Mourners from the Commonwealth and around the world are arriving the United Kingdom as the route for Her Majesty The Queen’s Lying-in-State has been announced and the ceremony formally opens on Wednesday 14 September 2022.
Details of the route that thousands of members of the public will use to queue ahead of paying their respects to Her Majesty The Queen in Westminster Hall have also been published.
Mourners from across the UK, Commonwealth and around the world are expected to join the line which will form on the Albert Embankment, run along Belvedere Road behind the London Eye, and head onto the South Bank where it will follow the River Thames past the National Theatre, Tate Modern and HMS Belfast through to Southwark Park.
Once people have passed through Albert Embankment they will be directed across Lambeth Bridge, into Victoria Tower Gardens and through airport-style security before entering the Palace of Westminster where The Queen will be Lying-in-State. There are strict bag restrictions in place.
The main queue has step free access and there is a separate accessible route, for those who need it. The accessible route will begin at Tate Britain where timed entry slots will be issued for a queue heading along Millbank to the Palace of Westminster.
Guide dogs, hearing dogs and other official assistance dogs will be permitted in Westminster Hall. British Sign Language interpreters will also be available to people joining the queue.
More than 1,000 dedicated volunteers, stewards and Metropolitan Police officers will be on hand to assist members of the public wanting to pay their respects and keep them safe.
Extra welfare facilities in place will include toilets and water fountains at various locations along the route. Local organisations including Southbank Centre, National Theatre, BFI Southbank, Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe will be opening their doors for extended hours to provide refreshments and comfort breaks to queuers around the clock. The BFI will have an outdoor screen showing archive footage of The Queen and Her reign.
Cafes and other local businesses are also expected to open for extended periods alongside welfare centres to provide refreshments for those in the queue.
St John Ambulance will be stationed along the route to provide first aid if required.
More than a hundred Scouts aged between 18 and 25 from across the UK will join volunteers from Samaritans to offer help where it is needed.
Once inside the Palace of Westminster, people will be able to walk past the Coffin, which will be raised on a catafalque and draped in the Royal Standard, with the Orb and Sceptre placed on top. It will be guarded around the clock by a vigil of units from the Sovereign’s Bodyguard, the Household Division or Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London.
The BBC’s red button service will provide a live feed from Westminster Hall and ITV and Sky will be running extensive coverage. An online book of condolence is available for people to add personal messages.
The Lying-in-State opens to the public at 5pm on Wednesday, 14 September. It will be open 24 hours a day until it closes at 6.30am on Monday, 19 September. The queue will close early to ensure as many visitors as possible can enter the Palace before the Lying-in-State period comes to an end, and any decision to close the queue will be communicated widely via government social media channels.
People wishing to attend the Lying-in-State, especially those with pre-existing medical conditions, are encouraged to check the guidance, plan accordingly and be prepared for significant wait times, including possibly overnight. Members of the public are also urged to check for travel updates, plan their journey and check times for last services. People should also check the list of prohibited items as certain items and large bags will need to be left in a bag drop facility, which has limited capacity.
The aim is to make sure as many people as possible can pay their respects and regular updates will be provided on queue length and estimated time on government social media channels. Follow us on social media for live updates, including the position of the back of the queue for the Lying-in-State.
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