William, Prince of Wales greets people queueing to pay their respects to the Queen
(Picture: REUTERS)More than 250,000 people saw Queen Elizabeth II lying-in-state at Westminster Hall, according to approximate figures, underlinining the enormous public response to the late monarch’s death.
Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan revealed the number on Tuesday morning - a day after 10 days of national mourning ended with the Queen’s burial at Windsor and after a grand state funeral full of pomp and pageantry and attended by world leaders including US President Joe Biden.
Although the number of people who queued for hours for the chance to see the Queen’s coffin, draped in the Royal Standard, was only 50,000 more than the number who saw the Queen Mother’s lying in state in 2002, Ms Donelan said the figures were “remarkable”.
During the four full days of the lying-in-state, the queue stretched for more than five miles along the Thames with some waiting for 24 hours to see the Queen. At some stages officials had to pause the queue because of the demand.
Asked about the cost of the Queen’s funeral on Sky News, Ms Donelan said that most British people would see it as "money well spent", but could not put a figure on what that cost might be.
"I'm not sure of the exact costings but as I say, I think the British public would argue that that was money well spent. You saw so many thousands out there and I don't think anybody can suggest that our late monarch didn't deserve that send-off, given the duty and the selfless service that she committed to over 70 years."
She said it would be "downright preposterous" to suggest otherwise.
"It was great sense of the community coming together. I always think of our late monarch as the glue that brought society together," she added.
