Great Britain: State of emergency before state act for the Queen

Great Britain
State of emergency before state act for the Queen

Before the state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II, there is a state of emergency in Great Britain on Monday. Schools and universities as well as shops and pubs remained closed almost everywhere. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to take to the streets of London to catch a glimpse of the funeral procession. Heads of state and government, royalty and dignitaries from all over the world will take part in the funeral service in Westminster Abbey (12.00 noon CEST). Police, secret services and anti-terrorist units are coordinating what is probably the largest security operation that London has ever experienced.

A police spokesman said the task was “hugely complex” and unlike anything in the city’s history – not even the Queen’s platinum jubilee this June or the 2012 Olympics Surveillance drones, motorcycle escorts and horse and dog squadrons planned. More than 10,000 police officers are to ensure order. Snipers are positioned on the roofs.

Westminster Hall, containing the monarch’s coffin, was closed to the public early this morning in preparation for the funeral procession to Westminster Abbey. During the night and until early Monday morning, many people flocked to the oldest building in the British Parliament to pay their last respects to the Queen. However, the queue had already been closed for new arrivals on Sunday evening.

Many tents along the procession route

The coffin, on which the royal crown, scepter and orb rest, had been laid out in Westminster Hall since Wednesday. Since then, many thousands of people had joined the kilometer-long queue and waited many hours to pay their respects. Many then spoke of a great silence in the hall.

At 11:44 a.m. (CEST), the coffin will be taken in procession to nearby Westminster Abbey on a carriage drawn by 98 marines – a cart designed for cannons. King Charles III, his three siblings, and his sons Prince William and Prince Harry are once again to give the coffin the final escort on foot. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected on the streets. Many secured a place on the procession route the day before, equipped with tents, sleeping bags and camping chairs. The coffin is later taken to Windsor Castle for burial.

For those who could not make it, the funeral service will be broadcast in 125 cinemas and many churches across the country. Screens were also set up in public places. In Northern Ireland, for example, the event is to be shown in parks and public buildings.

In a statement in the evening, the king was “deeply touched” by the many messages of sympathy. The 73-year-old thanked the “countless people who have been such a support and comfort to my family and me during this time of grief”. The night before the funeral, Buckingham Palace shared a previously unpublished photo of the late monarch. It shows Elizabeth II beaming with a smile in a light blue dress and her pearl jewellery. The photo was taken at Windsor Castle in May just before the platinum jubilee.

“This is the funeral of the century”

The approximately 2,000 mourners in Westminster Abbey include US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Japanese Emperor Naruhito with their respective partners. The Swedish King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia as well as the Spanish King Felipe and Queen Letizia also paid their respects at the coffin.

The BBC quoted a foreign diplomat as saying: “This is the funeral of the century”. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also spoke of an “event of the century”. “People were used to gathering behind this queen for more than 70 years, and now everyone feels that something is missing, and it’s not just missing in Great Britain and London, it’s missing worldwide,” said Steinmeier on ZDF-“heute journal”.

Report BBC

dpa