As he entered the special operations headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, where preparations for the burial of his mother Elizabeth II are being made, King Charles III nodded to onlookers.
2,000 VIPs from around the world are expected to attend the funeral on Monday, including world leaders Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron, and Jacinda Ardern, as well as royals like the Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, Belgian King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, Spanish King Felipe and Queen Letizia, Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, and Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima.
The future monarch of Britain is currently visiting the police headquarters to express her gratitude to the emergency services for their efforts in organising the burial after meeting with heads of staff at Buckingham Palace this morning. His tour of the home countries came to an end yesterday, and he began the day by going to Wales after previously visiting Scotland and Northern Ireland.
After meeting with Prime Minister Liz Truss tomorrow, Charles will host a reception for foreign heads of state. The newly elected Conservative leader will meet with Ms. Ardern and Mr. Albanese, the prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand, today at the government’s Chevening country estate, according to a No. 10 spokeswoman.
It comes after the king and his siblings conducted a poignant memorial for their cherished mother last night in Westminster Hall.
The four senior royals approached the Queen’s coffin as the general people observed in perfect stillness. They were all dressed in their official royal attire. The duty officer tapped the ground three times with his staff just after 7.45 p.m. to announce the arrival of the late monarch’s four children.
As the staff was hit three more times, they stood in a line, with the King in the front and Anne, Edward, and Andrew behind him. They took their spots and walked up to the catafalque, the elevated platform that housed their mother’s coffin, solemnly.
They stood forward and faced outwards after receiving another three strokes from the staff, which resounded throughout the vast Norman hall.
The King, 73, was dressed in ceremonial Royal Navy garb, Princess Anne, 72, was dressed in the Blues and Royals costume, and the Earl of Wessex, 58, was wearing the Blues uniform with the title of Honorary Royal Colonel of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry. Four candles flickered as they made their entrance.
Andrew, a 62-year-old former Royal Navy helicopter pilot who has lost his honorary ties and is no longer a working royal, was granted special permission by Charles to dress in uniform for the vigil in remembrance of Her Majesty.
On his 55th birthday, the Queen bestowed upon him the honour of wearing the uniform of a Vice-Admiral, which he selected.
The 900-year-old hall’s crowd of visitors, many of whom had been waiting in line all day, was permitted to continue inside.
Only the Queen’s four children were supposed to attend last night’s vigil, but in a rare display of family solidarity, 18 senior family members and a large number of additional kin showed up to offer their support.
They included Lady Louise and James, Edward and Sophie’s daughters Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, the Queen Consort, the Countess of Wessex, Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, and Princess Alexandra.
They also included the Viscount Severn, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall and her husband Mike, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke
The 15-minute vigil last night was in addition to the one that the Household Division and Body Guards will be conducting from Wednesday at 5 p.m. until Monday at 6 a.m., when the Queen’s formal laying in state will come to an end.
The Westminster Hall doors will then shut in order to make way for the procession to Westminster Abbey, where the State Funeral ceremony will begin at 11 a.m.
Over the course of the weekend, rehearsals are being held to make sure everything is ready for Monday’s State Funeral, which will be the grandest display of pomp, ceremony, and majesty ever witnessed. International monarchy and world leaders are flying in to pay their respects.
They will be joined by thousands of others who have reserved seats in the Westminster Abbey congregation, including hundreds of representatives of charities and members of the public who have been recognised for their civic service.
It was revealed yesterday that the King has allowed the Queen’s eight grandchildren permission to keep vigil tonight in Westminster Hall beside her casket. William will be in the front, while Harry will be at the rear.
According to a spokeswoman, “They will both be in uniform at the King’s request.” Princes Andrew and Harry were required to wear mourning attire since earlier in the week, authorities had said that only working members of the Royal Family would be allowed to wear military uniform.
There was tremendous outrage that Harry seemed to have been left out when it was revealed that Andrew had been granted special permission to wear a uniform last night. According to sources, Harry did not campaign for the U-turn; rather, his father made the choice in the interests of harmony and the Queen’s honour.
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