Thousands of people from all walks of life marched past the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II overnight as the body of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch was placed on public display during a public pilgrimage to Westminster.

Funeral of Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth’s funeral will begin on Monday at 11:00 local time (13:00 Greek time) at Westminster Abbey in London, before her body is taken to Windsor Castle for burial, a senior palace official said today.

The Queen’s private burial ceremony will take place at 7:30 pm local time (9:30 pm Greek time) on Monday at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, also according to an announcement from the palace today.

Tomorrow, Friday evening, also at 19:30 local time (21:30 Greek time), her children, including King Charles III, will take part in a memorial service for the Queen, who died on September 8 at the age of 96 in Scotland, during the time of which they will be in front of her tomb.

Thousands for the popular pilgrimage

Passing on either side of the coffin, placed on an imposing pedestal, the townspeople – visibly moved – bowed their heads respectfully, and some of their eyes were swollen with tears. The Vigilant Guards are the Tower of London guards (known as Beefeaters) and soldiers who change every few hours.

Estimated approx. 750,000 people They are expected to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth before her funeral on Monday.

Endless lines form along the south bank of the Thames, reaching 16 kilometers.

20 year old Thomas Hugheswho stood in line for 14 hours with his brother, said he was stunned when he finally got to the coffin: “You are doing this as a sign of respect for this woman… and I think that after going through this process, when the moment comes that you have been waiting for , emotions overwhelm you.

For the vast majority, those who wait patiently for hours to be near the royal tomb, British. However, some of them are tourists who found themselves in London at this historic moment. You can even see babies in their parents’ arms.

One of the first to bow to the body of Queen Elizabeth was Kenneth Taylor, a 72-year-old man from Reading, England, who came with a neighbor and spent the night in a queue tent. With tears in his eyes, he said that when he saw the body of the queen, he felt a lump in his throat. “I would say she was the queen of all queens,” he said.

Princely couple of Wales, William and Katevisited the royal residence in Sandringham East of England to see up close the flowers and gifts left there by thousands of Britons.

Security measures on Monday, the day of Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, will be draconian.

Kings and heads of state and government from all over the world will meet in London for the “last joy” of Britain’s Elizabeth II.

The crowd that attended the ceremony is expected to be one of the largest in the country.