The Times estimates that up to 750,000 people may go to pay their respects to the late queen, whose body lies in a closed coffin draped with the Scottish royal banner.
Long wait, no big bags, no photos: the hundreds of thousands of people expected to rush from Wednesday to pay their respects to the body of Queen Elizabeth II at the Palace of Westminster will have to adhere to strict rules.
The Queen’s body will be flown to London from Scotland on Tuesday night. After passing through Buckingham Palace, it will be displayed in Westminster, where the public will be able to worship it from 17:00 (local time, 19:00 Greek time) on Wednesday continuously until 06:30 (local time, 08: 30 Greek time) on Monday.
Her funeral will take place at 11:00 (local time, 13:00 Greek time) in Westminster Abbey.
More than 200,000 people had paid homage in 2002 to the body of Elizabeth II’s mother. This time, the Times estimates that up to 750,000 people may turn up to pay their respects to the late queen, whose body lies in a closed coffin draped in the Scottish royal banner.
The public will have to exercise a lot of patience as the queue is expected to be kilometers long on the streets around the palace. At the same time, the forces of order face a major logistical challenge in order to ensure that the popular pilgrimage will take place without problems.
“There is a risk that the queue will be too long. You will have to wait for long hours, often during the night, without many opportunities to sit down,” the British government warned in a document outlining the rules citizens should follow.
For this reason, he recommends to the public to bring with them clothing suitable for all weather conditions, food and water, which should be consumed “before entering” the control zone, as well as an external mobile phone charger.
In the control zone there will be security measures “on par with those of airports”, with “draconian restrictions” on what items the public will be allowed to have in their possession. Security will place a wristband on each, which will be removed upon departure.
“Only one small bag per person” will be allowed in the palace area “with an easy opening (…) so that you can pass quickly” through the various checkpoints. Those carrying a large bag should leave it at the entrance, but there is no “guarantee” that there will be enough space to store it, the document warns.
Inside the palace, citizens will not be able to leave flowers, candles, small toys or wreaths, with the government reminding that such items are deposited elsewhere in London.
You will also not be allowed to take photos or videos with a mobile phone. Finally, the government calls on citizens to “dress appropriately for the occasion” and to avoid clothing “with political slogans or profanity”.
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I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
