Tributes to Elizabeth II: farewell to the queen is approaching, Biden is on site, other foreign leaders expected

The popular parade is nearing its end, the official delegations are flocking: there are only a few hours left for the public to hope to pray at the coffin of Queen Elizabeth this Sunday, before the state funeral Monday in the presence of leaders from around the world .

Arriving in London on Saturday evening with his wife Jill, US President Joe Biden will join foreign heads of state, including Frenchman Emmanuel Macron, brought together by Charles III on Sunday at the end of the day, the first major diplomatic meeting of the new 73-year-old ruler.

2,000 people invited to Westminster Abbey

They will meet Monday morning among the 2,000 guests of Westminster Abbey, where Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953, for the high point of the tributes paid in immense emotion since the death on September 8 of the monarch at the worldwide popularity.

The public will still have until 6:30 a.m. that day to gather in Westminster Hall, the oldest room in the British Parliament, in front of the coffin of one who has crossed the ages with the same sense of duty.

VIDEO.

A man throws himself on the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II before being arrested.

But given the considerable waiting time to parade in front of the coffin - 1:30 p.m. announced this Sunday morning - the queue, which has become a phenomenon in itself, should be closed by the end of the day to new arrivals.

At 8 p.m. local time, the United Kingdom will freeze in a minute of silence for a “moment of reflection” in memory of its monarch who reigned 70 years, a longevity unprecedented in British history.

While tens of thousands of people lined up in front of the monarch's remains, only one incident was noted: a man was charged with disturbing the public order after leaving the queue and approaching the coffin on Friday , the police announced on Saturday evening.

Buried privately on Monday

The organization of the state funeral, the first since that of Winston Churchill in 1965, represents an unprecedented challenge for the police in London.

“The biggest operation” ever carried out by the London police, said the mayor of the capital Sadiq Khan, during the visit of Charles and William to a command center on Saturday.

VIDEO.

David Beckham waits almost 13 hours in the crowd to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth

After a final procession, Elizabeth II will be buried privately on Monday in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, west London, next to her father King George VI and her husband Prince Philip.