Thousands have queued through the night to pay their final respects to Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Westminster Hall officially opened for viewing at 5 pm on Wednesday, 14 September. It’s believed those who were first in line had waited about 48 hours through rainy conditions to pay their respects to Her late Majesty.
The Queen’s coffin was moved from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall in a procession. Once at the hall, there was a short ceremony to place her on the catafalque. She will lie there until 6.30 am on the day of her State Funeral, Monday 19 September. The hall will remain open 24 hours a day in an effort to try and get as many people in as possible.
There is an online tracker for people to check where they should join the line. At some points during the first day of the Lying-in-State, the queue was about four miles long. As it gets longer, it will spill onto the South Bank, where it will follow the banks of the River Thames. It will then move past the National Theatre, Tate Modern, and HMS Belfast and through to Southwark Park.
Once people get to the front of the queue, they will find themselves passing through Albert Embankment. They will then be directed across Lambeth Bridge into Victoria Tower Gardens before finding themselves in the area of Parliament. People can expect to go through airport-style security before entering the hall.
People should receive a coloured wristband as they join the queue so they can leave for food, or go to the toilet, and then return. People are asked not to save a place for someone else, put up tents, or leave personal items unattended.
You can check the progress of the queue on a YouTube live stream.
