OXFORDSHIRE’S Lord Lieutenant, the monarch’s representative in the county, said that paying her respects to the Queen lying in state was “incredibly moving.”
Yesterday evening at around 8pm, Lord Lieutenant Marjorie Glasgow was allowed to enter Westminster Hall, where the Queen's coffin rests on a raised platform.
Many have queued for hours for the chance to file past the monarch’s coffin after it was handed to the care of the nation yesterday afternoon.
The coffin, which sits on a catafalque and is draped with a Royal Standard, continues to be guarded at all hours by units from the Sovereign’s Bodyguard, the Household Division or Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London.
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Ms Glasgow told the Oxford Mail: “It was incredibly moving. As the King’s representatives, Lord Lieutenants were allowed to stand quietly in a place dedicated to us and see people coming through for a few hours.
“It was really heart-warming to see so many people in that incredible hall – they walked quietly and solemnly and when they got closer to the coffin, people had different ways of showing their respect: some bowed their heads, some whispered ‘thank you’.
“It was incredible to see – there were people from so many walks of life, from around the United Kingdom and from around the world.
“We were asked to meet at a specific time and we were brought into the hall, and then walked out with the stream of people and also saw the back of the queue as it stretched through central London.
“The main thought that kept coming to me was how much of her time and life she gave to the country and to public service, and people are now returning that time to her – I saw so many people that seemed genuinely moved, it was a really positive experience.”
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By 10am today, the queue was around three miles long and stretched past London Bridge to HMS Belfast.
One of the guards suddenly collapsed overnight, with nearby officials quickly rushing to his aid after he appeared to faint.
Former prime minister Theresa May and her husband Philip were among those paying their respects on Thursday morning.
Metropolitan Police officers, volunteers and stewards are managing the queue, with people waiting in line given a coloured and numbered wristband.
Ms Glasgow will attend a service for the Queen at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford on Sunday (September 18) at 6pm, as well as the state funeral in London on Monday (September 19), when two thousand people including world leaders and foreign royals will gather inside Westminster Abbey for the final farewell to the nation’s longest reigning monarch.
The Queen will be interred with the Duke of Edinburgh in King George VI’s Memorial Chapel in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in a private service at 7.30pm on Monday.
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This story was written by Anna Colivicchi, she joined the team this year and covers health stories for the Oxfordshire papers.
Get in touch with her by emailing: Anna.colivicchi@newsquest.co.uk
Follow her on Twitter @AnnaColivicchi
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