Queen Elizabeth II left Buckingham Palace for the ultimate time on Wednesday as her coffin was escorted by means of Central London to lie in state at Westminster Corridor. The queen's coffin left the palace exactly at 2:22 p.m. native time – and for a really particular purpose.
Biographer, historian and Wall Road Journal columnist Amanda Foreman advised CBS Information that the procession left the palace at the moment in order that the coffin would arrive at Westminster Corridor, the place the queen will lie in state till her funeral on Monday, at 3 p.m.
"They timed it utilizing a drum which beats 75 beats per minute, which enabled them to reach at 3 p.m.," Foreman mentioned. "The time of three p.m. wasn't itself important, however leaving at 2:22 was the kicker."
And whereas the time itself wasn't important, the steps to perform such a activity have been.
"The horses required unbelievable coaching to have the ability to stroll that slowly," Foreman mentioned. "It isn't a pure gait for a horse, not to mention a human being. In order that symbolized the extraordinariness of the event. Everyone seems to be doing one thing completely different."
The roughly 40-minute stroll introduced collectively essentially the most senior members of the royal household, together with Britain's new monarch and the queen's son, King Charles III, and his three siblings. The queen's grandchildren, William, Prince of Wales, and Harry, Duke of Sussex, additionally marched side-by-side behind the coffin. It was the primary time they've walked collectively behind a coffin in 25 years, after they had to take action for his or her mom, Princess Diana.
Because the queen lies in state, members of the general public can be permitted to go to her coffin 23 hours each day till her funeral on Monday. CBS Information' Norah O'Donnell reported that a minimum of a million persons are anticipated to say their goodbyes to the queen, and that by the point her coffin reached Westminster Corridor on Wednesday, there was already a line miles lengthy.
The funeral will happen at Westminster Abbey. The queen's coffin can be transported from Westminster Corridor to the abbey by a gun carriage, with senior royals following behind.
After the funeral service, there can be a personal service at Windsor Citadel later that day, earlier than she is laid to relaxation on the King George VI memorial chapel together with her mother and father and sister. The coffin of her husband, Prince Philip, can be moved to relaxation alongside hers.