Queues dey build up for London ahead of di Queen lying-in-state as hundreds of thousands of pipo dey expected to pay dia respect to di longest-reigning monarch for Britain.
Many manage di rain wey fall overnight to join di long wait as di monarch coffin dey go Westminster Hall, wia e go lie in state for four full days until her funeral next Monday.
Sad procession to Westminster Hall
Crowds of mourners don full di streets between Buckingham Palace and Westminster – di route di Queen coffin dey take in slow ceremonial procession.
Di coffin don leave di palace for Westminster Hall and dem carri am on one open gun carriage of di King Troop Royal Artillery, and na team of black horses draw am. One huge 18 hands-tall (183cm) veteran horse wey dem name Lord Firebrand go dey for di front of di procession, as e go set as dem dey waka.
Di gun carriage, wey dey know as George Gun Carriage, bin carri King George VI coffin for 1952 and dem also use am for di Queen mama funeral for 2002. Dem drape di coffin wit di Royal Standard and dem top am wit di Imperial State Crown, and one wreath wey dem use white roses, dahlias and foliage from di Queen estates for Balmoral and Windsor to do.
King Charles III wey wear full ceremonial uniform and carri im field marshal baton dey follow behind di coffin for back on foot, wit im siblings and im sons. Prince William wear im Royal Air Force uniform while Prince Harry wear morning suit.
Di sight of di brothers togeda as dem walk behind di coffin go remind pipo of memories of dia mama funeral 25 years ago, royal correspondent na so Sean Coughlan tok
Up to 1,000 members of di armed forces wey wear ceremonial dress go also take part for di events wey surround di parade.
Behind mounted Metropolitan Police, di procession dey headed by di Household Cavalry and di Grenadier and Scots Guards. Na members of di Royal Household dey follow dem.
Members of di King former household follow di King and oda royals wey dey behind di coffin.
Camilla, di Queen Consort, di Princess of Wales, di Countess of Wessex and di Duchess of Sussex go travel to di hall by car.
Hyde Park dey fire guns for one-minute intervals throughout di procession, wey dey expected to arrive for Westminster Hall at 15:00 BST. Big Ben dey also toll.
Di King’s Life Guard – one senior regiment of di Army and part of di Household Calvary – go give royal salute as di coffin pass through Horse Guards Arch before e join di parade.
One guard of honour wey consist of members of di Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force dey line di east side of Parliament Square and go dey accompanied by di band of di Royal Marines wey dey play muffled drums.
Pipo go fit watch di procession in person for ceremonial viewing areas along di road for:
– Green Park side of di Mall
– St James’s Park side of di Mall and Horse Guards Road
– Horse Guards Parade Ground
– Whitehall (West), Parliament Street (West) and Great George Street
– Whitehall (East), Parliament Street (East) and Bridge Street
For pipo wey need accessibility requirements, viewing areas for di north side and south side of di Mall dey available.
Dem don set up one screening site for nearby Hyde Park. Di viewing areas and screening bin dey opened at 11:00 BST on Wednesday.
Di BBC also get dedicated live stream for pipo wey no fit travel go London. Di service go dey available for di UK ontop di BBC home page, di BBC News website and app, iPlayer, BBC Parliament and di red-button from 17:00 BST on Wednesday. E go also dey available internationally via bbc.com/news.
Di Queen’s lying-in-state
Afta di coffin go dey placed in position inside di hall by di Grenadier Guards, dem go hold one short service wey di King and members of di Royal Family go attend.
As dem enta, di choirs of Westminster Abbey and His Majesty’s Chapel Royal for St James’s Palace, go sing. Di Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, go lead di service wit prayers and blessing. Di Dean of Westminster, David Hoyle go follow am.
Afta di service, members of di Royal Family go leave by car.
By 17:00 BST di public go dey allowed to enta di hall and waka pass di coffin and pay dia respects.
Di Queen go den lie in state until 06:30 BST on di day of her funeral on Monday, wey dem don declare as Bank Holiday across di UK.
During di lying-in-state period, Westminster Hall will go dey open for 24 hours daily.
Di grand hall na di oldest part of di Palace of Westminster, at di heart of British goment.
Di last member of the Royal Family to lie in state in the hall na di Queen Mother for 2002, wen more dan 200,000 pipo queue to see her coffin.
Di Queen’s closed coffin go rest on raised platform, known as catafalque, beneath di 11th Century hall’s medieval timber roof.
Each corner of di platform go dey guarded in continuous vigil by soldiers from units wey dey serve di Royal Household.
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Di coffin go remain draped in di Royal Standard and topped wit di Imperial State Crown, along wit di Sovereign’s orb and sceptre.
Source: www.bbc.com
