Queen Elizabeth II will be laid to rest today after a state funeral attended by leaders from around the world and a historic last ceremonial journey through the crowded streets of London.
After queueing all night, the final members of the public filed through parliament’s cavernous Westminster Hall to see the queen’s coffin lying in state before the doors closed at 6:30 am (0530 GMT).
Chrissy Heerey, a serving member of the Royal Air Force who joined the marathon queue twice, was the last person through the doors and described the experience as “amazing.”
“When they came to me and said, ‘right, you’re the last person’, I said, really?!” she told AFP before heading off to join the crowds for the coffin’s procession through central London.
“A long day but very well worth it. It’s nothing compared to what the queen has done for the country.”
The longest-serving monarch in British history, Queen Elizabeth died at age 96 at Balmoral, her Scottish Highland retreat, on September 8 after a year of ill health.
She was succeeded by her 73-year-old eldest son, King Charles III, who late Sunday said he and his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, had been “deeply touched” by the public’s flood of messages.
