Veterans have given touching last salutes to the late Queen, while mourners determined to pay their respects to Her Majesty have brought their pets and loved ones’ ashes to visit the Queen’s casket.
During the Queen’s lying-in-state on Friday morning, one spectator was seen entering Westminster Hall with a puppy tucked under her arm.
As people line up to pay their respects to the late king, a lady clutching what looks to be a Chihuahua can be seen on Daily Mail TV’s live video of the ceremony at 10.40 am.
Six mourners were prevented from entering Westminster Hall yesterday, a parliamentary source informed the Daily Mail, after they were seen attempting to sneak in their beloved dogs while hiding them beneath jackets.
While animals are not allowed inside Westminster Hall, service dogs are.
While paying his respects to Her Majesty on Friday morning, a veteran was observed giving a sorrowful farewell salute to the Queen’s casket.
After standing in line for hours to pay homage to the Queen, who passed away last Thursday at her Balmoral estate, aged 96, the guy, who was dressed in military garb, was observed making the respectful gesture inside Westminster Hall.
Another mourner who was standing in line all night told the BBC that she had taken her mother’s ashes to the royal coronation to pay her respects.
Mandy, a lady from Manchester, travelled there with her family to stand in line to see Her Majesty’s lying-in-state.
She said that they began lining up yesterday at approximately 8 p.m. and paid their respects at around 4:45 a.m.
Mandy, who identified her family as a “royalist family,” said that she was “very patriotic” and that she made the decision to carry her mother’s ashes with her.
Mandy said she ‘vowed’ she would attend the Queen’s burial after going to Charles and Diana’s wedding and the Queen Mother’s funeral with her own mother.
Since we also lost my mother two years ago, and she was a staunch royalist, she said: “I really brought my mother’s ashes.
The Elizabeth line, also known as the line for the Queen’s lying-in-state, was closed on Friday morning after growing to over five miles long.
According to the queue live tracker maintained by the Department for Culture, Media, and Sports, those at the back of the line would need to wait at least 14 hours to pay their respects to Her Majesty.
Just before 10am, the government announced in an update that “Southwark Park has achieved capacity.”
“Entry will be suspended for a minimum of six hours.” Any inconvenience is deeply regretted. Please wait until the line reopens before attempting to join it.
On the third day of the Queen’s lying-in-state, people waiting in the line that lined the south bank of the River Thames were informed that the distance to Southwark Park in Bermondsey had increased to 4.9 miles and the wait time had increased to “at least 14 hours.”
Just an hour before, the government had issued a warning: “Entry to the line will be suspended if the park reaches capacity.” If you haven’t already started, please think about waiting till the crowds thin down.
There are now two lines of people waiting to enter Westminster Hall on each side of the coffin of Her Majesty due to worries about delays.
In order to accommodate twice as many visitors at once, authorities have instructed mourners to line up in two columns on each side of the late Queen’s casket, which is draped in the Imperial Crown, since the early hours of yesterday morning.
The decision to double the pace of flow was made in response to the overwhelming number of persons wishing to bid Her Majesty goodbye, ensuring that everyone who chose to do so could do so.
The line, which began on Wednesday at 5 p.m. and has been growing since Monday, is now taking mourners more than half a day to get through, yet many have said the lengthy wait was worthwhile.
Mourners praised Westminster Hall’s “breathtaking” tranquilly and said that amid the stillness, “you could hear a pin drop.”