AFP
–
News from the NOS•yesterday, 22:11
—
More than three kilometers. Here’s how long the line is tonight with people wanting to pay their final tribute to Queen Elizabeth. Since this afternoon he has been lying in the state at Westminster Hall in London. This is where the crowds begin, continuing over Lambeth Bridge and along the banks of the Thames.
–
After a procession from Buckingham Palace It came the coffin with Queen Elizabeth at Westminster Hall this afternoon. Everyone is welcome here until next Monday’s state funeral to greet the Queen. Shortly after five o’clock this afternoon, this so-called “lying in stateand the first visitors dragged themselves past the oak and lead-lined coffin, and hundreds of thousands more are expected in the next few days.
–
These Brits tell us why they like to queue for hours for their queen:
–
–
“In a way, Queen Elizabeth was the background of our lives”
—
Tonight people of all ages and backgrounds came to Westminster Hall. There are parents with children, veterans in uniform, but also members of the British House of Lords. Some visitors wore black mourning robes, others were in jeans and trainers. A visitor bows as he passes the coffin, someone else blows a last kiss.
–
All the time you need
One of those present in the old parliament building is Chris Bond. He comes from Truro, in the South West of England, and has waited hours to see the queen’s coffin. “Obviously it’s pretty hard to queue all day, but when you walk through those doors into Westminster Hall – that beautiful historic building – there’s a great sense of silence,” he said. “You can take your time, and that’s great.”
–
Many visitors gathered in London on Tuesday evening to glimpse the coffin with the Queen today. They spent the night on the street in ponchos and rain tents. “We would do it again in the blink of an eye,” said one woman in a sheer poncho early in the morning. “The queen has been sitting on the throne for 70 years and we have only given up for one day. We are very happy to do so.”
–
Esther Ravenor, a Kenyan living in the UK, also attended the procession in London this afternoon. “I love the queen, I love the royal family, I had to be here,” she said. According to Ravenor, Elizabeth was a “model” who loved everyone. The latter was particularly important for the Kenyan, who immigrated to the UK thirty years ago. “I was allowed to come here, and here I am free and safe, so I really honor her. She has been an important part of my life.”
—
