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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Lizzy Buchan

Queue line to see Queen lying in state laid out for up to 10 MILES

Plans have been made for queues to see the Queen lying in state to stretch back TEN miles.

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to file past the late monarch's coffin to pay their respects as she lies in state in Parliament's ancient Westminster Hall.

The line of mourners could run as long as 10 miles, with queue infrastructure in place alongside the Thames for nearly seven miles from Lambeth Bridge all the way to Southwark Park.

There will then be three miles of zig zag lines within the park if necessary.

Members of the public will be admitted to Parliament's ancient Westminster Hall from 5pm today, where they can pay their respects to the late Queen.

The coffin will rest of a raised platform, known as a catafalque, which will guarded 24 hours a day.

Visitors will be able to view the Queen's casket until 6.30am on Monday, when the late monarch will be borne to Westminster Abbey for the state funeral, with the queue dividing into two streams, one on each side of the coffin.

Members of the public join the queue on the South Bank, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state (PA)

Mourners can join the queue on the Albert Embankment near Lambeth Bridge and it will snake along the river to Southwark Park in the south-east.

People in the line must keep moving, but they will get wristbands to allow them to leave the queue briefly to buy food from 24-hour cafes, use portable toilets or fill water bottles for free.

There will be more than 1,000 volunteers, stewards, marshals and police officers lining the route at any one time, with support from members of the Red Cross, multi-faith pastors and members of the Samaritans.

Members of the public join the queue on the South Bank near to Lambeth Bridge (PA)

There will also be two British Sign Language interpreters in the accessible queue, a separate line stretching from Tate Britain.

People will not be expected to show proof of disability to joint the accessible queue. Disabled people can bring one carer or friend each.

It is understood that the stewards could temporarily stop people from joining the line if the crowds exceed the planned 10-mile route.

Officials will be closely monitoring the numbers in the run up to the morning of Monday, September 19.

They will shut the queue once it is so full that it's clear mourners would be wasting their time by waiting in line. Officials are unable to estimate when this might be, but the peak waiting time has been estimated at around 30 hours.

The back of the queue's location will be publicised on the @DCMS Twitter feed, starting from about 3pm. Screens along the route could also show the waiting time.

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