From BZ/dpa
Weatherproof clothing, enough provisions, a power bank for your cell phone and a lot of patience: The British government recommends this equipment to all mourners and onlookers who want to visit Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin from Wednesday.
The coffin with the body of the monarch who died on Thursday will be on a so-called catafalque – a kind of plateau – in Westminster Hall of the London Parliament building from Wednesday (5 p.m. local time). Flowers or messages may not be placed in front of it.
Until the day of the state funeral on September 19, the British public will have 24 hours a day to pay their Queen one last visit and say goodbye.
A photo of the Queen among flowers and letters Photo: picture alliance / ASSOCIATED PR
However, you should plan a lot of time: “You have to stand for many hours, probably overnight, with little opportunity to sit down because the line will move on,” says the British government’s information on the processes.
You should think twice about bringing children. Road closures and disruptions to the transport network are also to be expected.
The waiting times could be up to twelve hours, the newspaper “The Sun” quoted as saying on Monday the logistics officer for the funeral ceremonies. The queues could stretch for several kilometers, it said.
The newspaper speculated that the number of mourners could be almost as high as that who bid farewell to Pope John Paul II in Rome in 2005. The body of the late Pope was then laid out in the Apostolic Palace. About a million people queued for hours, singing, crying and praying for a last glimpse of the pontiff.
Westminster Hall is to remain open 24 hours a day for four days. Queen Elizabeth II will be buried in Westminster Abbey next Monday.