Today feels like somewhat of a lull in proceedings and a chance to catch one’s breath following a quite extraordinary few days. But don’t get used to it. By tonight, London will once again be front row, centre of events.
In the next couple of hours, Queen Elizabeth’s coffin will be flown to RAF Northolt, accompanied by Princess Anne, before being taken to Buckingham Palace where it will be met by the King and Queen Consort. Tomorrow, the coffin will be taken to Westminster Hall where Her Majesty will lie in state for four days.
Thousands of soldiers in ceremonial uniform gathered at Buckingham Palace in the early hours of this morning for a practice run of the procession. The rehearsal saw the horse-drawn carriage of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery being led along the route.
The real thing will start at 2.22pm tomorrow, and last for 38 minutes. King Charles III, members of the royal family and senior staff of the Queen and King’s households are expected to walk behind the coffin.
It is time to talk about the queue. Up to a million people are expected to pay their respects. This has led to predictions of 30-hour waits, with the line snaking along the Thames all the way to Tower Bridge, roughly three miles away. All your questions about how to attend are answered here.
In addition to a show of statecraft, this thing is a logistical leviathan. Train services are set to run through the night in a bid to ferry people to and from the capital and cope with the unprecedented demand. Today’s Leader podcast essentially asks what happens if London becomes, for want of a better word, ‘full‘.
All this is building up to Monday’s funeral in Westminster Abbey, where heads of state (and their partners) are invited to attend. It turns out that Joe Biden, long-time fan of public transport though he is, will not be taking the bus to the Abbey. Representatives of Russia and Belarus are among those not invited.
In the comment pages, Chief Theatre Critic Nick Curtis reflects on the portrayal of the Queen in the arts, from Helen Mirren to Olivia Coleman. While Vicky Jessop reviews a night of drama at the Emmys.
And finally, the Prince Charles Cinema by Leicester Square has had enough of people asking if it is going to change its name.
