Up to 400,000 people are expected to queue to see the Queen’s coffin as she lies in state at Westminster Hall . It comes as the UK prepares for one of the biggest international events it has hosted in decades - the late monarch's state funeral on Monday.
Government guidance says the queue is expected to be very long, with people standing for “many hours, possibly overnight”, and with very little opportunity to sit down.
The queuing infrastructure for the Queen’s lying in state is 10 miles in length, it is understood. This includes 6.9 miles from Victoria Tower Gardens to Southwark Park, with a further 3 miles inside Southwark Park.
There will be more than 1,000 volunteers, stewards, marshals and police officers on hand at any one time as people queue for the Queen’s lying in state, it is understood. There will be 779 professional stewards per shift, assisted by 100 civil service volunteer marshals, 40 adult scouts, and 30 members of the first aid nursing yeomanry, as well as Metropolitan Police officers.
There is further queue support from 10 members of the Red Cross, 30 multifaith pastors – co-ordinated by Lambeth Palace – and six Samaritans per shift. There will also be two British Sign Language interpreters in the accessible queue.
Overall, there are 140 Red Cross volunteers from every nation in the UK, 120 from the Scouts, 170 from the Salvation Army, 180 from the Samaritans, 600 from St John Ambulance, and then the wider deployment of military personnel helping with the overall ceremonial events.
There are more than 500 Portaloos along the route. People have been warned of a potential 12 hour wait.
