With just two days until Her late Majesty's funeral, it was a day filled with emotive tributes amidst a sea of official meetings and receptions as leading figures from all over the world arrive in London to pay their respects to the dearly loved and respected monarch.
The King and the Prince of Wales surprised well-wishers waiting in the queue to visit Her late Majesty at Westminster Hall. The BBC reported: "Hundreds of people in line at Lambeth, south London, cheered and applauded as Charles and William emerged."
William thanked member of the public for their "dedication". We've witnessed incredible scenes as hundreds of thousands joined the queue to say goodbye to the Queen. This morning, the wait time reached over 24 hours with people prepared to stay for as long as it takes -- including carrying provisions. The BBC notes: "The maximum length the queue can be is 10 miles -- with 6.9 miles from Westminster to Southwark, and a three-mile zigzag queue in Southwark Park."
Hello! reports:
'Prince William thanked people for waiting in line for many hours for the Queen’s lying in state, as he shook hands dedicated members of the public. Several people shed a tear after meeting him, and one woman told him: “You’ll be a brilliant king one day”.
William joked with a Manchester United supporter, saying, "We can't all be perfect."
‘We can’t all be perfect’ - Prince William joked with a young Manchester United supporter as he greeted crowds queuing to see the Queen's coffin as the monarch lies in state in Westminster Hall.
— Sky News (@SkyNews) September 17, 2022
Latest here: https://t.co/OwdeBNq8uA pic.twitter.com/aADG8ASIge
'Several also shouted "God Save the King" and "God Save the Prince of Wales" and "we love you William" as each passed by.
One woman clutching a large Paddington Bear soft toy greeted the King, meanwhile some of his security staff asked well-wishers to "put the phones down please guys... enjoy the reality of it", as the new monarch approached a sea of phones held up to film the moment.'
The King thanks the public.
Of the queues, William said, "The Queen would never believe this, honestly. It's amazing."
King Charles thanked emergency service staff and met London's Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley.
Prince William thanking members of the police and emergency services.
From there, the Prince and Princess of Wales joined the King and Queen Consort for a luncheon and reception for the governors-general of the realms.
Guests included the Governors-General of Australia, Canada, Grenada, New Zealand, and Saint Lucia.
The Princess with His Excellency Mr Cyril Errol Melchiades Charles, Governor of St Lucia.
The Queen Consort and the Princess of Wales.
Kate wore Her Majesty's pearls today.
Once again, we saw the Queen's Silver Jubilee diamond and pearl earrings. As suspected by many, it was confirmed today Kate's necklace is a three-stand piece often worn by Her late Majesty. In fact, it's thought the Queen wore it with a great deal of frequency. More from the Court Jeweller:
Buckingham Palace confirms that the Princess of Wales is wearing pearls that belonged to the late Queen (via @people). I think they’re this set. pic.twitter.com/XzVz19mjCX
— The Court Jeweller (Lauren Kiehna) (@courtjeweller) September 17, 2022
Kate also wore Diana's triple-strand pearl bracelet.
Meanwhile, the Earl and Countess of Wessex thanked members of the public outside Buckingham Palace.
Edward told the crowds: "I know my mother would really appreciate this fantastic support."
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Then, shortly after 5.30 pm, the Queen's eight grandchildren took the short journey from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall to stand vigil.
The Queen's grandchildren have arrived at Westminster Hall and will be holding a vigil over the monarch's coffin as she lies in state.
— Sky News (@SkyNews) September 17, 2022
Latest here: https://t.co/8AFWhoW82a
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/M6MRBQlBkx
William and Harry, followed by Beatrice and Eugenie, Louise and James, and Peter and Zara.
It comes as princesses Beatrice and Eugenie released a deeply touching statement, saying: "Our dearest Grannie, we've not been able to put much into words since you left us all.
"There have been tears and laughter, silences and chatter, hugs and loneliness, and a collective loss for you, our beloved Queen and our beloved Grannie. We, like many, thought you'd be here forever. And we all miss you terribly.
"You were our matriarch, our guide, our loving hand on our backs leading us through this world. You taught us so much and we will cherish those lessons and memories forever. For now dear Grannie, all we want to say is thank you. Thank you for making us laugh, for including us, for picking heather and raspberries, for marching soldiers, for our teas, for comfort, for joy. You, being you, will never know the impact you have had on our family and so many people around the world.
"The world mourns you and the tributes would really make you smile. They are all too true of the remarkable leader you are. We're so happy you're back with Grandpa. Goodbye dear Grannie, it has been the honour of our lives to have been your granddaughters and we're so very proud of you.
"We know that dear Uncle Charles, the King, will continue to lead in your example as he too has dedicated his life to service. God save the King."
William and Harry led the grandchildren in.
The Prince of Wales stood at the head of the coffin.
The Duke of Sussex at the foot.
They stood for fifteen minutes, heads bowed in silence, while members of the public filed past.
William and Harry wore their Blues and Royals uniforms. Roya Nikkhah reports: "With their Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilee medals. Harry is also wearing his Afghanistan service medal."
The vigil in its entirety.
We'll see the Prince and Princess of Wales at a State event at Buckingham Palace for visiting heads of state and other dignitaries.
Thank you for this lovely post Charlotte. The vigil was very moving and I’m so glad tradition has changed so that the ladies could participate as well. I was interested to see that Viscount Severn was wearing medals at his young age - Jubilee medals perhaps?
ReplyDeleteThey are his jubilee medals. First time worn in public. S. ☺
DeleteAll the family members must be exhausted, they really had no time to grief, only what was done in pubic. I like the dress Pss of Wales wears for the luncheon and the Queens necklace. These pearls are beautiful . Kate has a very nice interaction with the Queen Consort , Lots of family members there. I must say they have done an amazing work since the Q passed away. I wish them all the best. css
ReplyDeleteA very touching moment. Thank you for taking the time to share this with us.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was very kind of the King and the Prince to go and meet some of the people in the queue. The Countess of Wessex really goes out of her way to meet as many people as possible. Very touching to see the 8 Grandchildren around the Queens coffin. 😢. They all did her proud. I would of been shocked if it wasn't the late Queens pearls being worn by The Princess of Wales. Beautiful on her and obviously her way of paying a tribute to the late Queen with her choice of jewellery. I expect a similar gesture on Monday for the funeral. I can't believe how busy they all are at the moment. A state dinner as well tomorrow evening before the funeral for heads of State and foreign Royals. I hope during the period of Royal mourning they will get a chance to just relax with Family and friends. S. ☺
ReplyDeleteSo glad to see William is finally getting the attention he deserves. He is absolutely fantastic in walkabouts, good to see the crowd loving him.
ReplyDeleteIn the evening he looked absolutely devastated when the vigil ended, and poor James reminded me of William during his mother’s funeral, both using their hair to hide their faces.
Wonderful coverage thank you.
ReplyDeleteThe grandchildren's vigil was very touching. I thought it was very well performed and even more precisely done than the children's vigil. No matter where one stands on "Uniform-Gate", I thought Prince Harry performed very well - one thing you have to give to him is his obvious deference for the armed forces and his conduct while in dress uniform. His movements were very precise and his turns were, as an amateur watching, well performed. My only criticism of the grandchildren was Zara Tindall, surprisingly! It really annoyed me that she was moving her arms as she walked instead of keeping them more still at her sides as the others, in more of a military fashion. However, this is minor. They all did wonderfully! And it brought tears to my eyes to see that dear young boy of only 14 standing there in honor of his grandmother. May God bless them all and bring them peace.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, this is all so moving, and incredibly meaningful.
ReplyDeleteI just don’t know where they get the energy for all of the different events.
Thank you,
Tedi
What an incredible tribute to their grandmother. I’m so thankful we could watch and share in their grief. It was beautiful and moving. Thank you Charlotte! Sue
ReplyDeleteThanks Charlotte for this post when I saw all the grandkids come out and stand at their grandmother's casket I cried. It was a beautiful tribute and I am so happy to see Prince Harry in uniform.
ReplyDeleteforgot to say thanks for sharing the beautiful statement by Princess Eugenie and Beatrice.
ReplyDeleteThis kid in tears after meeting William melts my heart. Such a moving moment for him.
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/naomisky_15/status/1571197827765923840?s=46&t=iMVG3-58Wv7TwvpS0Jv08w
thanks
ReplyDeleteI'm sure many are wondering if the older great-grandchildren will be taken to the funeral. Given the nonprivate nature, I hope they won't be. It does not appear to be a family event. I read a truly disturbing (in my view) that palace aides want George to attend to show the line of succession. I very much hope W&K won't allow their child to be used like that. And photographed. I think I would clash with palace aides immediately if I was in the family.
ReplyDeleteLet’s not assume things. If any of the children attend the funeral it may be because their parents and the children themselves want to be there, not because other people force them to.
DeleteJust announced that Prince George and Princess Charlotte will both attend the funeral tomorrow and will walk after the late Queens coffin. Its their Parents call if they attend or not. I doubt very much that anyone would dare to tell either The Prince or Princess of Wales what to do with their Children. S. ☺
DeleteAnother utterly thorough post, thank you Charlotte!
ReplyDeleteI do think Catherine is starting to show some tiredness around the eyes (as are they all) having worked so hard this week. Let’s not forget the children starting a new school too amongst all of this. I hope they can ease back a bit after the state reception.
I suppose I understand why Harry isn’t allowed to wear the uniforms of the military groups he was honorarily associated with as a working royal. But he served in the military for 10 years - is he not entitled to wear the uniform he earned during his service? I’ve never understood this - can someone explain? Is this why the issue of uniforms is so controversial?
ReplyDeleteAs you may have seen, Harry did indeed wear his uniform at the vigil. However, the Queen's initials reportedly were removed from the shoulder of his uniform. The initials were not removed from Andrew's uniform. What's more, the Sussexes reportedly were initially invited to the state dinner, then learned in the press that they were "uninvited." Someone at the palace is being petty and provocative. Harry has not taken the bait.
DeleteDidn’t he wear the Blues and Royals uniform and not the uniform of the unit/division he actually served in (forgive my ignorance of the armed forces and appropriate terminology)? I thought the Blues and Royals was one of the honorary divisions he was associated with prior to his departure from working royalty.
DeleteDo we really know this is true? And, could it have been an oversight where the initials are concerned? I just have a hard time believing that the RF would be publicly that petty at a time like this. They have not responded or retaliated in any way about any of the accusations Harry has made in the past. Of course, they are cautious, wouldn't anyone be, but do we really know all of this is true. You read it from Scobie or the Tabloids and you assume it is true. I think unless you are on staff, you cannot know what is true or what reasons are for decisions made.
DeleteI wonder how King Charles will do Christmas? Will it still be in Sandringham or somewhere else?
ReplyDeleteI think Charles and Camilla always spent Christmas somewhere else, and probably saw her children then. I think the grandchildren will lose traditional Christmas as well as Balmoral vacations with the loss of their grandmother.
ReplyDeleteWatching the grandchildren's vigil was a poignant experience. I think that in everything they did, they were driven by love, hoping to please their grandmother. And I'm sure they did. ❤️
ReplyDeleteThank you for your tireless coverage, Charlotte - you are doing a truly amazing job and honouring Her Majesty in your own best way!
I meant to add that the photo with Beatrice and Eugenie is absolutely adorable!! It wasn't until the past 10 years that I realized how the Queen cared about her family and was such a warm and fun person.
ReplyDeleteIt was so good of the King and the Prince of Wales to greet the people in the que, and it was so good to see the people's warm response to King Charles. He deserves this. He has worked tirelessly for his country. I hope people continue to embrace him. He has earned it.
ReplyDelete