Standing quietly with his head bowed, the King was at the head of the Queen’s coffin, while his sister Anne, the Princess Royal, and brother Edward, the Earl of Wessex, were to the sides. Andrew, the Duke of York, was at the foot of the coffin.
Andrew stepped down from royal duties in 2019 due to his links to disgraced financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Many other members of the royal family came to observe the vigil. Camilla, the Queen Consort, accompanied the King, standing next to Princess Anne’s husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.
Prince Edward’s wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, was also present with her two children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.
Queen’s granddaughters Zara Tindall and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were there, as was the Queen’s cousin Prince Michael of Kent.
Seen for the first time since the Queen’s death last Thursday, some of the Queen’s youngest great-grandchildren, including Mia and Lena Tindall, were also present.
Since Wednesday, the Queen has been lying in Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster. The medieval hall is where the queen’s ancestors also rested. His father King George VI in 1952, his mother Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother in 2002, his grandfather George V in 1936 and his great-grandfather Edward VII in 1910 – the first royal to lie in state .
The queen’s coffin is draped with the royal standard and surmounted by the imperial state crown, orb and sceptre.
Continuous watch within Westminster Hall is provided by the King’s Body Guards of the Honorable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, the Royal Company of Archers, the Yeomen of the Guard assisted by the Yeomen Warders of the Tower of London and by household officers. Division during rest and rest.
Each watch lasts six hours, with individuals within these watches keeping watch for 20 minutes at a time.
Friday night’s royal vigil ran alongside the military vigil and was similar to one the Queen’s children held in St. Giles Cathedral in Scotland earlier this week.
Prince William, Prince of Wales will stand at the head of the coffin and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex will stand at its feet. The source added that the Prince of Wales will be accompanied by Zara Tindall and Peter Philips, who are the children of Princess Anne. The Duke of Sussex will be flanked by Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, daughters of Prince Andrew, alongside Prince Edward’s children Lady Louise Windsor and Viscount Severn.
Cheers and boos in Wales
King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen consort, visited Wales earlier on Friday, meeting members of the public and receiving a motion of condolence.
The King said he took on his new duties as monarch with “tremendous gratitude for the privilege of having been able to serve as Prince of Wales”.
“It must certainly be considered the greatest privilege to belong to a land that can inspire such devotion,” he said. Speaking in Welsh, the King said his son Prince William, who took over the title of Prince of Wales from his father, has “a deep love for Wales”.
But the new king also encountered some signs of disapproval on Friday. When he arrived at Cardiff Castle in the afternoon, he was greeted with cheers and boos.
While many people in the crowd cheered and waved flags, some protesters booed loudly. King Charles seemed to shake his head slightly as his carriage passed and entered the castle.
After returning to London and before joining the vigil at Westminster Hall, Charles hosted a reception for religious leaders in the Bow Room at Buckingham Palace, the palace said in a statement.
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