Today the last salute of the people to the most popular sovereign ever.

The last night of record influx, despite the cold, for the final homage to the remains of Queen Elizabeth II, exhibited at Westminster Hall.

The closing of the accesses to the queue is scheduled for the same day. 

Tomorrow the eyes of the world will all be on Westminster Abbey for the funeral of the sovereign who died at 96.

Over 2000 guests invited to her funeral.

Among these 500 crowned heads and heads of state and government, "it is as if there are hundreds of state visits all together,"

Scotland Yard

said , not without concern.

The first arrivals already last night.

What is certain is that it will be the largest funeral the country has experienced since the death of Prime Minister

Winston Churchill

in 1965. 

The country will stop for the national holiday, offices and shops will be closed, even for routine visits to hospitals.

It is also estimated that millions of people will flock to the Mall to watch the procession or watch the farewell ceremony from the screens set up in the parks.

And that's not all: the funeral of "Lilibeth" could be the

most watched media event in the history

of television, surpassing the wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981.

Today the VIP dignitaries will be welcomed by King Charles III and the queen consort Camilla at the palace for a

formal pre-funeral reception:

a reception which will also be attended by the political leaders of the United Kingdom (starting with the new premier

Liz Truss

, first expected by a face to face audience with Carlo) and the senior members of the Royal Family. 

However, the "yellow" about the dukes of Sussex, Harry and Meghan

remains to be dissolved : according to a newspaper, they initially received an invitation to participate in the event at the behest of the king - Harry's father -

only

to be revoked by

the court ceremonial.

being more in active service of representation of the dynasty since the tear following their transfer to America in 2020. In the evening, finally, the complete transmission of a

television intervention by Camilla

in memory of Elizabeth II - already anticipated in the essential contents by the Bbc - words of

praise

from the queen consort

enclosed in one line "She managed to carve out a role in a world dominated by men".

Yesterday the vigil of princes William and Harry, both in uniform, who paid the last tribute to the coffin of their grandmother, who reigned for 70 years, along with their other six grandchildren. 



The only discordant note is the man arrested the night between Friday and Saturday in Westminster Hall for having left the line of people and rushed towards the coffin, running up the steps of the bier, to grab the royal banner.

It is a 28-year-old Muhammad Khan indicted for the crime of

"disturbing the peace",

who for now remains in custody, and who will appear tomorrow before the judge. 

The doors of Westminster Abbey will open at 8 am (9 am in Italy) when the 2,000 people invited will begin to take their seats, three hours before the funeral begins at 11 am.

The queen will be transported from the Parliament building to the Abbey in the tank that her mother and father also carried.


AP

Prince Harry, Prince William Lady Louise Windsor and Princess Beatrice hold a vigil in honor of Queen Elizabeth II

"In the front row" among the

heads of state

will be the President of the United States Joe Biden who arrived last night with his wife Jill.

He will be the only one who can travel with "The Beast", his armored limousine, while traveling, a privilege perhaps also granted to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, for security reasons.

Among others, the Brazilian Jair Bolsonaro, the French Emmanuel Macron, the German Frank-Walter Steinmeier and of course the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

For Italy the president Sergio Mattarella will be present, accompanied by his daughter Laura. 

Among the

crowned heads

are King Philip and Queen Matilda of Belgium, the King of Spain, Felipe VI, together with his father Juan Carlos I (who abdicated in 2014), King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, the King William Alexander and Queen Maxima of Holland, King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, the princes of Monaco, Albert and Charlene and the Japanese emperor Naruhito with his wife Masako. 

All the leaders of the

Commonwealth

will be there , starting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, New Zealander Jacinda Ardern and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

As for the Asian super powers,

China

will be represented by the vice president, Wang Qishan, while

Russia

will be absent , not invited to the ceremony.

The comment was entrusted to Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, who condemned Britain's decision:

"We believe that this British attempt to use the national tragedy that has touched the hearts of millions of people around the world, for geopolitical purposes to settle accounts with our country ... is profoundly immoral ".

The BBC reports. 

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu could arrive

for

Turkey .

The Islamic Republic of

Iran

, on the 'black list' of international sanctions for its nuclear program, will be represented only at the level of ambassadors.

Another thorny issue, the possible presence of the Saudi prince, Mohammed bin Salman. 


AP

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden arrive at London Stansted Airport last night

Operation London Bridge towards the end

Full plans for the funeral are yet to be confirmed, but the details have long since been researched, codified into so-called

Operation London Bridge

, and have been updated more recently.

Below, what you already know. 

The day will begin with the parade and procession following the coffin, from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey, placed on the Royal Navy carriage used, last time, for the funeral of Lord Mountbatten.

Higher-ranking members of the royal family, starting with the new King Charles III and his sons, William and Harry, are likely to follow in procession.

At the end of the state funeral, the Queen will be taken from Westminster Abbey to Windsor Castle, for a private ceremony for the family, and to the place where she will rest forever, in St George's Chapel, where she will be buried with her parents. , her sister, Princess Margaret, and the Duke of Edinburgh, her husband.

The

state funeral

will be presided over by the Dean of Westminster and the Archbishop of Canterbury, will be broadcast live on TV, not only in the UK, until the final blessing in the chapel where the last British monarch will be buried.

The Abbey was the scene of many of the most important stages in the queen's life, from her coronation to her marriage to Prince Philip.

But also many funerals, starting with that of Princess Diana in 1997 and of the Queen Mother in 2002. The funeral of Count Mountbatten of Burma, Philip's uncle, was also held in the Abbey in 1979. At the end of the service, there will be two minutes of national silence.

Between noon and 1pm the coffin will then be placed back on the military chariot, before the royal funeral procession solemnly moves through Parliament Square, Whitehall, Constitution Hill, The Mall and Buckingham Palace, arriving at Wellington Arch at 1pm.

By 4pm the coffin will be returned to Windsor, the castle where the queen spent most of the last years of her life, up to her final resting place, at St George's Chapel, then the queen will be buried in St George's Chapel.

She will therefore begin the final blessing of the body, also live on TV, conducted by the Dean of Windsor. 

Before the last hymn, the Imperial State crown, scepter and orb will be removed from the coffin by the crown jeweler.

Then, at the end of the service, the coffin will be lowered into the Royal Vault, where she will be buried along with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, her parents and her sister Margaret.

At 7 pm King Charles and his closest relatives for a private funeral service, where the monarch will scatter earth on the coffin.

AP

The crown of Scotland on the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II