Police in London have arrested a man after what the force described as a “riot” on Friday night in Westminster Hall in Parliament, where Queen Elizabeth II he is Lying in the stateWrapped in its royal standard and covered with a diamond-set crown. Parliamentary authorities said someone stepped out of the line to see the Queen’s coffin and tried to approach him on his platform.
Tracy Holland He told Sky News that her 7-year-old niece Darcy Holland was pushed away by a man who tried to “run into the coffin and raise the standards and try to do it, I don’t know what.” She said the police arrested the man in “two seconds”.
According to AFP, a live television broadcast of the mourners was briefly interrupted around 10pm as the man was taken into custody by police, two hours after King Charles III and his three brothers. vigil In the cave hall.
The Metropolitan Police said a man had been arrested for a public order offence.
The wave of people wanting to bid farewell to the Queen has grown steadily since the public first entered the hall on Wednesday. On Friday, the authorities pause Allowing more visitors to join the end of the line, which twinkles around Southwark Park about 5 miles from Parliament.
Marco Bertorello/Paul via Reuters
Overnight, volunteers distributed blankets and cups of tea to people in line as the temperature dropped to 43 degrees Fahrenheit. Despite the weather, mourners described the warmth of a shared experience.
Chris Harman from London said, “It was cold overnight but we had great companions, and met new friends. The camaraderie was great. It was worth it. I’ll do it over and over again. I’ve been walking to the end of the earth for my queen.”
Members of the public kept streaming silently into Westminster Hall even as the Queen’s four children – Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward – stood vigil around the flag-covered coffin for 15 minutes on Friday evening. A child’s cry was the only sound.
Prior to the vigil, Edward said the royal family was “overwhelmed by the wave of emotion that swept us and the sheer number of people who did their best to express their love, admiration and respect for (our) dear mother.”
The people queuing to see the Queen were of all ages and from all walks of life. Many bowed before the ark or made the sign of the cross. Several veterans, whose medals were shining in the spotlight, gave sharp salutes. Some people cried. Others blew kisses. Many hugged each other as they left, proud to spend hours in line to pay tribute, even if it only lasted a few moments.
On Friday, the wait time swelled to 24 hours. Among the mourners was the former England football captain David Beckham, who queued for about 12 hours to offer his condolences. Wearing a white shirt and black tie, he bowed briefly to the coffin before leaving Westminster Hall.
“We’ve been fortunate as a nation to have someone who has led us the way Her Majesty has led us for a while, always with kindness, care and reassurance,” Beckham told reporters afterward.
Lying in the state is set to continue until Monday morning, when the Queen’s coffin will be taken to nearby Westminster Abbey for state funeralconcluding to 10 days of national mourning for Britain’s longest reign.
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