King Charles completes four nations tour
King Charles put his Welsh language skills to good use today as he completed his whirlwind tour of the four nations in Cardiff, where he was greeted by thousands of well wishers, paying their respects to the late Queen.
Addressing the country’s parliament, in Welsh, he told them: “I know the Senedd and people of Wales share my sadness. Wales had a special place in her heart.”
Charles III, and the Queen Consort Camilla, attended a service for the Queen at Cardiff’s Llandaff Cathedral, a motion of condolence at the Senedd as well as having a private audience with First Minister Mark Drakeford, and then meeting the public in Cardiff Castle.
Crowds greeted the new king – and former Prince of Wales – as he arrived in Llandaff, with some having arrived as early as 3.30am, and the band of the Royal Welsh Regiment played a fanfare as Charles entered the cathedral.
With Charles’ tour complete, the new king’s next task is to host a reception for dignitaries from around the world at Lancaster House on Sunday evening, as world leaders and heads of state reach British soil.
At 8pm on Sunday, people from across the nation will be observing a minute’s silence, to reflect on the life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II.
Meanwhile, this evening, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew will be joining the ceremonial guard for a 15-minute period for a silent vigil around the Queen’s coffin.
The queue to view the Queen’s coffin lying in state has continued to grow, reaching capacity earlier today at Southwark Park in Bermondsey – snaking an impressive 4.9 miles through London. The queue could close as early as Saturday evening, if it’s decided that no more could be admitted by the time the lying in state ends.
Whilst some 750,000 people are expected to get the chance to see the coffin in Westminster Hall – with former England footballer David Beckham one of those who has already made the journey – there will be many in the UK, and across the world who will miss out.
Luckily, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, those unable to attend can view the Queen’s lying in state from the comfort of their own homes: It is being livestreamed 24 hours a day by the BBC.
The Queen’s lying in state will come to a close at 6.30am on Monday 19 September, and at 10.44am, her coffin will be moved to Westminster Abbey for a funeral service attended by a congregation of 2,000, including 183 key workers recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
The funeral, which has been described by a Whitehall source as “the biggest international event we have hosted in decades,” will also prove to be the Metropolitan Police’s largest ever security operation, with thousands of officers set to take to London’s streets.
The televised funeral is expected to set a new broadcasting record, with 4.1 Billion predicted to tune in worldwide, to witness the historic day.