Yesterday, US President Joe Biden looked at the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in London for the last time, the mourners continued to say goodbye to her, and King Charles III began to receive world leaders.
And US President Joe Biden arrived in Britain on Saturday evening and said that the late Queen, who ascended the throne for a record period of 70 years, “embodied an entire era.”
In a statement to Sky News Australia, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who took one last look at the Queen’s coffin on Saturday, said: “The constant presence of Elizabeth II is reassuring.”
Crowds have begun to gather around Westminster Abbey, where the Queen’s state funeral is expected to paralyze London and be watched by billions around the world.
“We wanted to reserve a good spot to watch the ceremony,” said Billy Barry, 59, a Royal Navy veteran. “Sleeping outdoors is not such a big sacrifice for everything the Queen has done for us: 70 years of giving.” .”
As the mourners continued their farewell to the Queen, the Queen’s eight grandchildren, led by Princes William and Harry, took part in a farewell pause around the casket, which lasted 12 minutes.
Harry, who completed two courses in the British Army in Afghanistan, wore the uniform of the cavalry unit in which he served. Harry’s involvement appears to have come after Charles made a reconciliation offer to his youngest son after he and his wife Meghan accused the royal family of racism.
Harry, 38, is no longer a member of the royal family and stripped of honorary military ranks, and the farewell is the last time he appears at a royal event in military uniform.
King Charles and his eldest son William, the new heir to the throne, looked over the mourners lined up on the banks of the Thames to shake hands and thank them.
The official funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, the first organized in Britain since the death of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1965, will take place today at 11:00 (10:00 GMT).
While the leaders of the European Union, France, Japan and other countries will attend, no invitations have been extended to the leaders of Russia, Afghanistan, Burma, Syria and North Korea.
And last week, the Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the “immoral” and “blasphemous” behavior of the United Kingdom towards it, after London decided not to invite Russia to the funeral, and China would participate in the funeral, but the British parliamentary authorities banned anyone from attending. of its leaders to take a last look at the Queen’s coffin at Westminster Hall.
More than 2,000 police officers from across the country were called in to support the London Police.
Following the funeral, Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin will be taken to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in west London, where she will be buried in a family ceremony alongside her father, King George VI, and mother and husband Philip.