When will you be able to see the Queen lying in state?
12.09.2022 - 13:31
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
During the lying in state period, The Queen’s closed coffin will rest inside Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster in London. Lying in state at the Palace of Westminster opens to the public at 5pm on Wednesday 14 September.
It will be open 24 hours a day until it closes at 6.30am on Monday 19 September. If you wish to attend the lying in state, you should consider that there will be a queue, which is expected to be very long.
You will need to stand for many hours, possibly overnight, with very little opportunity to sit down as the queue will be continuously moving. The government has suggested people consider this before deciding if they should attend and whether to bring their children.
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The queue may close early to ensure as many visitors as possible can enter the Palace before the lying in state period comes to an end. People who wish to attend should also consider that public transport around the area will likely face delays as huge crowds gather.
The government has also issued strict guidance on what items people can bring into the Palace. Only small bags are permitted and a list of banned items has been released.
Some barriers have already been put in place for the queue route, which will run east to west along the south of the Thames before passing over Lambeth Bridge and doubling back towards Parliament Square, although people cannot begin queueing yet.
The last person to lie in state in the UK was the Queen Mother in 2002, and an estimated 200,000 people visited Westminster Hall to pay their respects before her funeral. Far higher numbers are expected for the Queen, with hotels across London confirming a rise in demand for