King Charles, William and Harry join queen’s coffin procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall

The new Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, will visit Sandringham on Thursday to take in the floral tributes left in honor of Queen Elizabeth.

On Friday, the couple was joined by Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, at Windsor Castle to see a large flower memorial for their grandmother.

Another royal pair, Prince Edward and Sophie, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, will head to Manchester to view floral tributes and a book of condolence.

French President Emmanuel Macron reached out to England's new monarch Wednesday, offering King Charles III France’s condolences for the death of his mother.

On a social media post that detailed the call, Macron also confirmed that he would attend Queen Elizabeth's funeral Monday in London.

"The link between France and the United Kingdom is unbreakable," he said on Twitter. "We will continue to strengthen it, following the path laid out by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II."

Fiona Rankine, 61, of Milton Keynes, England, says her back is still hurting after a nine-hour wait Monday to see Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin.

Rankine traveled more than six hours to view the procession at Edinburgh, Scotland. When she arrived at Holyrood Palace, she picked a spot where she waited for hours anticipating the motorcade’s moving the queen’s coffin from the palace to St. Giles’ Cathedral.

“I just felt this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to show my respects," she said.

Rankine said she felt certain that the thousands of mourners waiting with her shared her sentiment. She said there was a sea of silence and tranquility when the hearse went by with King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward walking behind.

“Although I didn’t come with anyone, you felt you had made new friends,” she said. “The moment we all got into St. Giles' was the most amazing and moving experience. It was so, so quiet. I had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes when I got close to the coffin. It was so unreal that our beautiful queen was inside.”

Rankine said the waiting and the back pain were “all worth it” and that it will go down as an experience she will “never forget.” 

NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya’s new president says the fact that Queen Elizabeth II assumed the role of Britain’s monarch while visiting Kenya 70 years ago is “very sentimental” for the people of his country.

William Ruto spoke as signed a condolence book for the queen at the British High Commission in Nairobi. He congratulated King Charles III, who assumed the throne after his mother's death.

Ruto was inaugurated Tuesday. At Wednesday’s signing, he also spoke about the evolving role of the Commonwealth, a political association made up primarily of former British colonies.

The 56-member association “is going to play a much more central role in the economies of our countries and making sure that we leave nobody behind,” Ruto said.

As monarch, Elizabeth was head of the Commonwealth, a role that also has now passed to Charles.

Poland’s lawmakers have honored Queen Elizabeth II with a resolution that describes her as a “meaningful figure for the reborn, democratic Poland.”

The queen visited Poland in 1996 and addressed the country’s Parliament. She was awarded Poland’s highest distinction, the Order of the White Eagle.

The resolution approved Wednesday noted that she supported the nation’s accession to NATO in 1999 and to the European Union in 2004.

LONDON — Dozens of household staff members who served King Charles III while he was heir to Britain’s throne have been told they could lose their jobs, according to one of the United Kingdom’s leading labor unions, which said the move would be “heartless.”

Charles, who succeeded his mother on her death last Thursday, and Camilla, the queen consort, will move to the monarch’s main official residence, Buckingham Palace. That means the royal couple will leave Clarence House, Charles’ London home and office for decades. 

As a result, the Public and Commercial Services Union said in a statement, up to 100 employees, “including some who have worked there for decades, received notification that they could lose their jobs following his accession to the throne.” 

“We believe the decision to announce redundancies in the Royal Household during the period of national mourning is nothing short of heartless,” the statement said. 

Read the full story here.

Members of the public began filing into Westminster Hall on Wednesday evening to pay their final respects to Queen Elizabeth II, who is lying in state.

Hundreds of thousands are expected to say their farewells during the following days, and ahead of the funeral Monday.

More than 320 military personnel took part in Wednesday's procession carrying the queen's coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster, according to the British Army.

Among the military personnel involved were 170 from the Household Division.

As the late monarch lies in state at Westminster Hall, "a continuous vigil" will be kept, the army said.

Each period of 24 hours will be divided into four watches, it said. Except for the first and last, each of the 20 watches will last for six hours and within each watch, a vigil will last for 20 minutes, the army said.

The royal family's official Twitter account marked today's procession with an aerial photo of the queen’s coffin being carried from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall.

Michelle O’Neill, the vice president of Sinn Fein, will attend the queen's funeral, according to a spokesperson for the Irish republican party.

Her appearance signals how far Northern Ireland has come since the height of the “troubles,” the term used to describe three decades of violence between those who wanted Northern Ireland to join the Republic of Ireland and those who wanted it to remain part of the United Kingdom.

Those looking to pay their respects to the queen have been warned that there is a strict list of items they can and cannot bring with them as they enter the Palace of Westminster.

Among the items they cannot bring are:

• Bags larger than 40 centimeters x 30 centimeters x 20 centimeters (around 11.81 inches x 15.75 inches x 7.87 inches) in size.
• Flasks or water bottles, except clear water bottles, which must be emptied before reaching security, and food and liquid of any kind.
• Flowers and other tribute items, including candles, soft toys and photographs, as well as banners, placards, flags and marketing messages.
• Chairs, folding chairs and other seating equipment.
• Sharp items, “including knives, Swiss Army knives, scissors, cutlery and screwdrivers.”
• A wide range of other items are also banned, including paint sprays, padlocks, chains, climbing gear, fireworks and whistles.
• Finally, pets and other animals are not allowed to enter, with the exception of guide dogs, hearing dogs and other official assistance dogs.

President Joe Biden spoke with King Charles III to offer his condolences on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, the White House said in a readout Wednesday.

"The President recalled fondly the Queen’s kindness and hospitality, including when she hosted him and the First Lady at Windsor Castle last June. He also conveyed the great admiration of the American people for the Queen, whose dignity and constancy deepened the enduring friendship and special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom," the White House said.

Biden also "conveyed his wish to continue a close relationship with the King," the statement added.

King Charles and the queen consort have departed Westminster Hall, departing from New Palace Yard.

Shouts of "God save the king" could be heard as they drove off. The king could later be seen waving.

They will be traveling to either Buckingham Palace or Clarence House by car.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby began the service at Westminster Hall with an opening prayer and reading from the Book of John, 14:1-6.

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you," it reads.

"I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

The queen's coffin has been carried into Westminster Hall to the somber sounds of a live choir.

The coffin is being placed on the catafalque, which is the raised platform the coffin rests on, by the Household Cavalry and the King's Body Guard.

The procession carrying the queen's coffin to Westminster Hall will be an unforgettable moment for many — and it comes with a soundtrack.

The Band of the Scots Guards and the band of the Grenadier Guards, one of the oldest military bands in the world, played at least six different funeral marches during the procession.

The marches that were expected to be played are:

Beethoven — Funeral March No.1

Beethoven — Funeral March No.3

Mendelsohn’s — Funeral March

Chopin’s — Funeral March

Beethoven — Funeral March No.2

NEW DELHI — Just hours after the world learned that Queen Elizabeth II was dead, Twitter feeds across India exploded with angry demands for the repatriation of a precious diamond called the Kohinoor, which has become a symbol of Britain’s often bloody history of colonial conquest and rule.

The British government has denied stealing the Kohinoor diamond and has repeatedly refused to return it to India. And to millions across the Indian subcontinent, the diamond — one of the most famous in the world — has become a symbol of a colonial past.

The demands reflected anger over the history of colonization amid the outpouring of sympathy that followed Elizabeth’s death last Thursday at age 96. Among many residents of former British colonies, such as India and Kenya, the reaction to her death ranged from benign interest to anger and disdain.

At its height, the United Kingdom controlled the largest empire in history, ruling over an estimated 20% of the world’s population and occupying around a quarter of the Earth’s landmass. The era was marked by famines, massacres and grinding poverty in the resource-rich countries that were colonized by the British Empire.

Read full story here.

The procession carrying the queen's coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall is underway. Here's what happens once the queen's coffin arrives:

The coffin is set to enter the Palace of Westminster through New Palace Yard. It will then be carried to the catafalque by the Bearer Party, where the late monarch will lie in state.

King Charles, Princes William and Harry and other members of the royal family will follow the coffin into Westminster Hall, where a short service will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, assisted by the Dean of Westminster.

Later, mourners will be able to file past and pay their respects, with thousands of people expected to make the journey to say farewell to Britain's longest-reigning monarch.

A horse affectionately known as Yogi is helping lead the gun team carrying queen's coffin.

Capt. Amy Cooper, 31, was selected by the commanding officer of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery to lead the gun team, according to Britain's defense ministry.

She is riding the horse, which has an official name of Lord Firebrand.

Cooper and her team were recently selected as the best gun team of 2021, and the queen presented the team with a silver plate, the defense ministry said.

As Prince Andrew walks beside King Charles III, Princess Anne and the Duke of Wessex in the funeral procession for his mother, he is the only one of the four siblings not to be wearing a military uniform.

The queen stripped Andrew of his military titles in January and a statement from the palace at the time said that he would no longer undertake royal duties. The decision came after a civil trial that accused him sexual abuse. He settled the case in February.

He will, however, wear his military uniform during a final vigil in Westminster Hall, according to the king's spokesperson.

Walking behind his father and uncle, Prince Harry also did not appear in military uniform. He split from his family in February 2021, when he said he would no longer serve as a working member of the royal family, meaning he would stop participating in official duties.

The yellow and red Royal Standard flag draped Queen Elizabeth II’s casket as it traveled from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall on Wednesday. On top of the adorned coffin sat the Imperial State Crown, which was placed on a purple velvet cushion alongside a wreath of flowers.

"The Imperial State Crown is the crown that the monarch wears as they leave Westminster Abbey after the coronation. It is also used on other state occasions including the annual state opening of Parliament," according to the Historic Royal Palaces website.

The crown is made of gold and set with2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 269 pearls, and 4 rubies, it states. It further includes some of the most famous jewels in the collection, including the Black Prince’s Ruby, the Stuart Sapphire and the Cullinan II diamond.

"St Edward’s Sapphire, set in the center of the topmost cross, is said to have been worn in a ring by St Edward the Confessor and discovered in his tomb in 1163," according to the website.

King Charles III and his three siblings marched in a silent and somber procession behind the queen’s coffin as it was taken from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where the queen will lie in state until her funeral Monday. 

As thousands of mourners lined the route, Charles was joined by his sons, William and Harry, brothers Andrew and Edward and sister, Anne, and other members of the royal family and the military. 

Marching band music accompanied the procession, with Big Ben tolling at one-minute intervals and guns in Hyde Park fired.

The procession carrying the queen's coffin to Westminster Hall is underway.

The coffin was pulled by The King's Troops Royal Horse Artillery after being carried from the Bow Room in Buckingham Palace to the gun carriage. It will now be transported to Westminster Hall.

More than 1,000 stewards, volunteers, marshals and police will be on hand at any given time in London to help deal with the thousands of people expected to line up to pay their respects to the queen, according to No. 10 Downing St. officials.

Around 779 professional stewards will be on shift, assisted by around 100 volunteer marshals, 40 adult scouts, 30 members of the first aid nursing Yeomanry, in addition to police officers, officials said.

Members of the Red Cross will also be available to assist mourners, along with others, including sign language interpreters, they said.

The procession taking the queen’s coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall is about to get underway.

The BBC will air a dedicated livestream of the queen lying in state for those who want to pay their respects, but who will not be able to make the journey in person.

"The service will be offered globally for those who want to pay their respects but cannot travel to London or are physically unable to queue," the broadcaster said.

The livestream will be available from 5 p.m. local time (12 p.m. ET) on a number of platforms, including the broadcaster's homepage and internationally at bbc.com/news.

A petition calling for "Queen Elizabeth Day" to be an annual bank holiday in the U.K. has gained more than 100,000 signatures.

The petition, launched on change.org, proposes that Sept. 8, the day the queen died, be made an annual holiday. As of early Wednesday, it had more than 117,000 signatures.

"Queen Elizabeth II is our longest reigning monarch, and arguably the nation’s, and the world’s most popular monarch," the petition states.

“In the words of President Macron, 'To you, she was your Queen, to us, she was THE Queen… the most constant symbol of Great Britain,'" it states.

The queen's subjects will get to pay their final respects to the late monarch in a building that has played a central role in Britain's history.

Westminster Hall was built in 1097 under William II, the son of William the Conqueror, and completed two years later. At the time, it was the largest hall in England, and probably the largest in Europe.

It was here that King Charles I's trial was held before he was executed in 1649. And it was here that King Charles III received the condolences of both houses of Parliament on Monday after the death of his mother.

At nearly 1,000 years old, Westminster Hall is the oldest building on the Parliamentary estate. Today, the Palace of Westminster serves as a meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of Parliament.

Along the banks of the River Thames in Britain's capital — past landmarks and despite gloomy skies — crowds have gathered ahead of the slow and somber royal procession that will take Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament.

Some of them have waited days to file past the late monarch when she lies in state under armed guard later in a continuous 24-hour operation at London’s historic Westminster Hall.

Vanessa Nanthakumaran was the first person to show up at the staging area across the river from Westminster Abbey, from which mourners are expected to file into the ancient building to say farewell to the only monarch most in the country will have ever known.

“I’m very happy that I’m going to be the first, but I didn’t set out to be the first,” said Nanthakumaran, 56, who said she is originally from Sri Lanka and now lives in London. She said she arrived at the spot near Lambeth Bridge around 11:30 a.m. local time (6:30 a.m. ET).

“I just wanted to pay my respects and I knew there would be a lot of people who felt the same."

Read the full story here.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen remembered the queen's ability to speak "to the soul of the whole world" in a state of the union address she delivered Wednesday.

“As we look around at the state of the world today, it can often feel like there is a fading away of what once seemed so permanent," she said. "And in some way, the passing of Queen Elizabeth II last week reminded us of this."

“She is a legend," von der Leyen said. "She was a constant throughout turbulent and transforming events in the last 70 years, stoic and steadfast in her service."

The European Commission president said the queen “found the right words for every moment in time,” from the World War II to the Covid pandemic.

"When I think of the situation we are in today, her words at the height of the pandemic still resonate with me," von der Leyen said.

"She said: 'We will succeed — and that success will belong to every one of us.'"

The emperor and empress of Japan will be asked to represent the nation at the queen's funeral, the country's main government spokesperson said Wednesday.

There are, however, no plans for other officials, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, to attend the proceedings in London, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said during a routine press briefing.

“The royal family of the United Kingdom and the imperial family of Japan have always had a close relationship,” the spokesperson said. “In particular, Queen Elizabeth had exchanges across three generations during her 70 years on the throne with the Emperor Showa, Emperor Emeritus and His Majesty the Emperor.”

The final decision on whether the Japanese royals will be attending the funeral will be made Friday, Matsuno said.

The king has arrived at Buckingham Palace, where he will prepare to lead a procession taking the queen's coffin from the palace to Westminster Hall. The queen will lie in state there for three days as people pay their respects.

A car appearing to carry the king could be seen heading up The Mall toward the palace after departing Clarence House, which has been his official residence for years.

A crowd waiting outside the palace cheered and waved as the new monarch arrived.

Indian President Droupadi Murmu will attend the queen's funeral next week on behalf of the country, India's ministry of external affairs announced in a statement Wednesday.

“In the 70 years of reign of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II, India-UK ties have evolved, flourished and strengthened immensely. She played an important role in the welfare of millions of people around the world as Head of the Commonwealth,” the statement read.

India, a former British colony, held a day of state mourning for the queen earlier this week. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the queen as "a stalwart of our times" following her death.

World leaders from across the globe are expected to attend next Monday’s proceedings.

A record-breaking five million people tracked the queen's final flight as her coffin was flown from Edinburgh to London on Tuesday, according to Flightradar24, an online plane tracking platform.

“Between web, apps, and live stream, 5 million people followed the flight from Edinburgh to RAF Northolt on Flightradar24,” the platform tweeted, referring to the Royal Air Force flight carrying the queen's coffin.

Up to six million people attempted to track the flight on the platform as the aircraft was taking off, but the influx of people destabilized the platform, according to a statement on its website.

“Based on our experience last month, we expected a large influx of users, but this immediate, massive spike was beyond what we had anticipated,” it added, referring to the over two million viewers who tracked U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's controversial flight to Taipei in early August.

As Princes William and Harry join their father, the king, in today's procession taking the queen's casket from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, many will be reminded of a similar walk the two brothers took 25 years ago, as they marked the death of their own mother, Princess Diana.

William and Harry followed Diana's casket as it was driven through the streets of London during her funeral procession on Sept. 6, 1997.

Harry later spoke about the distress he suffered during the procession, saying in a past interview with Newsweek: "No child should be asked to do that." He said the events of that day can still overwhelm him.

William and Harry also walked in the funeral procession for Prince Philip, who died last year at age 99.

Hundreds of mourners in Hong Kong lined up for hours in record heat this week outside the city’s British Consulate to pay their respects to the queen.

The British consulate in the former colony on Tuesday extended opening hours for the queen’s condolences book to accommodate “the exceptional numbers wishing to pay respects to Her Late Majesty,” it said in a tweet on Tuesday.

The consulate also advised mourners to bring water and wear “appropriate clothing” as the wait could extend over three hours.

Many in Hong Kong still feel an affinity to the British crown. The city was under British rule for over 150 years until it was handed back to Beijing in 1997.

Australia has named a new square in central Sydney in honor of the queen's life of service.

“We’re here to announce that where we are standing will become Queen Elizabeth II Place," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced at the site at Hyde Park Barracks on Tuesday.

“This is a great global city and we need to make the most of it, this plan will do that,” he added, saying the new plans will “commemorate the life of Queen Elizabeth II.”

Albanese will leave on Thursday for London to join other world leaders for the queen's funeral next week.

Thousands of mourners are expected to line up today to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II, who will lie in state at Westminster Hall until Monday.

The route for the approximately four-mile line will start at the Albert Embankment on the south side of the River Thames and continue all the way to Southwark Park, according to the U.K.’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, or DCMS.

Once mourners have passed through the start of the line, they’ll be led across Lambeth Bridge into Victoria Tower Gardens, where they’ll be put through airport-style security before they enter the palace. There will also be a separate accessible route for those who need it.

The state viewing will open to the public Wednesday at 5 p.m. (12 p.m. ET), and it will be open 24 hours a day until 6:30 a.m. Monday, when her funeral is expected to take place in Westminster Abbey.

Those planning to attend the viewing, especially those with medical conditions, “are encouraged to check the guidance, plan accordingly and be prepared for significant wait times, including possibly overnight," DCMS said. Over 1,000 volunteers and Metropolitan Police officers will be on the ground to assist mourners and keep them safe, DCMS said.

The queen’s coffin will be taken in a gun carriage procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where the late monarch will lie in state on Wednesday.

Princes William and Harry are expected to join their father, the king, in the procession, along with other senior members of the royal family. 

Big Ben is expected to toll at one-minute intervals throughout the duration of the procession, while guns in Hyde Park are expected to be fired by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery. 

The Archbishop of Canterbury is expected to deliver a short service once the queen’s coffin arrives at Westminster Hall. 

Later, the public will be allowed into Westminster Hall to file past and pay their respects to the late queen, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to line up over the next four days.