King Charles III greets well-wishers in line to see queen lying in state

London, Sep 17 (EFE).- King Charles III and his son Prince William on Saturday greeted members of the public who have lined up in their thousands to bid a final farewell to the late Queen Elizabeth II, whose body is lying in state at Westminster Hall in London.

The monarch and his son, who inherited the title of Prince of Wales following the queen’s death, shook hands and chatted with people in the kilometers-long line that snaked along the Thames in central London, and which has come to be known in the UK simply as ‘The Queue.’

“It’s wonderful, it’s lovely to see you guys,” William could be heard telling well-wishers in the line, which has a waiting time of up to 14 hours, according to the UK’s culture ministry.

“You’re not far off getting there,” Charles said as he shook hands with members of the public.

The late sovereign will lie in state until Monday, when the coffin will be moved to Westminster Abbey for a state funeral.

An estimated 400,000 people will have passed through Westminster Hall to see the queen’s coffin by Monday.

Visitors must go through a security check before entering the chapel, where they will have a few minutes to observe the queen’s coffin before heading back outside. The coffin is draped with the Royal Standard flag with the Imperial State Crown resting on a purple cushion on top of the casket.

Elizabeth, the UK’s longest reigning monarch with 70 years on the throne, died on September 8 at the Balmoral estate, her Scottish residence. She was 96.

A host of world leaders and international royalty are due to descend on London for the state funeral.

They include United States president Joe Biden, French president Emmanuel Macron, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, Japan’s emperor Naruhito, Spain’s King Felipe VI, along with his wife Queen Letizia and his father, former king Juan Carlos I, among many others.EFE

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