After making the journey from Balmoral Castle to London,Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin will be taken from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster on Wednesday,in a slow procession,accompanied by a military parade. Her majesty’s coffin will be placed in view at Westminster Hall – the oldest building in London’s parliamentary estate – where members of the public are invited to pay their respects over four days.
More than three-quarters of a million people are expected to take part in the British version of this tradition dating back to the 17th century,where mourners file past the Queen’s closed coffin 23 hours a day until the morning of the funeral.
What will they see? Where does the tradition come from? And what is the pageantry for?
Members of the public file by the coffin of the Queen Mother in Westminster Hall in 2002.AP
What does lying in state mean,exactly?
It’s a formal occasion where a coffin is placed on view to allow the public to pay their respects to the deceased before the funeral ceremony. The tradition is reserved for sovereigns,the current or past Queen consort and sometimes former prime ministers.
Viewing a body is something many ordinary people do,but a lying-in-state ceremony is a time-honoured tradition that happens all over the world as a final tribute for distinguished leaders. Considered a high honour,it is usually followed by an invitation for the public to pay its respects. In the United States,Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg became the first woman to lie in state following her death in 2020. And in 2011,North Korean leader Kim Jong-il lay in state at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang.
The first monarch to lie in state in Westminster Hall was Edward VII in 1910,but the tradition stretches back to the 17th century during the Stuart era. The Queen’s father,King George VI,and sovereigns before him lay in state as well as two former prime ministers – William Gladstone in 1898 and Sir Winston Churchill in 1965. The Queen Mother was the last person to lie in state following her death in 2002. At his request,Prince Philip did not lie in state following his death last year.
What’s involved?
The Queen’s coffin,draped in the Royal Standard – representing the sovereign and the United Kingdom – will be placed on a catafalque,a raised platform,inside Westminster’s grand hall.
Here,it will be topped with the Imperial State Crown adorned with a significant sapphire,ruby and huge diamond.
Queen Elizabeth II’s casket is made from rare English oak and lined with lead – necessary for preservation – because the Queen will be interred in the King George VI Memorial Chapel rather than given a traditional burial. The casket was made more than 30 years ago by the same firm that made Prince Philip’s casket as well as those of celebrities such as Diana Dors and Freddie Mercury.
Once in the hall,a short service will be held,attended by the King and senior members of the royal family,before the hall is opened for the public. This follows another vigil – known as the Vigil of the Princes – which took place earlier in the week in Edinburgh. There,Princess Anne made history as the first female member of the royal family to “stand guard” alongside her brothers,the King,the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex.
The tradition dates back to 1936 when the four sons of George V stood in vigil over his coffin in Westminster Hall. While it may sound like something borrowed from a medieval tale,the vigil this week was only the third such occasion in history.
The coffin will lie in state from 5pm London time on Wednesday (2am Thursday AEST) until 6.30am on the day of the Queen’s funeral in the nearby Westminster Abbey next Monday. The platform will be guarded in a continuous vigil by the King’s bodyguards who serve the royal household.
An estimated 200,000 mourners turned out to see the Queen Mother’s coffin over three days after her death,aged 101,in 2002. Queen Elizabeth II famously left the note “In Loving Memory,Lilibet” on her mother’s coffin.
Mourners queue to view the coffin of Queen Elizabeth’s father,King George VI,in 1952.Getty Images
What can mourners expect?
Queen Elizabeth II’s journey from Balmoral has been marked with great respect across the UK. As her coffin arrived in London,first returning to her home of Buckingham Palace,the mood was sombre. Hundreds of thousands of people were expected to descend on London,with some predictions crowds could reach 1 million.
Known as Operation Feather,the queue to see the Queen lying in state began on Tuesday afternoon London time when four people attempted to start the line. Delroy Morrison,from London’s Wembley,said he wanted to avoid long wait times standing in the queue. “Coming early means I can sit in a chair before having to move it into storage,” he said,referring to the prohibition of chairs once the doors open,to ensure the line keeps moving.
Grace (who did not disclose her surname for privacy reasons) was at the front of the queue and said she had come to thank the Queen “for all that she’s done for us”.
Members of the public will get wristbands that will allow them to leave the line for food and lavatory breaks without losing their place.
Mourners are being asked to dress respectfully and will pass through airport-style security before entering Westminster Palace. Phones and cameras are strictly prohibited and must be switched off and placed out of sight. Only small bags are permitted. Once inside the grand hall,the queue will divide to pass on either side of the coffin in silence before exiting into Parliament Square.