More than 250,000 people saw the Queen lying in state in Westminster Hall in London, says culture secretary
More than 250,000 people saw the Queen lying in state in London, according to the culture secretary.
Michelle Donelan told Sky News that more than a quarter of a million mourners “went through parliament” but that it was an approximate figure and the government was still “crunching the final numbers”.
People queued round the clock from late last Wednesday until 6.30am yesterday, the day of the Queen‘s funeral, to see her coffin in Westminster Hall.
The queue stretched from parliament along the south bank of the Thames and past Tower Bridge to Southwark Park.
The last member of the public to see the coffin said she went through the queue twice on the same night.
David Beckham was among those to pay their respects and others spoke of making new friends with people around them in the queue.
On two occasions, the Queen’s children and grandchildren held vigils around the coffin as the public continued to file past.
Huge numbers also watched the Queen’s funeral procession through London and on the route to a smaller service in Windsor Castle yesterday afternoon.
The Queen was laid to rest in a private family ceremony in the evening.
The mayor of London’s office said an estimated 80,000 people were in Hyde Park, 75,000 in ceremonial viewing areas and 60,000 on South Carriage Drive.
Overall numbers will be much higher as crowds formed on virtually the entire route to Windsor, where Thames Valley Police said 100,000 people had turned out.
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The Queen was buried beside Prince Philip on Monday evening in a final private ceremony in St George’s Chapel.
It concluded a historic and spectacular day of events that included the state funeral, a procession through London and thousands lining the Long Walk as the cortege arrived at Windsor Castle.
There was also the moment where the state crown, orb and sceptre were removed from the coffin before it was lowered into the vault.
As the Royal Family laid the Queen to rest they tweeted a previously unseen photograph showing her walking in Balmoral in 1971.
The Royal Family are observing another week of mourning and are not expected to carry out official engagements.
