All the grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II have held a vigil at her coffin during the Lying in State at Westminster Hall.
It was the first time that such a tribute had been held by a Monarch’s grandchildren.
Just after 6 o’clock, the three strikes on the floor indicated a change of guard at the Lying in State and the eight grandchildren walked slowly into the Hall.
The Prince of Wales led them, followed by the Duke of Sussex. Both were in the uniform of the Blues and Royals at the vigil, at the request of their father, King Charles III. Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Viscount Severn, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall all wore mourning.
The Prince of Wales stood at the head of the coffin while the Duke of Sussex stood at the foot. Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall were on either side of Prince William with Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie flanked Prince Harry. James, Viscount Severn, aged fourteen, stood on one side of the coffin while his sister, Lady Louise, 18, stood on the other. They were watched by their parents, the Earl and Countess of Wessex.
Their vigil lasted fifteen minutes during which hundreds of people who had been queuing for hours filed slowly past the catafalque, some bowing their heads, others crossing themselves and many just standing for a few moments in contemplation.
On top of the coffin, the Imperial State Crown and the Orb and Sceptre glowed in the candlelight next to a wreath of white flowers.
Another three strikes on the floor indicated the end of the vigil and the eight walked solemnly away from the coffin of their beloved grandmother, the Prince of Wales at the head of the procession.
This first Vigil of the Grandchildren follows the Vigil of the Princes on September 16th 2022 in which King Charles III, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex stood over their mother’s coffin.
The whole family will come together to mourn Her Late Majesty on September 19th 2022 at her State Funeral. There will later be a Service of Committal at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor followed by a private burial service later that day.
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