By Janet Ekstract
ISTANBUL- After ten days of mourning, the day has finally arrived that hundreds of thousands in the UK and scores of visitors will pay their final respects to the longest reigning monarch before her casket, lying-in-state is transferred for her funeral. On Sunday, the UK observed a moment of silence at 8:00 p.m. for the Queen, as hundreds of dignitaries were welcomed at one of the largest receptions ever held at Buckingham Palace by King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla. Also on Sunday, mourners began camping out for spots to view the processions on Monday.
Monday morning, the lines to see the Queen were kilometers-long as they have been this past week as people from around the world and those in the U.K. come to pay their last respects.
The Queen’s funeral is expected to be one of the most televised events in history with an estimated 4 billion viewers expected to tune in. Millions of people are expected to line the streets for the funeral procession with 4,000 military personnel participating in the ceremony. There will be 10,000 police officers to seal off the area to ensure security. Planning for the Queen’s funeral was decades in the making with many finding it difficult to say their last goodbyes to a formidable Queen who reigned for 70 years.
