Members of the public will be given two opportunities this week to pay their respects to the Queen as she lies in state. On Monday, King Charles III will lead the royal family in a poignant procession behind the coffin of his mother when it travels to an Edinburgh cathedral to allow people to view the coffin.
The Queen will be taken from the Palace of Holyrood house to nearby St Giles' Cathedral where her family, and a congregation drawn from all areas of Scottish society, will attend a service of thanksgiving for her life.
Full details about the royal mourners have yet to be released but there is speculation the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the new Prince and Princess of Wales, who on Saturday put on a united front during an appearance at Windsor Castle, will be part of the group.
Charles will lead some of the royals on foot, expected to be the Duke of York, Earl of Wessex, Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence - while the Queen Consort and other members of the monarchy will follow in cars.
Members of the public will be able to view the coffin to pay their respects for 24 hours before it is taken to London ahead of a period of lying in state.
The Queen's coffin will then be taken to London on Wednesday and to the Palace of Westminster where up to 325,000 mourners are expected to visit to pay their respects to the Queen this week. The Palace will be open 24 hours a day.
Tens of thousands of well-wishers are expected to line the streets as it makes a journey from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall.
The procession will travel via The Mall, Horse Guards, Whitehall and Parliament Square. It will be screened live in Hyde Park, with a viewing area opening at 11am on Wednesday.
Her body will lie in state at Westminster Hall from 5pm on Wednesday until 6.30am on the morning of her funeral on September 19. Members of the public who pay their respects at Westminster will be subject to strict security checks and restrictions, including a ban on large bags, flowers and photos.
Visitors will face airport-style security checks, with tight restrictions on what can be taken in.
Here is what is banned:
- flowers
- tributes
- candles
- flags
- photos
- hampers
- sleeping bags
- blankets
- folding chairs
- camping equipment
no clothes 'with political or offensive slogans'.
Only one small bag with a simple opening or zip permitted per person, and no photographs will be allowed.
Officials are preparing for 3,000 people an hour to file past the coffin, meaning around 325,000 mourners in total, including other royals, foreign dignitaries and diplomats. Some 200,000 people visited Westminster Hall to pay respects to the Queen Mother in 2002.
The number of people queuing out onto the streets of central London is expected to reach an estimated one million, stretching for up to five miles and fears that queuing times may reach 20 hours. Rail firms warn trains will be “extremely busy”.
Mourners have been warned that there will be little chance to rest or sit down, with the queue instead continuously moving. Extra portable toilets and water stations will also be on hand to combat delays.
Whitehall chiefs in charge of logistics for the historic five-night vigil have estimated mourner numbers could be close to that which turned up to view Pope John Paul II, according to The Sun. A million mourners filed past the late pope when he lay in state in Rome in 2005.
While Westminster Hall will be open 24 hours a day for four days for crowds to view the Queen’s coffin, “insiders” reportedly told the paper people may have to wait up to 12 hours in a three-mile-long queue. The Rail Delivery Group has meanwhile warned those wanting to travel to Westminster Hall to expect services to London and all of its stations to be “extremely busy”.
The rail operator’s customer information director told the BBC people needed to plan carefully and allow plenty of time if planning to travel during the official mourning period. Transport for London also warned that roads and public transport in central London will be very busy and has advised travellers to allow “plenty of extra time” for their journeys and to avoid driving where possible.
Andy Byford, London’s Transport Commissioner, told the national broadcaster: “We are working with our partners to keep our city moving smoothly and to ensure that everyone who is planning to attend the memorial events can do so safely.”
Hotels in London have seen an increase in bookings ahead of the Queen lying in state and her funeral. Travelodge, which has nearly 80 hotels in the city, confirmed that it had seen an increase in demand for rooms.
A spokesperson said: “As one of London’s largest hotel chains, we are seeing a surge in London bookings from all corners of the UK. Our teams across our 78 London-based Travelodge hotels are working around the clock and gearing up for a busy period in the lead up to the Queen’s state funeral.”
It is not only large chains which have been affected, as smaller establishments in London have also noticed a difference. A staff member from The Bridge Hotel in Southwark, which is less than half an hour’s walk from Westminster Hall, said: “We have been getting busier since they announced the dates. We will have more people here next week.”
Richard Gandy, owner of the London Waterloo Hostel – which is less than a mile from Westminster Hall, said that the number of bookings had gone up by 30%. He said: “We’ve seen quite a big increase in bookings. I know for sure that people are coming down for the lying in state.
“It’s probably an increase of about 30%. Friday and Saturday were full anyway, even before she passed away, and we’ve received more bookings for Wednesday and Thursday.”
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