Hundreds of mourners have collapsed while queuing to see the Queen's coffin

16 September 2022, 16:30

Ambulances have attended to hundreds of people fainting and collapsing in queues to see the Queen's coffin.

The ambulance service said it and partner agencies had cared for 435 patients who fell ill along the lying in state queuing route and surrounding areas by the end of Thursday. Ambulance chiefs said they would have an extra 300 staff on duty on Monday but pleaded with the public to use the service widely.

The ambulance service revealed the details of the collapses after the massive queue to see the Queen lying in state was closed due the massive number of crowds.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and sport apologised in an update warning that it would have to close as it had reached its maximum capacity.

They said Southwark Park, the start point of the queue, was full and told well-wishers to come back later on, telling them to wait at least six hours before coming back.

"Southwark Park has reached capacity. Entry will be paused for at least six hours. We are sorry for any inconvenience. Please do not attempt to join the queue until it re-opens," organisers said.

Read more: Follow the latest with the live queue tracker

Her Majesty The Queen's Lying-in-State | Queue Tracker

However despite orders to close, hundreds of people were still turning up to queue. Thousands of mourners were still filing through the gate at Southwark Park, despite instructions from the Government that the queue has been paused until 4pm.

A sign at the entrance to Southwark Park in south-east London was then changed to announce that the queue to see the Queen lying in state has been paused.

The sign originally said: "Lying in state queue: please expect long delays, thank you for your patience."

The sign then changed at around 11.35am to "Entry to Her Majesty's lying in state queue is temporarily paused.

"Lying in state queue wait time from this point minimum 14 hours."

The public continued to pay solemn tribute overnight.

Tens of thousands of members of the public have been filing past the coffin in Westminster Hall since Wednesday at 5pm.

Some mourners more than nine hours to complete but many said the long wait was worth it.

At one point during the second night of the Queen's lying in state, those lining up in the queue which hugged the south banks of the River Thames were told the wait time had swelled to 14 hours.

Mourners said there was "breath-taking" serenity awaiting them in Westminster Hall where "you could hear a pin drop" in the silence.

As of 11.30pm on Thursday, the queue was 4.9 miles long, drifting back as far as Southwark Park in Bermondsey, with an estimated wait time of nine hours.

A little over two hours later, the wait time had jumped to 14 hours, although the mileage of the queue remained the same.

Nurse Melanie Pickman, 50, left her home in Swansea at 11am to join the back of the queue just before 3pm.

Read more: Mourners reveal 'breathtaking' atmosphere after paying respects to the Queen at Parliament

The mother-of-three said: "We will never see this again. She served our country for such a long time. We owe it to her to show our respect.

"Look at all these people who have shown up to queue - she has made them happy.

The lying in state continues until 6.30am on Monday when it will close, ahead of the start of her state funeral.

Prince and Princess of Wales visit sea of tributes to Queen at Sandringham

The key timings for Monday

6.30am - Doors will close to the public for the Queen's lying in state in Westminster Hall.

8am - The doors of Westminster Abbey will open to the congregation to take their seats for the state funeral service.

Heads of state and overseas government representatives, including foreign royal families, governors-general and realm prime ministers will gather initially at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, and travel under collective arrangements to Westminster Abbey.

10.35am - Just after 10.35am, a bearer party, found by The Queen's Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, will lift the coffin from the catafalque.

It will then carry it in procession from Westminster Hall to the Royal Navy's state gun carriage, which will be positioned outside the building's North Door.

10.44am - The gun carriage, drawn by 142 Royal Navy service personnel, will set off at 10.44am.

The King, members of the royal family, members of the King's Household and Household of the Prince of Wales will follow the coffin.

10.52am - The procession arrives at the West Gate of Westminster Abbey where the bearer party will lift the coffin from the state gun carriage and carry it inside for the state funeral service.

11am - The state funeral service begins.

11.55am - The Last Post will sound followed by a national two-minute silence.

12pm - Reveille, the national anthem and a lament, played by the Queen's Piper, will bring the state funeral service to an end at approximately noon.

The coffin will be carried to the state gun carriage.

12.15pm - The procession will set off for Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner, following the route of Broad Sanctuary Parliament Square (south and east sides), Parliament Street, Whitehall, Horse Guards including Horse Guards Arch, Horse Guards Road, The Mall, Queen's Gardens (south and west sides), Constitution Hill and Apsley Way.

1pm - The procession will arrive at Wellington Arch.

The bearer party will lift the coffin from the state gun carriage and place it in the state hearse.

The state hearse will then depart on its journey to Windsor as the parade gives a royal salute and the national anthem is played.

The King and the Queen Consort, the Prince and Princess of Wales and members of the royal family will depart for Windsor by car.

3.06pm - The state hearse will approach Shaw Farm Gate on Albert Road, Windsor, and join the procession, which will have been formed up and in position.

3.10pm - The procession will step off. The route will be: Albert Road, Long Walk, Cambridge Gate, Cambridge Drive, George IV Gate, Quadrangle (south and west sides), Engine Court, Norman Arch, Chapel Hill, Parade Ground and Horseshoe Cloister Arch.

3.20pm - The door of St George's Chapel will open for the congregation for the committal service.

3.25pm - Members of the royal family who will not join the procession will arrive at St George's Chapel for the service.

3.40pm - The King and other royal family members who are walking in the procession will join it at the quadrangle on the north side as it passes into Engine Court.

3.53pm - The procession will halt at the bottom of the West Steps of St George's Chapel in Horseshoe Cloister.

The bearer party will lift the coffin from the state hearse, from where it will be carried in procession up the West Steps.

4pm - The committal service will begin.

The length of the service is not yet known but when it ends, the King and members of the royal family will depart from the Galilee Porch for Windsor Castle.

It marks the end of public ceremonial arrangements.

7.30pm - A private burial service will be conducted by the Dean of Windsor, attended by the King and members of the royal family.

The Queen is to be buried together with the Duke of Edinburgh at the King George VI Memorial Chapel.

Read more: Harry and Andrew win battle to wear military uniforms for Westminster Hall vigils

The guest list

Buckingham Palace has not released a full guest list but several hundred dignitaries from around the world will travel to London to pay their last respects to the Queen in what is set to be one of the biggest logistical and diplomatic events in the UK in decades.

US president Joe Biden and French president Emmanuel Macron will be among the 2,000 people gathered inside Westminster Abbey. New Zealand’s PM Jacimnda Ardern said she will make the near 24-hour journey to attend.

Canadian and Australian leaders Justin Trudeau and Anthony Albanese have also confirmed.

Delegations from Germany, Italy and Brazil will also attend, along with EC President Ursula von Der Leyen. King Felipe of Spain and his wife Queen Letizia will be there as well.

Nearly 200 key workers and volunteers recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours list have been invited to attend the Queen's state funeral, Downing Street has said.

The group of people who received honours in June are to join royals and world leaders in Westminster Abbey - the historic church which can hold about 2,000 people - at 11am on Monday.

The Prime Minister's official spokesperson said: "I can confirm that among the guests who have been invited to attend will be almost 200 people who were recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours this year, that was in June.

"These individuals drawn from across the UK were recognised for their extraordinary contributions in areas including the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, people who volunteered in their communities, charity workers and those who work in healthcare, education and the wider public sector".

The committal service in St George's Chapel

The congregation will be made up of the Queen's household past and present, including personal staff who work, or who have worked, on the private estates.

The majority of those attending this service, which will be conducted by the Dean of Windsor, will not have attended the earlier service at Westminster Abbey.

Before the final hymn, the Imperial State Crown, the orb and the sceptre will be removed from the coffin by the Crown Jeweller and, with the Bargemaster and Serjeants-at-Arms, will be passed to the dean who will place them on the altar.

At the end of the final hymn, the King will place The Queen's Company Camp Colour of the Grenadier Guards on the coffin.

At the same time, the Lord Chamberlain will "break" his Wand of Office and place it on the coffin.

As the coffin is lowered into the Royal Vault, the Dean of Windsor will say a psalm and the commendation before the Garter King of Arms will pronounce the styles and titles of the Queen.

The private burial

The Queen will be buried with the Duke of Edinburgh at the King George VI Memorial Chapel.

The private burial service will be conducted by the Dean of Windsor, and will be attended by the King and members of the royal family.

The route

On Monday morning, the Queen's coffin will be carried on a State Gun Carriage from New Palace Yard to Westminster Abbey by way of Parliament Square, Broad Sanctuary and the Sanctuary - a route lined by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines.

After the funeral service, the royal family will walk in a procession with the coffin to Wellington Arch, Hyde Park Corner.

The procession will go by way of Broad Sanctuary, Parliament Square (South and East sides), Parliament Street, Whitehall, Horse Guards including Horse Guards Arch, Horse Guards Road, The Mall, Queen's Gardens (South and West sides), Constitution Hill and Apsley Way.

The state hearse, carrying the coffin, will then travel to Windsor. The route to Windsor has not been made public.

In Windsor, the state hearse will approach Shaw Farm Gate on Albert Road and join the procession which will be in position.

The procession route from Albert Road to St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle is by way of Albert Road, Long Walk, Cambridge Gate, Cambridge Drive, George IV Gate, Quadrangle (South and West sides), Engine Court, Norman Arch, Chapel Hill, Parade Ground and Horseshoe Cloister Arch.