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This Tuesday the remains of Queen Elizabeth II arrived in London from Edinburgh, within the framework of the Unicorn protocol. As of Wednesday, the monarch will rest in Westminster Hall, where all her followers will be able to say goodbye to her before Monday, September 19, the date of her state funeral and the last procession of the coffin.
With the first part of the London Bridge Down operation over, London now faces the biggest logistical challenges of Queen Elizabeth II’s vigil and funeral. This Tuesday, the coffin of the monarch arrived in the British capital from Edinburgh, where she will be exposed so that her followers and mourners can say their last goodbye before her burial next Monday, September 19.
After spending the night at Buckingham Palace, the body will be transferred to Westminster Hall on Wednesday. And in the afternoon, everyone who so wishes can go to say goodbye to the longest-serving queen in the country in the funeral chapel.
The London Metropolitan Police has calculated that between 750,000 and one million people could come to the capital until next Monday, a figure that has forced a high security deployment to avoid possible accidents and even the collapse of the city.
“Our priority is to do everything we can to support everyone who comes to London to honor the memory of the queen,” said Stuart Cundy, deputy commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police, in a video posted on social networks.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy on our policing operation following the passing of Her Majesty The Queen.
He talks about how the Met will balance the rights of protesters with those of others who wish to grieve and reflect. pic.twitter.com/uUQ2oYtiY4
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) September 13, 2022
The authorities have advised that everyone planning to go to the capital should do so “in advance”, following the safety instructions and prepared to wait many hours in line before being able to see the coffin. In fact, the wait to go to Westminster Hall can reach up to 35 hours.
“People should be aware that they will have to be on their feet for many hours, possibly overnight, with very little opportunity to sit down,” authorities warned of the massive event.
Visitors will go through an airport-like security check and there will be strict restrictions on what they can bring – only one small bag per person is allowed.
The deployment of at least 10,000 police officers in the city is expected, as well as mobile toilets and bracelets to identify people who are queuing, who will be able to leave their posts momentarily.
The followers of Elizabeth II, willing to “anything”
Despite the warnings of long hours of waiting, many followers of the British monarchy say they are willing to “anything” for what it represents in their personal lives. As in the case of Andrew Israels-Swenson, who traveled from Minnesota -United States- to say goodbye to the queen. Her 82-year-old British mother asked her to come to the UK on behalf of her entire family.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event to honor a once-in-a-lifetime woman,” Israels-Swenson told Reuters.
Others, like Londoner James Moore Winston Russell, who also attended Princess Diana’s funeral in 2002, feel that Queen Elizabeth is part of “her own family”.
“I’ve never had a grandmother… My grandparents passed away when I was one or two years old, and I didn’t really know them, so she was like a grandmother,” he said as he queued at the British Parliament.
The London authorities are on alert for a possible terrorist attack but also for peaceful demonstrations by opponents of the monarchy. A spokesman for the British Prime Minister, Liz Truss, assured that up to 1,500 soldiers will be available to help in any eventuality.
The city’s hotels are overwhelmed and, given the occasion, the Government is expected to allow restaurants and bars to open 24 hours a day to respond to the influx of people.
For the state funeral and the procession of the coffin on September 19, the number of visitors could exceed one million people, a figure that already added the funeral of Princess Diana in 2002.
Along with Queen Elizabeth II, other historical figures from the United Kingdom have bid farewell to the country from Westminster Hall: King George VI (father of Queen Elizabeth II), Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth the Mother, among others.
Britain’s wartime prime minister, Winston Churchill, was one of only two non-royals allowed to rest in Westminster Hall. Interestingly, he was also the first leader to join the reign of Elizabeth II after she was sworn in in 1952.
Despite the historical relevance of some of the characters that have passed through Westminster Hall, the funeral of Elizabeth II is expected to be the most massive to date.
With Reuters and local media
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