Sharjah24 – AFP: King Charles III travels to Wales on Friday for the last of his visits to the four nations of the United Kingdom as preparations for the Queen’s state funeral are underway.
With lines to see Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin lying in the state reaching over four miles (6.4 kilometers) in length, Charles and his three brothers – Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward – were supposed to hold a family vigil in front of the coffin.
The so-called Vigil of Princes, featuring all four royalty in ceremonial military uniform, will last 15 minutes from 1830 GMT.
British officials on Thursday promised “a worthy tribute” to the queen, who died last Thursday at the age of 96 after a record 70 years on the throne.
His death sparked a wave of emotion, with tens of thousands of people lining up for hours to pay their respects to the late monarch.
Charles, the longest-serving Prince of Wales in history until last week, was scheduled to fly by helicopter to Cardiff early Friday.
A spokesman for the king said he had a “lifelong commitment to the people of the country” and would have a private audience with Welsh Prime Minister Mark Drakeford during his visit.
The king was “resilient and hardworking” despite his loss, and “focused on leading the family, nation, kingdom and Commonwealth in mourning for Queen Elizabeth II,” the spokesman added.
–
