The public began gathering at Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin in London on Wednesday for days of final tributes expected to draw hundreds of thousands ahead of her funeral on Monday, AFP reported.

After an emotional procession from Buckingham Palace, where she spent part of her childhood and was her official residence during her 70-year reign, the coffin of the Queen, who died last Thursday at the age of 96, arrived at Westminster Hall in the early afternoon.

The coffin will be placed in a mausoleum in the oldest chamber of the British Parliament, which will remain open until 6.30am on Monday, the day of the funeral at Westminster Abbey.

People lined up on either side of the coffin, kissing the queen and bowing their heads in respect, some with red eyes.

Leaving Buckingham Palace on a horse-drawn cannon, the Queen’s coffin was followed on foot by her four children, King Charles, Princess Anne and their brothers Andrew and Edward.

Behind them, shoulder to shoulder, walked Prince William and Prince Harry, who appeared together for the second time since the death of Elizabeth II almost a week ago in Scotland.

Historic moment”

“King Charles and the royal family were very somber,” Nicola Rubinoff, 53, told AFP of the thousands of people who lined the prestigious street that connects the palace to Trafalgar Square in central London.

“It brings tears to your eyes when you see the reality, the coffin wrapped in the royal flag, and you realize the Queen is really dead,” said one mother who waited “three and a half hours” for the “historic moment”. “and allowed her 13-year-old daughter to drop out of school to attend.

Covered with an imperial crown on a crimson velvet cushion and a wreath of white flowers, roses and dahlias, the casket moved slowly to the sound of funeral marches by Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Chopin.

Hundreds of thousands of Britons are expected to flock to Westminster to pay their respects to their beloved monarch, who has been widely praised for his total devotion to the Crown during his reign.

But they will have to be patient, considering that on Wednesday afternoon there was a long queue – five kilometers long, which could stretch up to 15 kilometers.

On Wednesday, thousands of people were already waiting on the opposite side of the parliament. The first ones who arrived spent the night there.

“It was a cool and wet night, but I have a little chair and a big umbrella, so I stayed pretty dry,” joked Dan Ford, a 52-year-old retired police officer who arrived Tuesday afternoon.

“Very cute”

Conversations are held in line and in the presence of the police they help each other in a good-natured atmosphere. Some go to drink coffee, others have borrowed their sleeping bags. “It always happens at these royal events,” laughs Rob Page, 65. “Terrible weather, but very beautiful!”

Before the long separation from London, the coffin of Elizabeth II was already displayed for 24 hours in Edinburgh on the night from Monday to Tuesday. At times moved to tears, around 33,000 people waited for hours to pay their brief tribute.

A rock of stability in times of crisis and change, the Queen has been a reassuring image for millions of Britons during her decades on the throne.

Much lower, Charles III’s popularity rating skyrocketed after his accession to the throne. Three in five people think he would make a good king, up from just over 30% a few months ago, according to a YouGov poll on Tuesday.

But his anger was revealed during the signing of official documents in Belfast, the king, who has been extremely busy since his mother’s death, was upset by a leaking pen.

After London, Edinburgh and Belfast, Charles III is expected in Cardiff, Wales, on Friday for the final leg of his four-nation UK tour.

Tensions in Northern Ireland, pro-independence trends in Scotland, rampant inflation: Charles III, Britain’s oldest monarch at the time of his accession to the throne, begins his duties at a critical time.

A logistical challenge

The British capital is feverishly preparing for the funeral of the century, which will see hundreds of leaders and coronations arrive, posing a huge security challenge.