Thousands join line stretching across London to pay respects as Queen Elizabeth II lies in state

LONDON — Presidents, prime ministers and monarchs from around the world will travel to London over the weekend to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth and attend a reception at Buckingham Palace to be hosted by King Charles the day before her funeral.

U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron are among the highest-profile guests from overseas who have confirmed they will be attending. 

Heads of state and other senior foreign dignitaries will be asked to gather at the Royal Hospital, a retirement and nursing home for veteran soldiers in west London, and are expected to travel in groups to Westminster Abbey, a senior Buckingham Palace official said.

Foreign dignitaries who do come to Britain will also be invited to visit the Queen’s Lying in State inside Parliament’s Westminster Hall ahead of the funeral.

Immediately after the funeral Monday, Britain’s foreign minister, James Cleverly, will host a reception for guests at nearby Church House as members of the royal family head to Windsor for the queen’s burial.

LONDON — Heathrow airport will alter 15% of its flight schedule Monday to reduce noise over the London skies as a mark of respect during Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, it said Thursday.

There will be no aircraft movement for 30 minutes around noon Monday to ensure skies remain quiet during the two-minute silence at the end of the funeral.

“Operations to and from the airport will be subject to appropriate changes in order to avoid noise disruption at certain locations at specific times on Monday,” a Heathrow spokesperson said in a statement.

Flights will also be diverted around Windsor Castle during the private family service, it said. The changes, including cancellations, will affect some scheduled flights, particularly in the late afternoon and the early evening.

British Airways said it was canceling 50 round-trip short-haul flights from Heathrow on Monday, while its flights from Gatwick and London City airports will operate as planned. Virgin Atlantic said four of its flights would be canceled.

Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority has separately introduced airspace restrictions covering the funeral as part of overall security arrangements.

CANBERRA, Australia — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Thursday it would be “perfectly acceptable” for King Charles III to continue to advocate for climate change action in his new, apolitical role as monarch.

Albanese said before his departure for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral that the new king would decide whether he continues to advocate for reduced greenhouse gas emissions, as he did for years as a prince.

“It’s important that the monarchy distance from party political issues. But there are issues like climate change where I think if he chooses to continue to make statements in that area, I think that is perfectly acceptable,” Albanese said. “It should be something that’s above politics, the need to act on climate change.”

The British monarch is also Australia’s head of state.

In his first speech as king last week, Charles suggested he would be more circumspect as monarch and step back from his advocacy on a variety of issues.

He once sang “she ain’t no human being,” but now Sex Pistols singer Johnny Rotten, whose real name is John Lydon, is seeking to distance himself from his former bandmates as Britain mourns Queen Elizabeth II.

“The musicians in the band and their management have approved a number of requests against John’s wishes on the basis of the majority court-ruling agreement,” a statement on his official Twitter feed said.

It added that he thought “the timing for endorsing any Sex Pistols requests for commercial gain in connection with ‘God Save the Queen’ in particular is tasteless and disrespectful to the queen and her family at this moment in time.”

A tree planting scheme started to mark the queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations earlier this year has been extended to allow people to plant trees in her memory.

Launched to encourage people to plant trees to celebrate her 70th year on the throne, the queen’s Green Canopy initiative was set to run from last October through the end of this year. However, it has now been extended and will conclude at the end of March.

More than a million trees were planted during the first planting season of the jubilee year, from October to March this year.

A store near Buckingham Palace "can't keep up with demand with things to honor the queen," the owner said Thursday.

“We are very, very busy,” said Daniela Neagu, who runs Green Park Souvenirs, adding that she had sold thousands of bouquets of flowers and hundreds of flags bearing the queen’s image this week. 

She added that she was “begging for any more queen merchandise we can get” and awaiting a fresh order of commemorative cups Friday.

LONDON — While soccer may be the United Kingdom’s national sport, it’s sometimes said that it could just as well be “queuing” ​— such is Britons’ willingness to wait in line for long periods without complaining.

That would make this week’s lines of thousands of people waiting to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II the equivalent of a national Olympics. Given the opportunity to say goodbye as she lay in state before her funeral Monday, they came in the thousands, united in the need to bear witness to the country’s longest-reigning monarch and express their admiration for a woman many saw as the nation’s grandmother. 

By Thursday evening, the river of humanity waiting to file past the late monarch had reached almost 5 miles.

Read the full story here.

Green Park has been designated the official place for the countless floral tributes and cards, from the personal and touching to the obscure. A drawing of a kingfisher, a self-portrait, cards signed by entire school classes, a scarf emblazoned with the logo and colors of Arsenal, a London soccer team the queen supposedly supported.

Many greeting cards are unopened, addressed simply to “The Royal Family.” Flowers still in their plastic wrapping, with a £3 ($3.45) price tag and “hand-picked with care.” Some cards show lengthy, heartfelt messages. Others are succinct: “You will be missed, thanks for all you do,” said Norma, Jeanne, Joan, Chris, Oscar and Annette.

The Prince and Princess of Wales thanked mourners in a tweet Thursday for showing up at Sandringham House, one of the royal residences, to pay their respects.

William and Kate traveled to Sandringham in Norfolk, some three hours north of London, to view floral tributes and speak with members of the public.

"Thank you to everyone in Sandringham today," their official Twitter account posted, sharing a photo of the two visiting.

Throughout London, images of the queen are on display nearly everywhere: Clothing stores, tea shops, cafes and supermarkets have devoted entire store windows to images of the late monarch and praise for her contributions to the United Kingdom.

Numerous businesses are also paying tribute to the queen with the sound of silence. 

Many London hotels, restaurants and bars have stopped playing music in shared spaces and will not resume overhead music until after the queen's state funeral Monday. A number of British businesses will be closed Monday, the day of the queen’s funeral,  as part of a national bank holiday.

Queen Elizabeth II will be buried with Prince Philip, Buckingham Palace has said.

The queen will be buried in the King George VI memorial chapel in St. George's Chapel, Windsor, on Monday in a private service. Philip's coffin is to be moved from the royal vault so it can lie alongside her coffin.

The queen was consulted on all of the funeral plans, officials said.

The queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were married for more than 70 years, after announcing their engagement in July 1947 and saying their vows just more than four months later.

Read more about the story of their marriage here.

Royals, heads of state and other dignitaries from around the world are expected to attend the queen's funeral Monday in what will undoubtedly be one of the most followed events in recent history.

Among them, Buckingham Palace said in a news release, will also be people who have made "extraordinary contributions" in responding to the Covid pandemic.

Others who have volunteered in their local communities have also been invited to the funeral, while nearly 200 people who were recognized in the queen's "birthday honors" are also expected to attend.

Prince William spoke with mourners at Sandringham House on Thursday of how "challenging" the walk behind Queen Elizabeth II's coffin was the previous day.

The experience, he said, "brought back a few memories."

For many, seeing the brothers William and Harry walk in the procession carrying the queen's coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall was a reminder of the walk they took in 1997 for the funeral of their mother, Princess Diana.

“It’s one of these moments where you kind of think to yourself, I’ve prepared myself for this but I’m not that prepared," William told mourners. “It’s this weird kind of thing ... because we knew she was 96."

William and the Princess of Wales were at Sandringham House to view floral tributes and meet with members of the public.

London’s Heathrow Airport has warned that services will change Monday to “avoid noise disruption at certain locations at specific times,” during the queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey.

The airport said in a statement that it wants to ensure the skies over London will be quiet during the two-minute national silence shortly before noon.

No flights will be allowed to take off or land from 15 minutes before the silence starts until 15 minutes after it ends.

“The King and the Royal Family wish to send their sincere gratitude for the messages of condolence received from around the world,” the official Twitter account for the royals said.

The royal family has created a channel for anyone wishing to send messages of support online.

A group of senior lawmakers, including the former leader of the U.K.'s ruling Conservative Party, have said they are "greatly concerned" about the Chinese government being invited to attend the queen's funeral.

In a letter to the House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle and Lord Speaker John McFall of the House of Lords, they said it was extraordinary that Chinese representatives received an invitation.

“Given that the United Kingdom Parliament has voted to recognise the genocide committed by the Chinese Government against the Uighur people it is extraordinary that the architects of that genocide should be treated in any more favourable way than those countries who have been barred.”

The letter was signed by Iain Duncan Smith, who led the Conservative Party between 2001 and 2003, before later serving as pensions minister. It was also signed by his fellow MP Tim Loughton, as well as Baroness Kennedy, of the opposition Labour Party, and Lord Alton of Liverpool.

King Charles and his siblings will hold a vigil Friday at Westminster Hall, where the queen is lying in state until her funeral Monday.

The vigil will be held by Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew for 15 minutes, palace officials said Thursday.

They said the vigil would be held in addition to, but not in place of, an ongoing vigil mounted by the Household Division and Body Guards.

It is “unlikely” that any new titles will be unveiled while the country and the royal family mourn Queen Elizabeth II, a spokesperson for King Charles III has said. 

Asked whether any new titles could be announced, the spokesperson said: “The king is focused on the mourning period, so it’s unlikely any other titles would be announced during that period.”

The mourning period for the family will last until Sept. 26. 

“I’m sure at some point, there will be discussions but not during this royal mourning period,” the spokesman said.

The details of Queen Elizabeth II's funeral have been released.

More than 2,000 people are expected to attend the state funeral in Westminster Abbey, with more than 800 people expected to attend her burial in Windsor. 

The late monarch will be buried in the King George VI memorial chapel in St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, on Monday in a private service.

The queen's father, King George VI, her mother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, and the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret, are already buried there. 

Prince Philip’s coffin will be moved from the royal vault so it can lie alongside Elizabeth's coffin. 

The queen had been consulted on all of the funeral plans. 

The Prince and Princess of Wales are visiting Sandringham House in Norfolk to view floral tributes left by mourners.

Thousands of flowers have been left outside Sandringham House in the days since Elizabeth’s death.

In more recent years, the royal family has marked Christmas and the New Year at Sandringham House, which was the queen’s country estate in Norfolk, which is north of London.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese it would be “perfectly acceptable” for King Charles III to continue to advocate for climate change action in his new apolitical role as monarch.

Albanese was speaking ahead of his departure for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. The British monarch is also Australia’s head of state.

He said the new king would decide whether he continues to advocate for reduced greenhouse gas emissions, as he has done for years as a prince.

“It’s important that the monarchy distance from party political issues. But there are issues like climate change where I think if he chooses to continue to make statements in that area, I think that is perfectly acceptable,” Albanese said. “It should be something that’s above politics, the need to act on climate change.”

The growing line of people hoping to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II has grown to 4 miles long, according to the British government.

Stretching along London's Thames River, thousands of people are lining up for the chance to file past the queen's coffin at Westminster Hall and pay their final respects.

More than 11,000 people are currently watching a live tracker monitoring the line that is being updated by the British government.

A nationwide tree-planting initiative launched in celebration of the queen's platinum jubilee earlier this year has been extended until March at the request of the king.

The Queen's Canopy initiative encouraged people across the nation to plant trees in honor of her for the benefit of future generations. Over 1 million trees have been planted since it was launched in October 2021 to March this year.

The initiative was originally planned to end in December. The queen planted over 1,500 trees across the world in her lifetime.

While thousands of people are lining up in London to file past the queen's coffin at Westminster Hall, a page on the royal family's website allows visitors to offer their messages of condolence, with a selection of the messages to be passed onto members of the royal family.

A number of messages may also be held in the Royal Archives "for posterity," the royal family's website says.

Bagpipes sounded on the streets of London early Thursday morning as a dress rehearsal for Monday's state funeral took place.

Thousands of mourners lined up to pay their respects to the queen as she lies in state at Westminster Hall.

The line stretched longer than 3 miles along the River Thames on Thursday morning, according to a tracker posted by the government, with some waiting overnight for their chance to pay tribute to the late monarch.

The king resumed state business and receiving calls from other heads of states on Thursday.

“The king is continuing to work today. As well as state business, his red boxes, the King is receiving calls from Governor Generals and Heads of State,” a spokesperson for the king said.

The monarch received calls from other world leaders expressing their condolences on Wednesday, including the presidents of the United States of America, Ireland and France. He also spoke with the governor generals of Australia, Canada and Jamaica.

The seven regiments of the British Army's Household Division will stand vigil over the queen's coffin as she lies in state at Westminster Hall until her funeral next Monday.

The division includes some of the army’s longest-serving regiments and “have a special relationship with the Sovereign,” according to a statement on the British army's website on Thursday.

Four officers will ceremonially guard the coffin with their head bows, weapons inverted, and their backs turned as a sign of respect. The officers will take turns to stand vigil at the corners of the casket in 20-minute shifts around the clock. Each regiment will be taking six hour shifts in rotation as part of the inner guard.

The hall will be open 24 hours a day to the public until Monday morning.

Taiwan's foreign minister signed a book of condolence for the queen at the British representative office in Taipei on Thursday.

"My sincerest condolences to the Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom for losing their beloved Queen Elizabeth II, a model of duty and benevolence to be long remembered," Joseph Wu wrote "with a heavy heart," according to a tweet by the ministry of foreign affairs.

A Taiwanese official confirmed on Tuesday that Taiwan had not been officially invited to the queen's funeral next week, citing a lack of diplomatic relations between London and Taipei.

Prince William and Princess Kate are expected to travel to Sandringham House in Norfolk to view floral tributes left at Norwich Gates by members of the public in memory of the queen.

The couple are expected to travel to the estate at around 12:50 p.m. local time (7:50 a.m. ET).

Thousands of flowers have been left outside Sandringham House in the days since Elizabeth's death.

In more recent years, the royal family has spent Christmas and New Year at Sandringham House, which was the queen's country estate in Norfolk.

Prince Harry turned 38-years-old on Thursday as the royal family continues to mourn the death of Queen Elizabeth.

The California-based prince was among the royal party that followed the queen's coffin from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster on Wednesday.

The king's youngest son became fifth in line to the throne on the death of the queen.

As Britain continues to mourn the death of its longest reigning monarch, thousands of people are expected to join a line to file past the queen's coffin and pay their last respects.

As of early Thursday morning, the line stretched at least miles along London's River Thames, according to a live tracker maintained by the British government.

Meanwhile, King Charles III will be spending a quiet day in mourning with no public events scheduled. On Friday he will travel to Wales, where he is expected to attend a service honoring the queen.