminster Hall.
Despite an 11.5 hour wait, the queue continues to lengthen.
Inside the hall, mourners have been pictured bowing, curtsying and crossing themselves in front of Her Majesty’s coffin.
Protests against the monarchy are expected to take place outside Cardiff Castle when the new King Charles III visits Wales during his royal tour later today.
The Welsh First Minister has said that any protests will be a ‘footnote’ to the main proceedings, as the King and Queen Consort prepare to visit Wales.
Discussing planned protests during the visit, Mark Drakeford said: ‘People have a legitimate right to protest and there are a variety of views.’
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘People have that right and I think it will be exercised with restraint and it will be a footnote to the dominant feelings of the day.’
Mr Drakeford also stressed that he had confidence in the police to deal with protests in a ‘proportionate’ way, amid questions about the handling of demonstrators in other parts of the UK.
‘It should be proportionate. It should recognise the rights that people have. I have every confidence in the South Wales Police who have dealt with this sort of event many times very successfully.’
An official delegation from China has reportedly been banned from attending the Queen’s lying in state.
It comes amid a row over Chinese representation at the funeral of the late monarch, with concerns raised by some Conservative MPs over the extension of an invitation to the country.
Senior Tory MPs Tim Loughton and Sir Iain Duncan Smith this week wrote to the Commons Speaker and Lord Speaker, calling it ‘extraordinary’ that Chinese representatives should have received an invitation.
The group from Beijing has been refused permission by Commons authorities to attend the lying in state after an intervention by the Speaker, a senior parliamentary figure told news website Politico.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle reportedly told colleagues he declined a request for the delegation to be allowed access to Westminster Hall, where crowds continue to pay their respects to the Queen ahead of her funeral on Monday.
Princess of Wales takes girl, 8, to leave corgi tribute to the Queen
Kate Middleton melted hearts yesterday after walking alongside a young girl, 8, and helping her choose a spot to lay her tribute to the Queen.
The new Princess of Wales, 40, was yesterday at the late monarch’s Sandringham residence looking at the sea of tributes to the Queen and chatting to crowds with husband William.
She spotted and spoke to schoolgirl Elizabeth Sulkovska, eight, clutching a bouquet of flowers and a corgi teddy.
Footage shows the eight-year-old, who was in the crowd with school friends, speak to Kate.
A delighted Elizabeth was then chosen to walk up to the sea of tributes with Kate and place the corgi among them.
Three central London Tube stations will be closed for most of the morning on Monday – the day of the Queen’s funeral at Westminster Abbey – to avoid overcrowding, TfL has announced.
Passengers will be prevented from starting or ending journeys at Westminster, St James’s Park and Hyde Park Corner stations.
The transport body said it ‘will aim to reopen stations’ after the funeral to help people leaving the Westminster area.
Green Park station will be exit-only between 10am and 8pm.
Many buses in central London will be diverted due to road closures. TfL also announced that buses will pull over ‘if it is safe and practical to do so’ and switch their engines off during the one-minute silence on Sunday at 8pm and the two-minute silence at around 11.55am on Monday.
The queue to see the Queen lying in state has reached 4.9 miles this morning, with a minimum queueing time of 11.5 hours.
The line has reached Southwark Park, but mourners can find the exact location by using the what3words app with the code ‘spices.beats.influencing’.
New Zealand’s PM Jacinda Ardern will have private audiences with King Charles III, Prince William of Wales and the UK’s new PM Liz Truss, it has been announced.
The meetings come as little surprise after new details of the funeral arrangements were announced yesterday, as New Zealand is a close ally of the UK.
Ms Ardern said she will likely discuss Ukraine and the UK’s free trade agreement with New Zealand when she meets Liz Truss, but that the focus would be on the Queen’s death.
‘I am sure we will also transact our relationship as well, but it is all within the context of the week of mourning that the UK is currently in,’ she said.
US President Joe Biden will ride in a famous armoured vehicle nicknamed ‘The Beast’ while visiting the UK to attend the Queen’s funeral.
The Cadillac has night vision cameras, tear gas cannons, and 8 inches of armor.
Its doors weigh as much as those on a Boeing 757 aircraft and its tires are pneumatic run-flats so the vehicle can still drive even if they are deflated. The president also can use a state-of-the-art communication system that is built into the Beast, which weighs about 20,000 pounds.
There is also a secure oxygen system and a supply of the president’s own blood in case of an emergency.
The vehicle was built to withstand chemical and biological attacks as well as bullets and explosions, with its chassis said to be effectively ‘indestructible.’
Some of Biden’s entourage was spotted arriving in London yesterday.
About taking that bus..
The Beast & other vehicles for the Biden motorcade passing through north London just now pic.twitter.com/gB6DyYfzrW
Members of the public have described tiredness, aching feet and stiff limbs – as well as cold and hunger – but are determined to stay in the queue to the end.
Mary Buttimer, 59 from Greenwich, and Martin Clark, 65, from Kent, have become firm friends in the queue.
Standing near London Bridge station, London, the pair have been in the queue for an hour and a half.
Mary said she had joined the queue to pay her respects to the Queen. ‘I wouldn’t necessarily say I’m a royalist, but I just thought it was a respectful thing I could do, to acknowledge her years of service,’ she said.
Martin said they had started near Bermondsey station, and seemed ready for a long wait ahead.
‘We are in, we have got to see it through now,’ he said.
‘Elizabeth Line’ queue reached Southwark Park as mourners waited 14 hours
Last night the queue to pay final respects to Her Majesty reached five miles as mourners faced a wait of 14 hours overnight to get into Westminster Hall this morning.
Read more here:
Thousands are already watching the government’s live queue tracker this morning, a live stream which informs the public how long the queue is, how long they should expect to queue for and the exact location of the end of the queue.
Yesterday up to 12,000 people were watching the stream at any one time.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=cJxDwDzAwEs%3Frel%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26hl%3Den-US
A brief look at the queue to see the Queen lying in state from overnight now. Although the length of the line diminished during the night to 3.6 miles, it has quickly jumped back up to almost 4.5 miles this morning.
Mourners faced a cold night and a fast moving queue as they waited to see the late monarch.
William and Harry will walk together behind the Queen’s coffin as funeral details revealed
Princes William and Harry will walk together in the procession of the Queen’s funeral on Monday it has been revealed.
At Monday’s funeral, the Duke of Sussex will be flanked by his older brother, the newly titled Prince of Wales, and Mr Phillips, as the coffin makes the short journey – led by Navy troops pulling a gun carriage.
The three eldest grandchildren of the Queen will walk behind King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, who will lead the procession of senior royals behind the late monarch’s coffin.
Behind the grandchildren will be the late monarch’s son-in-law Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, the Queen’s cousin the Duke of Gloucester, and her nephew the Earl of Snowdon.
It comes as it was earlier revealed how the Queen’s state funeral will end with a two-minute national silence in a ‘fitting tribute to an extraordinary reign’ before she is laid to rest beside her late husband.
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Friday marks just over a week since the Queen passed away last Thursday afternoon. There is a busy day once again for the new King Charles and the rest of the royal family – but what exactly is happening today?
King Charles and the Queen Consort will travel to Wales by helicopter where they will attend a service of prayer and reflection at Llandaff Cathedral.
The couple will then go to the Welsh Parliament where they will receive condolences and meet members of the Senedd.
From there they will travel to Cardiff Castle where Charles will hold a private audience with Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford and the presiding officer, before attending a reception hosted by the Welsh Government. A protest against the monarchy is expected to take place outside the castle.
On his return to Buckingham Palace, the King will host faith leaders in the Bow Room.
The Prince and Princess of Wales will visit Army Training Centre Pirbright in Surrey to meet troops from the Commonwealth who have been deployed to the UK to take part in the state funeral of Her Majesty The Queen.
The lying in state continues. From 7.30pm, the Vigil of the Princes takes place at Westminster Hall, carried out by Queen’s four children (The King, Princess Royal, Duke of York and Earl of Wessex).
By 7am this morning the queue for mourners to say goodbye to the late Queen Elizabeth II had reached 4.4 miles, with the government warning this meant a wait of at least 11 hours.
Members of the public have been filing past Her Majesty’s coffin all night, and will continue to do so until Sunday.
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage today as King Charles III heads to Wales and thousands queue to pay their respects to the Queen as she lies in state at Westminster Hall.
We will bring you all the latest news, photos and videos throughout the day, as well as updates on the length and location of the queue to see the Queen’s coffin.
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