King Charles III and his siblings have held a vigil by the coffin of their mother, Queen Elizabeth II, as she lies in state in London.
The new monarch was joined by Prince Andrew, Princess Anne and Prince Edward in silently standing vigil over their mother’s coffin on Friday evening as it lay in Westminster Hall, while the miles-long queue of mourners outside braved waiting times of at least 22 hours to pay their respects.
Members of the public could be seen filing past solemnly on either side of the coffin, which was draped in the Royal Standard, and adorned with the Imperial State Crown, and orb and sceptre. Four large candles flickered at the corners of the coffin.
The Queen Consort was visible in the gallery, alongside other members of the royal family, including Zara Tindall and Peter Philips, the children of the Princess Royal, and the Queen’s cousins, Prince Edward and Prince Richard.
As the vigil came to an end, and the Queen’s children filed out of the ancient hall – in the same order in which they had arrived – members of the public gave them a round of applause.
It is the second such “Vigil of the Princes” that the late Queen’s children have held since her death last Thursday at the age of 96, with the first taking place as she lay in state in Edinburgh’s St Giles’ Cathedral on Monday evening, where she remained for 24 hours before making her final journey to Buckingham Palace.
After walking behind her coffin as it was carried through London to the Palace of Westminster the following day, her eight grandchildren will now hold their own 15-minute vigil on Saturday night in Westminster Hall, the oldest building on the parliamentary estate.
Charles’s two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry will both be in uniform, at the King’s request, with the Prince of Wales standing at the head of the coffin and the Duke of Sussex at the foot, royal sources confirmed.
Despite being a former Army officer who saw action during two tours of duty in Afghanistan, Harry had been in civilian dress while mourning his grandmother’s death at official events due to no longer being a working royal, including as he walked behind her coffin on its journey to Westminster Hall.
The other grandchildren will be in morning suits and dark formal dresses with decorations. William will be flanked by his cousins Zara and Peter, while Harry will be with the Duke of York’s daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
The Earl of Wessex’s children, Lady Louise and Viscount Severn, will stand near the middle of their grandmother’s coffin. The grandchildren, at the King’s invitation, are said to be very keen to pay their respects – just as their parents did on Friday evening.
The royal tradition first took place on 28 January 1936, when Elizabeth’s uncle, King Edward VIII, was joined by his three brothers in standing guard at the coffin of their late father, King George V, in Westminster Hall, while wearing full military uniforms.
King Charles flew back from his first visit to Wales as monarch to attend the vigil on Friday, having earlier attended a memorial service for his late mother at Llandaff Cathedral and made a bilingual address to the Senedd.
Speaking after a Motion of Condolence in the Welsh Parliament, Charles said that Wales “could not be closer to my mother's heart”, adding that he was “resolved to honour that same example in the spirit of the words I always try to live my own life: Ich dien – I serve”.
But Charles faced the first notable anti-monarchy sentiment visible during his tour of the devolved nations, as booing was heard among the cheers of the crowd waiting as he and the Queen Consort arrived at Cardiff Castle – a visit which fell on the day celebrating Welsh nationalist hero Owain Glyndwr.
During the service at Llandaff, the Archbishop of Wales Andy John said of the late monarch in his address: “Her ability to influence, to utilise soft power – no less significant, no less authoritative – illustrates the wise and careful thought she brought to her role.
“Prime ministers found that she was a trusted confidante. Her attention to matters of government, her knowledge of world events and the longevity of her reign gave her an unmatched perspective and ability to see the distant scene.”
The Earl of Wessex on Friday became the latest of the Queen’s children to release a statement about their mother, saying that her death had left “an unimaginable void in all our lives” and his family were now “united in grief”.
“While it has been lovely to have spent time saying our own farewell privately at Balmoral, it is now time to allow others to be able to say their farewell,” said Prince Edward, the Queen’s youngest child.
“We have been overwhelmed by the tide of emotion that has engulfed us and the sheer number of people who have gone out of their way to express their own love, admiration and respect to such a very special and unique person who was always there for us,” he added.
