Inside Westminster Hall: thousands shuffle quietly by their queen for a final ‘incredibly moving’ farewell
- Members of the public, including former footballer David Beckham, waited in line for up to 24 hours to say goodbye to Britain’s longest-serving monarch
- ‘I’m exhausted, but it was worth every second,’ said a mourner as officials paused the queue for six hours on Friday after it reached capacity
Clad in smart shoes, trainers, even a walking boot cast, they streamed into Westminster Hall this week by the tens of thousands to say a final goodbye to Queen Elizabeth, as she lay in state at the British parliament in London.
Inside the 11th century building, the room is eerily quiet as mourners filed past the queen’s coffin, sitting on a raised platform in the centre of the expansive space. Carpets lined the sides of the room, muffling the sounds of shuffling feet.
The only interruption to the silence is when members of an honorary guard swap places. About every 20 minutes their captain bangs his scabbard on the floor and hard-soled boots from the fresh shift of guards stomp in, echoing through the solemn space as part of the ceremonial change in the vigil.
“It’s incredibly moving, absolutely amazing,” Nancy Morrison said on Westminster Bridge after leaving the hall. “It’s a huge privilege to be able to do that and pay our respects.”
The Londoner, who waited 11 hours overnight in a snaking queue that exceeded 8km to pay her respects, finally passed by the Royal Standard flag-draped casket soon before 9am (local time) on Friday.
Officials said an estimated 400,000 people are expected to take part in the vigil honouring Britain’s longest-serving monarch ahead of Monday’s funeral. Elizabeth died on September 8 at the age of 96.