Queue To See Queen Elizabeth II Closes Temporarily After Hitting Capacity

Topline

Entry to the queue to see Queen Elizabeth II lying in state at Westminster Hall has temporarily closed after reaching capacity, the British government announced on Friday, as thousands of mourners flock to London and wait for hours to pay their respects in what could be one of the longest lines in British history.

Members of the public pay their respects as they pass the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as it Lies in … [+] State inside Westminster Hall.

POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Key Facts

Entry to the queue to see the queen lying in state has been paused for “at least” six hours after Southwark Park, the official end of the queue, reached capacity, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said.

The queue was nearly five miles long at the time it was closed and people queuing have been told to expect a wait of at least 14 hours.

Thousands of people were still joining the queue after the announcement—which sparked confusion and was reportedly not relayed to the attendants monitoring the line—though it has now closed properly.

Government requests to stay away from Southwark Park have apparently gone unheeded by mourners and an unofficial queue to join the main queue once it reopens has formed, according to local media reports.

The main queue to see the queen could become one of the longest in British history and officials have warned people queuing could face waits as long as 30 hours and a line 10 miles long.

Any record would be unofficial, however, as Guinness World Records told CNN it does not monitor the record for the longest line and did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment asking whether it planned to start doing so.

Key Background

The queen has been lying in state in Westminster Hall since Wednesday as part of official mourning plans ahead of her state funeral on Monday. Members of the public have been invited to pay their respects. The government has warned people that conditions in the queue—which it predicts could stretch for up to 10 miles and have waits of up to 30 hours—will be arduous and offer little opportunity for rest. Around 750,000 people are expected to come to London and pay their respects. Tensions have flared among mourners over a rule allowing Members of Parliament and members of the House of Lords to skip the queue with up to four guests. A Chinese government delegation has also been banned from attending the lying in state, which is in Parliament, understood to be a response to Chinese sanctions against U.K. lawmakers.

What To Watch For

With the weekend approaching, more people can be expected to join the queue to see the queen lying in state. King Charles III, the queen’s eldest son, will lead his siblings in a vigil over the queen’s coffin on Friday evening. Prince Andrew, who stepped back from public life as a working royal over ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and stripped of his title and military patronages after settling a lawsuit with Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual assault, has been granted special permission to wear uniform for the event. The queen’s grandchildren will also observe a vigil on Saturday. Prince Harry, who also stepped back as a senior royal and now lives in the U.S., has also been granted special permission to wear military uniform for the event.

Surprising Fact

If the queue does break an official record, it will join a number of others the monarch set during her reign. The queen was Britain’s longest-serving monarch and the world’s longest-reigning queen (and second-longest reigning monarch). She also held the record for the most countries to be Head of State simultaneously (15) and the record for the most currencies featuring the same individual (33).

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Key Facts

Key Background

What To Watch For

Surprising Fact

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