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It is an exceptional ceremony: The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on Monday touches billions of people around the world - and it breaks all previous dimensions.
In Great Britain, many schools, universities, pubs and shops have closed on this day, the unions are not going on strike, and large parts of public life are at a standstill.
But in London, tens of thousands are on their feet to see their queen off and celebrate the monarchy.
Muriel Kalisch, DER SPIEGEL:
»Today the entire area along the path of the funeral procession is cordoned off. Anyone who attempted to drive through the streets of Westminster this morning had to quickly discard that plan. Even as a pedestrian you hardly have a chance to walk a normal path. You’re constantly being turned away by security guards, the military or the police.”
More than 35 kilometers of barriers should steer the onlookers in London in an orderly manner.
The event is a logistical challenge for the city, with more than 100 flights scheduled to take off and land from Heathrow Airport on Monday being cancelled.
London hotels are almost fully booked, and overnight stays are correspondingly expensive.
Local transport in the British capital has to bring significantly more passengers from A to B.
The city is expecting around a million visitors.
Muriel Kalisch, DER SPIEGEL:
'Many dressed up to say farewell to the Queen. You can see special hats, black suits or military medals that have been won in recent years. (...) You can hear a mixture of English, French, German, Italian on the streets.«
The spectator area along the procession route through the city was already completely filled by early Monday morning.
The authorities, the police, the military and the secret service also have their hands full: 10,000 additional officers have been ordered to London to ensure security.
4,000 soldiers march through the city, taking on guards of honor and lining the procession.
Snipers are positioned on the roofs.
The British authorities speak of the largest security and surveillance operation that the country has ever seen.
Muriel Kalisch, DER SPIEGEL:
'But it's not just normal people who came to say goodbye to the Queen today. The top of world politics is also in London. Joe Biden has arrived, the imperial family from China and Frank Walter Steinmeier from Germany are there.«
Even far away from London, people marvel at Queen Elizabeth's funeral: it is estimated that more than 4 billion people could follow the major event live on screen - it would be the largest media event in human history.
