Stéphane Place, edited by Yanis Darras
modified to
5:19 p.m., September 14, 2022
After returning to London by plane on Tuesday, the body of Queen Elizabeth II was transported to Buckingham Palace. For the occasion, the hearse was welcomed to the applause of hundreds of people, who came to gather in front of the palace gates. From this Wednesday afternoon, the body will be transported to the Palace of Westminster, where it will be exposed for five days to the public.
It was an expected return. In London, the body of Queen Elizabeth II was repatriated to the British capital, and taken to Buckingham Palace. Applauded by the crowd, the hearse carrying the coffin covered with the yellow, red and blue royal standard of the United Kingdom and a wreath of white flowers, passed through the gates of the palace on Tuesday evening. All night long, Londoners and tourists took turns in front of the gates of Buckingham Palace, as if to watch over the one who was their queen for 70 years.
“She’s back home”
“It’s moving. I was able to say goodbye to her on this last trip. She is back home and she can spend the night with her family, before going to rest in Westminster”, explains Leslie, who has spent the night with her friend Vicky in front of the gates of the royal palace. “I feel so lucky to have seen the coffin,” adds Vicky.
As of Wednesday morning, the coffin is still in Buckingham Palace’s ‘Bow Room’, a large circular room with marble columns framing each of the monumental windows. But, as of Wednesday afternoon, the body of the queen will leave Buckingham Palace forever to join the Palace of Westminster, where it will be exposed for five days.
Cannons firing at Hype Park
For the occasion, the arrival of the coffin will be greeted by the bell of Big Ben and cannons will be fired in Hyde Park, once again to pay tribute to the queen.
And while people are already crowding in front of the Palace of Westminster, the British authorities estimate that there are now 30 hours of waiting to be able to greet the queen’s coffin one last time.