Placed around, with their backs to her, heads down, Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward.
The four children of the sovereign, who died on September 8 at the age of 96, watched for nearly ten minutes near the coffin draped with the royal standard and adorned with the imperial crown, placed in the chamber of the British parliament, Westminster Hall .
They had already done the same four days earlier, on Monday September 12 in Edinburgh, where the remains of the queen had arrived.
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For the occasion, Prince Andrew, deprived of his military titles following a sex scandal, was authorized to wear the uniform, like his siblings.
During this solemn “vigil of the princes”, a tradition dating back to the death of King George V in 1936, the crowd was able to continue to parade in front of the coffin, as it has done in a continuous flow since Wednesday afternoon.
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Many people were able, after having waited in an endless queue, to greet the queen.
POOL / REUTERS
In video, the bow of Princess Anne at the passage of the coffin of Elizabeth II
Proof of the immense emotion aroused by the death of Queen Elizabeth, unanimously hailed for her devotion to the Crown, the interminable line to collect has continued to lengthen, exceeding at one point more than 24 hours of waiting.
"My ankles are hurting horribly, but it's a small sacrifice to make," 70-year-old Peter Stratford told AFP.
And to add: “I would not have wanted to miss that”.
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The coffin was placed on an imposing catafalque in the oldest chamber of the British Parliament, Westminster Hall.
DANIEL LEAL / POOL / AFP
David Beckham
Among the thousands of people present, the former football star David Beckham, who waited almost 12 hours to pay tribute to his queen.
In front of the remains, he soberly bowed his head and wiped away a tear.
"It is very moving, and the silence and the atmosphere in the room are very difficult to explain, but we are all here to say thank you to Her Majesty for being so kind, caring, comforting through the years", he said when he left, stormed by journalists.
“She was our queen and the legacy she leaves is incredible,” he added.
The funeral wake of the princes came to close for Charles III a day rich in emotion, during which the new sovereign was applauded in Cardiff during the last leg of his tour of the four constituent nations of the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Ireland North and Wales).
"Long Live the King!" Chanted supporters of the royal family for about twenty minutes.
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In video, King Charles III meditates in front of the thousands of bouquets placed in front of Buckingham Palace
The public will be able to come and greet the queen until the early morning of Monday, September 19, the day of the funeral.
A procession will then accompany the coffin to Westminster Abbey.
Millions of people are expected to follow the event in front of their televisions on this public holiday in the United Kingdom.
Some 2,000 guests, including several hundred leaders from around the world, crowned heads, but also anonymous people decorated for their associative commitment, will attend the ceremony.
Joe Biden, Ursula von der Leyen, the Emperor of Japan, or even Emmanuel Macron are expected, while the Pope will be represented.
The leaders of Russia, Afghanistan, Burma, Syria and North Korea were not invited.