SOLEMN MARCH
Sombre King Charles leads royals in emotional service as Queen’s coffin is taken to lie in state at Westminster
EMOTIONAL King Charles was united in grief with his family today as the Queen was taken to lie in state after a poignant procession.
The grieving Monarch looked sombre as he left Buckingham Palace for Westminster Hall for Her Majesty's final public duty.
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The royals united in their grief as they watched the Queen's coffin being left on the catafalque of the vast hall.
There were tears and raw emotion from some of the devastated family members as they joined in prayers for Her Majesty.
It followed a sombre 38-minute procession where King Charles led the Queen's children and grandchildren from the Palace past thousands of mourners.
The doors of Westminster Hall then opened at 5pm allowing crowds to pay tribute to the Queen's coffin as she lies in state - with millions expected to line up for hours to pay tribute to Her Majesty's seven decades of service.
It comes as...
- Princes William and Harry stood shoulder to shoulder in the emotional walk from Buckingham Palace
- Meghan Markle followed the procession in a car with Sophie while Princess Kate and Camilla were driven to Westminster Hall
- Harry and Andrew wore suits after being banned from wearing military uniforms
- No 10 revealed an update on calls for an annual bank holiday after a petition gathered thousands of signatures
Princess Eugenie and her cousin Lady Louise were both pictured looking upset as the magnitude of the day sunk in during the emotional service.
Prince Harry, who had earlier walked alongside his brother in the cortege, also wiped his face in a moment of raw emotion - holding hands with his wife Meghan Markle in a show of support.
Some of the other royals even appeared to put their rumoured differences aside as they stood supporting one another in the hall.
Meghan and Kate Middleton remained close as songs chosen by the Queen echoed from the wooden beams in the room.
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There were bows and salutes as four soldiers took their place along the four corners of the catafalque inside in the hall to keep guard over Her Majesty.
Meghan particularly appeared deep in thought as she bowed low to the ground in honour of the Queen.
As the royals slowly filed out of the hall, Harry clutched Meghan's hand while William placed a rare, comforting arm on Kate.
A hush had earlier fallen among the tens of thousands of mourners who gathered in the capital to pay their respects to Her Majesty.
The silence was punctuated only by a single gun round sounding along with a toll from Big Ben each minute to honour the Queen.
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Even flights from Heathrow were grounded to allow for ultimate quiet on the 38-minute journey.
King Charles looked mournful as he was joined by Her Majesty's other children, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward on the procession.
William and Harry stood side-by-side as they supported each other in a haunting reminder of their mother's funeral in 1997 when they followed her coffin.
The Queen's grandson Peter Phillips, who previously stood between the brothers at Prince Philip's funeral, instead took his place on Harry's left to allow the brothers to walk together.
Harry wore a morning suit with Andrew rather than a military uniform like their family as they are no longer working royals.
Anne's husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence also joined the procession, as well as the Duke of Gloucester and the .
The Queen Consort, Princess Kate , Sophie Wessex and Meghan looked emotional as they followed by car.
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Her Majesty's coffin was draped with the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown placed on a velvet cushion.
A floral wreath included white roses, dahlias and a foliage from the gardens at Balmoral and Windsor.
The Queen was carried on a gun carriage of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery in a nod to her love for the military.
She was then saluted by her Grenadier Guards as she was placed on the catafalque in Westminster Hall to lie in state until Monday morning.
It came after the Queen was driven into Buckingham Palace for the last time yesterday after being flown from Edinburgh to London.
The darkness outside the Palace was pierced by the glow of thousands of phone lights that guided the Queen into her London residence.
Her police outriders bowed their heads as the coffin was driven through the silent crowds.
She was met at the Palace by the Royals - including Charles, Harry, Meghan, William and Kate.
The sombre group spent a private evening together at the Palace as Her Majesty remained in the Bow Room.
One million mourners are expected to visit the coffin - with some camping out overnight in the rain to guarantee a spot.
The queuing system to file past the coffin is currently ten miles in length.
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Soldiers will guard the coffin around the clock as the streams of mourners file past.
Members of the Royal Family are also expected to take turns standing guard in a tradition known as the Vigil of the Princes.
Prince Edward and Charles both stood watch over the Queen Mother's coffin in 2002.
Her Majesty will then be laid to rest on Monday, September 19, at 11am.
The state funeral has officially been declared as a Bank Holiday with a two minute's silence to be held across the nation on Sunday.
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The Queen's final resting place will be the King George VI memorial chapel where her mother and father were buried along with the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret.
Prince Philip's coffin will move from the Royal Vault to the memorial chapel to join his beloved wife of 73 years.
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