Queen Elizabeth II makes a final journey to Westminster Abbey on Monday morning for a suitably royal funeral. The service follows 10 days of carefully choreographed public events to pay tribute to the U.K.’s longest reigning monarch.
Britain has been preparing for the service with a dignified combination of pomp, processions… and a very long queue. Thousands of the queen’s loyal subjects and well-wishers from around the world waited hours — in some cases all through the night — for a chance to file past the coffin to pay their respects.
Here’s a view of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall during the lying-in-state on September 16, 2022.
Lying in state
Members of the public file past the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II lying in state in Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster, on September 17, 2022 in London, England.
The queen’s coffin is draped in the Royal Standard, and atop it are set the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign’s orb and scepter.
The queen’s children
Queen Elizabeth II’s children — King Charles lll; Princess Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex — attend a vigil as the queen lies in state inside Westminster Hall on September 16, 2022. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8 at the age of 96.
King Charles and royal guards
King Charles III stands vigil beside the coffin of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, as it lies in state in Westminster Hall on September 16, 2022 in London.
Charles is the oldest heir to ascend to the British throne, at the age of 73.
Westminster Hall
A wide view of Westminster Hall as Queen Elizabeth II lies in state on September 16, 2022.
Holding a vigil at the catafalque are the queen’s children, King Charles III; Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.
A royal guard
A royal guard stands next to the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard and topped with the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign’s orb and sceptre, lying in state in Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster in London, on September 17, 2022.
The 96-year-old monarch died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III.
A very long queue
Well-wishers stand in the queue past a digital board sign displaying wait times above 14 hours in Southwark Park on September 16, 2022 in London. Queen Elizabeth II was lying in state at Westminster Hall until the morning of her funeral to allow members of the public to pay their last respects.
On person in the crowd, Sharon Stapleton, told CBS News she had “met lots of interesting different people you wouldn’t meet normally — all brought together and united in their grief for the queen, and excited about being able to go through and see her lying in state.”
“It’s been a long night. It’s been raining, very wet, a bit cold,” added Stapleton, who said she started waiting in the line at 9 p.m. Tuesday night. “But it’s worth every minute of it.”
Queueing at dusk
Members of the public stand in line as they queue along the Embankment, with the Palace of Westminster, Parliament and the Elizabeth Tower — commonly referred to as Big Ben — in the background, at sunset on September 16, 2022.
Thousands waited for hours, sometimes all through the night, to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II, who is lying-in-state at Westminster Hall.
All-night wait
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, members of the public queue in pre-dawn darkness for a chance to view the late monarch’s coffin lying in state in Westminster Hall, on September 17, 2022, in London, England.
In the days and nights before the state funeral on Monday, September 19, thousands of well-wishers and mourners joined a 5-mile line stretching from Southwark Park to the Houses of Parliament.
To see the queen
Members of the public file past the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard, lying in state on the catafalque in Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster in London, on September 17, 2022.
The queue to get in stretched nearly 5 miles along the bank of the River Thames, with wait times of 14 hours or more.
Emotional visit
A woman wipes away a tear after visiting Westminster Hall in London to view the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II lying in state, on September 17, 2022.
Thousands of admirers waited for hours, sometimes all through the night, to pay their respects to the late queen during her four days of lying in state.
King Charles III
Britain’s King Charles III bows his head as he stands vigil at the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster in London, on September 16, 2022,
The queen’s coffin is seen behind him draped in the Royal Standard.
A prince and princess in mourning
Britain’s Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales, look on as the coffin of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II arrives at Westminster Hall from Buckingham Palace for her lying in state.
Prince William, the older son of King Charles III and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, is now next in the royal line of succession.
Mourning on foot
Prince William, Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex walk behind Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin to Westminster Hall on September 14, 2022 in London.
At the conclusion of the final service, two minutes of silence were to be held across the U.K.
Meghan and Harry depart
Megan, Duchess of Sussex is seen in a car leaving the Palace of Westminster after the procession for the Lying-in-State of Her Majesty The Queen on September 14, 2022 in London.
Queen Elizabeth II was expected lie in state until the early morning of her funeral.
In uniform
King Charles III walks in the procession with the coffin of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall for her lying in state on September 14, 2022.
Following Monday’s service, the queen’s coffin was to be taken in a walking procession to Hyde Park, and then by hearse to St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for interment.
Prince Andrew
Prince Andrew, Duke of York holds a vigil beside the coffin of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, as it lies in state in Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster, on September 16, 2022 in London, England.
Royal family members
From left: David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon; Prince William, Prince of Wales; King Charles III; Anne, Princess Royal; and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex walk behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II.
This was part of a formal procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall for her lying-in-state on September 14, 2022 in London.
Royal procession
Britain’s King Charles III, at left; William, Prince of Wales, background left; and Prince Harry, at right, walk behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II.
The family followed the procession on foot from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, per tradition.
Imperial State Crown
A view of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, adorned with a Royal Standard and the Imperial State Crown and pulled by a gun carriage of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery.
This was part of a procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall in London on September 14, 2022.
At Westminster
The coffin carrying Queen Elizabeth II rests in Westminster Hall on September 14, 2022 in London.
Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96, and was succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III.
King Charles and his siblings
Britain’s King Charles III and his siblings, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, follow the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II during a procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall in London, September 14, 2022.
The queen’s final resting place will be St. George’s Chapel, at Windsor Castle, along with her late husband, Prince Philip, and the queen’s sister, Princess Margaret.
Coffin and crown
The coffin carrying Queen Elizabeth II makes its way along The Mall during the procession from Buckingham Palace to lie in state at Westminster Hall on September 14, 2022 in London.
The Imperial State Crown rests on a pillow atop the coffin.
Flag-lined route
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, adorned with a Royal Standard and the Imperial State Crown, is pulled by a gun carriage of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, during a procession from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster in London on September 14, 2022.
Queen Elizabeth II was expected to lie in state in Westminster Hall until a few hours before her funeral on Monday, September 19.
A formation of guards
Bodyguards of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, the Life Guards, the Blues and Royals and Yeomen of the Guard, stand guard around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II.
This was the scene inside Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster in London, as the queen was lying in state on September 14, 2022.
Watching the route
Members of the public wait for the cortège carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II on September 14, 2022 in London.
The coffin would make its journey Monday, September 19, to the queen’s resting place at Windsor Castle.
Hoping for a glimpse
Members of the public wait for the cortège carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II on September 14, 2022 in London.
A queen consort and a princess
Camilla, Queen Consort and Catherine, Princess of Wales enter the Palace of Westminster before Queen Elizabeth’s coffin arrives on September 14, 2022.
Ahead of the funeral service, the palace would not confirm attendance numbers, but Westminster Abbey can hold more than 2,000 people.
Royal grandchildren and spouses
Prince William, Prince of Wales; Sophie, Countess of Wessex; Catherine, Princess of Wales; Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex walk in procession as the coffin of Queen Elizabeth arrives at Westminster Hall from Buckingham Palace for her lying in state on September 14, 2022 in London.
The queen’s final resting place, St. George’s Chapel at Windsor, was also the site of Harry’s and Meghan’s wedding.
An order of service
Prince William, Prince of Wales; Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex; Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, watch as the coffin of Queen Elizabeth arrives at Westminster Hall from Buckingham Palace for her lying in state, on September 14, 2022 in London.
