Starting from 5 pm on Wednesday (14th), the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom will be for the public to pay homage until the morning of the State Funeral Day, that is, Monday (19th), at 6:30 am. And those who hope to come to mourn have received a reminder that it may take a queue for hours, or even one night.
The British government reminds that those who come to mourn may face crowded traffic and security measures similar to airports, and people need to keep moving forward, with basically no chance to stop. The mourners can only carry a small bag. The government’s suggestion is that they can bring food and beverages for hours of consumption, and a mobile phone charger. Mourners with children need to consider the length of time in line in advance before deciding whether to bring the child with them.
Those silenced leathers...
According to the tradition of the British royal family, the name of the bridge will be used as a secret code when the death of each royal member. When Elizabeth II died, the official will use " London Bridge to collapse" as the code word to convey the death news to the then British Prime Minister , and then inform the cabinet secretary and some senior ministers and officials, and the representatives of the Press Association will announce it to the public with a quick message.
They will use "D Day" as the synonym for the day of the queen's death. Before the funeral, they will use "D+1" and "D+2" to call the days of every day.
"Operation London Bridge" was originally the highest confidential document in the UK, referring to a series of response measures taken by the British government after the death of Queen Elizabeth II of the UK. But as early as 2017 and 2021, it was disclosed by " Guardian " and "Politician". The report also said that Queen of England had personally participated in the rehearsal of her own funeral and had arranged her funeral afterwards more than 10 years ago.
In fact, since the death of the Queen's father, King George VI , the 16,000 churches in Britain have never sounded the bell representing the death of the monarch in 70 years. And the church bells will ring when the monarch dies and the funeral. The royal family required religious buildings across the UK to be wrapped in silenced leather when ringing the bell, because this would make the bell more solemn and sad, "more like a buzzing sound than a dongdong sound", in order to express respect and nostalgia for the monarch.
As the longest-reigning monarch in British history, during the 70 years of Elizabeth II's reign, the sound-silenced leather rotted a lot. A church with 6 clocks requires 12 silenced leathers, each selling for around £45. The report from the " Daily Mail " said that since April this year, churches across the UK have been rushing to replace leather, and leather factories everywhere have been flooded with church orders.
How will people say goodbye to
8 On the 18th, Elizabeth II died in Balmoral Fort, Scotland at the age of 96.
html On the 111th, the hearse queue escorting her coffin, after a 6-hour drive, arrived at Holyluther Palace in the afternoon of the same day, located in the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh .
Source: CNN
12, the queen's coffin was escorted to St. Giles Cathedral . Royal members such as King Charles III of England were here to watch Elizabeth II, and the people could also come to pay homage.
Source: Associated Press
htmlOn the 113th, the coffin team will use the Royal Air Force aircraft to deliver the Queen's coffin to London and park at Buckingham Palace for one day.
htmlOn the 114th, the queen's coffin will be sent to Westminster Palace for the public to pay tribute until the morning of the day of the state funeral. " Times " reported that 750,000 people are expected to visit, and the longest team may reach 8 kilometers. The British Cabinet Office is ready for this, and railway operators are also developing contingency plans.In order to maintain order, London will also deploy 10,000 police officers, and the military's explosives disposal team is on standby at any time, and 1,500 soldiers will assist in managing the people in line.
Source: CNN
State funeral on the day of the funeral
The funeral of Elizabeth II will be held on the 19th at Westminster Abbey . Since 1066, the historic church has been the site of the British king's coronation, witnessing Elizabeth II's ascension in 1952 and her 1947 wedding.
19th has been confirmed as a public holiday in the UK. At the same time, heads of state and political leaders of many countries will be invited to attend the funeral of the Queen of England, and the list has not yet been officially announced. However, the White House confirmed on the 11th that President Biden will accept the invitation and go with the first lady Jill Biden.
According to media such as the US "Politico" (Politico), they obtained a guide document allegedly sent by the British Foreign Ministry to embassies of various countries on the funeral ceremony. The document states that the British side hopes that visitors from all countries should be as streamlined as possible. In principle, only the head of state and their spouses can be invited to attend the funeral. If the Head of State himself is unable to attend, a representative of his country may be appointed to attend in place. There are only 2 places to watch the ceremony in each country, and other entourage members cannot enter.
In addition, the document says that in order to avoid congestion in London Airport and traffic, invited attendees should take commercial flights to London, and not take private jets. If you insist on taking a private jet, you need to go to the "not so busy airport" around London, and the Heathrow Airport in London will not provide parking.
Since there will be strict safety measures and road governance in most areas in central London on the 19th, the invited heads of state will not be able to use their heads of state special car, but will instead go to a designated ride point in western London to gather together, and then take a bus to set off together. The same goes for the return schedule.
Politico quoted a foreign ambassador to London as saying in the report, "Can you imagine Joe Biden sitting on the bus?" The ambassador made this "accusation" through Whatsapp.
However, these "strict" regulations in the UK seem to have "opened the back door" for Biden.
The Times reported on the 12th, citing a source close to British executives as saying that Biden has been allowed to airlift his bulletproof car "Beast" from the United States to the United Kingdom and can take his own car to attend the funeral.
"Beast" is the US president's Cadillac worth $1.5 million, equipped with a night vision camera, a lure-suspension gas bomb and 8-inch armor. The wheels are inflatable and explosion-proof tires, and they can continue to drive even if they are deflated. In addition, there are advanced communication systems and oxygen systems to prevent emergencies.
In addition, French President Macron , Japanese Emperor Naruhito , Israeli President Herzog is also likely to be able to ride his own car.
However, for other guests attending the funeral, the current plan in the UK is still: take the bus.
Author: Zeng Zijin, editor-in-chief of Shenzhen TV Direct News
