Inside Westminster Hall: paying our respects to the Queen
On the eve of Her Majesty’s state funeral, the Royal List’s Maria Coole recalls joining thousands at Westminster Hall and the Royal Procession. Here’s what it feels like in London right now
“She was everybody’s grandmother,” declared our new Prince of Wales, as a mourner outside the gates to Sandringham House offered solace to a visibly emotional William and Catherine, the Princess of Wales this Thursday. And so, as I entered Westminster Hall, a little after 11pm this Saturday, William’s epitaph for his beloved “Grannie” was self-evident all around me.
People from all over the country, from all over the world, from all walks of life were quietly having their moment, their communion with their Queen. And boy, had they earned their remarkable five minutes with Her Majesty. Frankly, I reckon everyone who walked/shuffled The Queue (or the new Elizabeth Line as some wags have called it) – from London’s Southwark Park hugging the River Thames for five miles westwards to the Palace of Westminster - should be awarded a freshly-minted “Pilgrimage” pin.
Although, I suspect every single one of us in that hall knew we had a reward far more lasting than any physical memento. As I found myself inside the almost 1,000-year-old Westminster Hall, standing in line with many who had waited for some 16 hours for this moment, the intensity was quietly moving.
Beneath the magnificence of its medieval beamed roof – where the walls have witnessed the trial of King Charles I in 1649 to the lying-in-state of kings and queens, and the last recipient of a state funeral, Sir Winston Churchill in January 1965 – was the catafalque and our Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin draped in the Royal Standard and topped with the Imperial State Crown, the Sovereign’s orb and a wreath of dahlias and white roses. This sight, the end of a pilgrimage is extremely affecting. And thankfully, all phones are banned in the hall. So no sea of upraised hands holding mobiles and spoiling the view and gravitas.
This scene of resplendent and beautiful simplicity within this vast hall made me catch my breath. And the quietness sought to calm me. The soft tread of footsteps on the carpeted floor to Her Majesty grounded me. The silence was powerful as I inhaled deeply and stood for a few moments to pay my respects. I bowed, I blew a kiss, I performed my final farewell and then slowly walked to the great doors at the far end.
I was lucky to linger there and watch a changing of the guard, the Grenadier Guards in their famous bearskin hats and bright red tunics, the Gentleman at Arms in their white swan feather helmets and the Yeoman of the Guard. Tradition and continuity performed before my eyes. Two attributes the Queen encapsulated and held dear.
Only five hours earlier there had been a changing of the guard that was an historical first. Her Majesty’s eight grandchildren keeping their own vigil for their beloved grandmother. I can only imagine how charged the atmosphere must have been for those people in the hall. An unforgettable experience. The cousins requested this vigil and it was obvious on the solemn faces of Prince William, Prince Harry, Zara Tindall, Peter Phillips, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise and the 14-year-old James, Viscount Severn how much it meant to them to honour their “Grannie”, “my boss” as Harry affectionately called her. And how lovely it was to see him back in uniform (of the Blues and Royals). His “boss” would have beamed her glorious smile seeing that.
It’s said that quite possibly over 1 million people will have filed passed the Queen’s coffin by the time Westminster Hall closes its doors at 6.30am this Monday, ahead of the funeral. I joined thousands of them on Wednesday to see the Queen’s coffin procession, when the Royal Family, led by the King Charles III, escorted the late monarch as she left Buckingham Palace for the final time to lying-in-state at Westminster Hall.
It was easy bagging my spot on the Mall at 9.30am, I was surprised it was nowhere near as busy as the first day of the Jubilee weekend – can you believe that was only three months ago. However, it busied up a couple of hours before the 2.22pm start time and the camaraderie was excellent. We waved and cheered when King Charles made his way to the Palace, and hours later when Queen Consort Camilla was driven there. We enjoyed sharing mint humbugs, bananas and lots of laughs.
We had come from far and wide (USA, China, New Zealand and Yorkshire on my part of the pavement) and people were there not to mourn glumly but to celebrate and be joyful for the life of the Queen. We all realised how lucky we were to have had her.
Yes, laughter and smiles. On the streets of London, I sense that’s been the order of the day ever since the Queen passed away. I went to Buckingham Palace straight from my job at the Telegraph newspaper the night of the announcement. Amid scenes of cheering and people leaving floral tributes, marmalade sandwiches and Paddington Bears, was a man playing the national anthem on a recorder and people singing along. It was pouring with rain but nobody noticed.
I returned the following morning, before work, and was struck by how many people had brought their dogs to pay their respects. The Queen would have loved that. (I have a Corgi soft toy keyring dangling off a bag as my canine tribute.)
But back to Wednesday’s procession, now moving down the Mall in all its pomp and pageantry, (and despite the sea of arms holding phones aloft), the remarkable sight of a grieving family walking behind the simple gun carriage carrying the Queen’s coffin was surreal. Even more surreal was the sound of the crowds gently applauding the Queen. Although we had never known her the way her family obviously did. We all felt we knew her and that’s the most important lesson. She transcended everything. As Prince William said on Instagram this week: “It means an awful lot that you’re all here.”
This is testament to the fact that Her Majesty was Elizabeth the Great. A great grannie, a great boss, a great mother, a great-great Grannie, literally. A great Queen. The only Queen we’ll ever know. We’ll miss her greatly.
Her Majesty’s funeral: what happens when
After an unprecedented week of mourning, the Queen’s funeral finally takes place on Monday 19 September. Kerry Parnell breaks down the order of proceedings
The day - your guide at a glance
6.30am: The lying-in-state ends.
10.44am: The coffin is loaded onto the gun carriage and a procession makes its way to nearby Westminster Abbey.
11am: The funeral begins in Westminster Abbey.
11.55am: The Last Post is played followed by a two-minute silence and a lament by the Queen’s piper.
Mid-day: The coffin is placed on the gun carriage and taken in a procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch.
1pm: The coffin is placed in a state hearse and begins to make its way by road to Windsor.
3.06pm: The coffin arrives in Windsor at the Shaw Farm Gate. The hearse joins a procession up the Long Walk to Windsor Castle.
3.40pm: Members of the Royal Family join the procession and walk to St George’s Chapel.
4pm: The televised committal service begins in St George’s Chapel, after which, the Queen’s coffin is lowered into the royal vault.
7.30pm: The family attends a private interment in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, where the Queen’s coffin is finally interred alongside Prince Philip’s.
