King Charles III travels to Wales on Friday for his final visit to the four nations of the United Kingdom, as preparations for the Queen’s state funeral gather pace.
With queues to see Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin stretching over four miles, Charles and his three siblings – Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward – were scheduled to hold a family vigil in front of the coffin.
The so-called Prince’s Vigil, with all four kings in ceremonial military uniform, lasts 15 minutes from 1830 GMT.
British officials on Thursday pledged “a proper tribute” to the Queen, who died last Thursday at the age of 96 after a record-breaking 70 years on the throne.
Her death has sparked an outburst of emotion, with tens of thousands lining up for hours to pay their respects to the late monarch.
Charles, the longest-serving Prince of Wales in history until last week, was due to fly to Cardiff by helicopter early Friday.
A spokesman for the King said he has a “lifelong commitment to the people of the country” and will have a private audience with Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford during his visit.
The King was “resilient and hard-working” despite his loss and “focused on leading the family, nation and kingdom and commonwealth in mourning the loss of Queen Elizabeth II,” the spokesman added.
– ‘Unique and timeless’ –
The Queen will be honored with a state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday morning – the first that Britain has experienced in almost six decades – with more than 2,000 guests expected.
After the service, the coffin will be transported by royal hearse to the Queen’s home at Windsor Castle, west of London, before a funeral service at St George’s Chapel, attended by many past and present royal staff.
A private funeral follows, attended only by members of the Royal Family, where the Queen will be buried alongside her late husband Philip, her parents and sister.
US President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Australian leader Anthony Albanese and France’s Emmanuel Macron have all confirmed their attendance at the funeral, as have Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and numerous other royals.
“The Queen has held a unique and timeless position throughout our lives,” funeral organizer The Duke of Norfolk, Edward Fitzalan-Howard, also known as the Earl Marshal, told reporters at a briefing.
“It is our purpose and belief that … the next few days will unite people around the world and resonate with people of all faiths as they fulfill the desire of Her Majesty and her family to pay a fitting tribute to an extraordinary reign.” he said .
– ‘Peaceful’ –
The state funeral will follow four days after the Queen’s coffin at Westminster Hall.
The queue outside the huge hall where the coffin has been lying since late Wednesday has drawn a seemingly endless stream of mourners.
The coffin is draped in the standard royal flag, with the imperial state crown, her ceremonial orb and scepter upon it, with tall, flickering candles at each corner.
“It’s very peaceful,” Londoner Rupa Jones, 43, told AFP after emerging from the cavernous room, the oldest part of Britain’s centuries-old Parliament, calling the experience “overwhelming”.
For nearly seven hours, she and her aunt had queued all night for their fleeting moment in front of the coffin.
Completing the somber atmosphere inside are guards in ceremonial uniforms posted around the podium in constant vigilance.
Mourners have marked their moment in front of the coffin in a variety of ways, from bowing or curtsy to making the sign of the cross, or simply by taking off their hats.
Some wiped away tears. Others brought infants in strollers. Old soldiers stopped and saluted their former commander-in-chief one last time.
By early Thursday afternoon, the line along the south bank of the Thames had grown to more than 4 miles and people had to wait all night.
Organizers have prepared up to 10 miles of queuing infrastructure and expect hundreds of thousands to attend, especially over the weekend.
Musician Jacqui Smith, who joined the queue on Wednesday night, said she was saddened but delighted by the new king’s reign.
“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” she told AFP from Lambeth Bridge, within sight of Westminster Hall. “I love the Queen, but I’m a real Charles fan.”
– Historical title –
William and his wife Kate, meanwhile, traveled to Sandringham, the family’s private winter retreat in east England, to view the floral tributes left by members of the public.
Charles, 73, was created Prince of Wales by his mother in 1958 and on his first full day as monarch last Friday he bestowed the title on his eldest son.
The historical title has been given to the heir to the throne since the beginning of the 14th century.
Thursday’s visit marked the new Prince and Princess of Wales’ first official engagement.
Elizabeth’s youngest son Prince Edward, 58, and his wife Sophie visited Manchester in north-west England to view the civic condolence book in the city’s central library and floral tributes.
