Last hours to bow to Elizabeth II before the funeral of the century

Europe 1 with AFP 6 p.m., September 18, 2022

The monumental queue to gather in front of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth lives its last hours on Sunday, on the eve of the grandiose state funeral in the presence of a crowd of heads of state and foreign governments.

The public still has until 6:30 a.m. (0530 GMT) Monday to pay their respects in Westminster Hall, the oldest chamber in the British Parliament, in front of the coffin of the Queen, who died on September 8 at the age of 96. .

But given the considerable waiting time to parade in front of the coffin - at least 11:30 a.m. announced early Sunday afternoon - the government warned that the decision to close the queue to newcomers, which has become a phenomenon in itself, would be taken during the day.

It is already advised not to set off to join it, in order to avoid any "disappointment", according to the government.

In this continuous parade which saw tens - even hundreds - of thousands of people pass, only one incident was noted: a man was charged with disturbing the public order after leaving the line and approaching the coffin Friday.

First lodges

At 8:00 p.m. local time (7:00 p.m. GMT) on Sunday, the United Kingdom will freeze in a minute of silence for a "moment of reflection" in memory of its monarch who reigned 70 years, an unprecedented longevity in British history, until upon his death at his Scottish residence of Balmoral.

The organization of his state funeral, the first since that of Winston Churchill in 1965, represents an unprecedented challenge for the London police, and mobilizes thousands of police and military personnel.

Backstage, rehearsals are in full swing, and around Westminster Hall, the most ardent are already camped out to secure a place of choice.

To his surprise, Shaleen MacLeod, from Glasgow, managed to secure a place in the front line on Sunday morning to see the procession pass on Monday.

"I expected to be behind," this fervent admirer of the queen told AFP.

EJ Kelly, a 46-year-old Northern Irish teacher, arrived with friends on Saturday morning.

For lack of a tent, the nights are spent bundled up on camping chairs.

Watching the funeral on TV is "magnificent, but being here is something else," she said, determined to pay her respects to the Queen in person.

Arrived Saturday evening in London, US President Joe Biden will join foreign heads of state, including Frenchman Emmanuel Macron, brought together by Charles III on Sunday at the end of the day, the first major diplomatic meeting of the new 73-year-old sovereign.

They will meet Monday morning among the 2,000 guests of Westminster Abbey, where Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953, for the culmination of tributes paid in immense emotion since the death on September 8 of the monarch to popularity. planetary.

It will be "the best of funeral ceremonies", former Archbishop of York John Sentamu warned the BBC.

The Queen did not want a "boring" service, he added, announcing a ceremony that would "elevate" and "warm" hearts.

"Lonely Woman"

Last of the Queen's children to pay tribute to her, Prince Andrew, reputedly favorite son of Elizabeth II and who fell into disgrace after accusations of sexual abuse ended in a financial agreement, hailed her "compassion", her "trust" , his "advice" and his "humor".

In a recorded video message to be broadcast on the BBC on Sunday, Queen Consort Camilla insists on the difficulties that "lonely woman" Elizabeth II faced in a world of predominantly male heads of state and government.

As if to both gauge and maintain the bond between the British and the royal family, the queen's children and grandchildren have multiplied their meetings with the public in recent days, while the period of mourning crushes all other news in the Kingdom. United.

Since the 70th anniversary celebrations of Elizabeth II's reign in June, the proportion of Britons who want to keep the monarchy has risen by five points, to 67%, according to a YouGov poll published on Sunday.

Charles recorded a jump in popularity (70% favorable opinions) but remained behind his son William (84%) and his wife, Kate (80%).

Without betraying the content of her interview with King Charles, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confided her impression that the feeling that dominates in the new monarch is "gratitude" in the face of the surge of testimonies of respect and affection towards the Queen.

After a final procession, Elizabeth II will be buried privately on Monday in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, west London, next to her father King George VI and her husband Prince Philip.