Queen lying in state: public told ‘do not set off to join the queue’ on last full day to see coffin – live

The DCMS tracker that has been indicating wait times for the queue to pass the Queen’s coffin has changed to a static screen repeating the earlier message “A decision will be taken today on final queue closure time. To avoid disappointment please do not set off for the queue.”

In a tweet at 11.07am, the DCMS said that the “queuing time is at least 13 hours”, which is the latest figure they have given.

The Royal Parks has issued advice for those intending to visit central London today to view or leave floral tributes. It has said:

The Green Park and St James’s Park are expected to be exceptionally busy today. You may prefer to visit the Hyde Park Floral Tribute Garden and walk from Victoria Station or arrive via Bayswater or Knightsbridge.

The King’s itinerary for today includes meeting the prime minister and several heads of state.

Charles will meet Liz Truss at 12.15 in Buckingham Palace, and that will be followed at 1pm by a meeting with prime ministers of the realms which will include the prime minister of Tuvalu, Kausea Natano, the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, and the prime minister of Papua New Guinea, James Marape.

At 6pm the King and Queen Consort will be hosting a reception for heads of state and officials overseas guests who have come to London for the funeral.

Yesterday, Charles met prime ministers from Commonwealth countries including Justin Trudeau, Anthony Albanese, Jacinda Ardern, Philip Davis and Andrew Holness.

There are a few more quotes from the New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern’s BBC interview this morning. She said she had no intention of instigating the process of New Zealand becoming a republic, even though she has previously suggested that would happen in her lifetime. She said:

I think even the Queen herself has observed and acknowledged the evolution over time in our relationships. My observation is that there will continue to be an evolution in our relationship. I don’t believe it will be quick or soon, but over the course of my lifetime.

We have complex arrangements, the treaty of Waitangi – a very important founding document for Aotearoa, New Zealand, signed between Māori and the Crown. This is why it’s not a process I have any intent of instigating, but if and when it does occur, it will take time, and it will need to be very carefully worked through.

PA Media also quotes her saying that the transition from Queen to King will not be “jarring”, explaining: “He shares many passions and interests that New Zealanders do, and I think that means that relationship already exists.”

DCMS tells people ‘please do not set off to join the queue’

The New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has told the BBC that in her conversation with King Charles he expressed gratitude for the condolences of the people who had come out to take part in the week’s events. PA Media reports she said:

I’ll keep my comments here very, very general because we always try to keep in close confidence the conversations we are lucky enough to have with His Majesty.

But the overriding sentiment was just the gratitude for the great effort that people were putting into coming and paying their respects, and by that I mean not just leaders, but people.

You could see that it meant a huge amount to have seen the sheer scale and outpouring of people’s love and affection for Her Late Majesty.

Ardern also expressed surprise that it had become such a topic of conversation that world leaders would be travelling together by bus to the funeral on Monday.

She said: “I don’t think the bus warrants too much fuss. When we came here for the Commonwealth heads of government meeting we used buses for transport. It just makes good sense. We’re a very practical people.”

The former archbishop of York, Lord Sentamu, has been interviewed on the BBC this morning as part of the Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme. PA Media reports he told viewers that the Queen did not want a “boring” funeral service, saying:

What you’re going to expect is the best of funeral services, the prayer book service, the words which were an inspiration to Shakespeare.

You’re going to hear this wonderful English at its best, also you’re going to hear angelic voices of the choir of the abbey plus the Chapels Royal, you really hear voices that are singing to the glory of God.

The Queen does not and did not want what you call long, boring services. You’re not going to find boredom, but you’re going to be lifted to glory as you hear the service. The hearts and people’s cockles will be warmed.

If you were planning on doing something other than watching the funeral tomorrow in the UK, you may find your choices a little bit limited.

PA Media reports that a raft of the country’s biggest retailers have said they will shut their stores so workers can pay tribute to the Queen, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Lidl and Aldi. Marks & Spencer and Primark have also said they will shut for the day, and cinema chains Cineworld and Odeon have announced plans to keep their venues shut.

Tesco says it will open its Express convenience stores from 5pm. Asda said it will shut its stores for the funeral, but all its supermarkets will open from 5pm, with colleagues working on Monday evening receiving double pay.

The government has issued some advice for members of the public as to how they can watch some of the ceremonial parts of tomorrow’s state funeral. It says:

At 10.44am, the Queen’s coffin will be moved from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey. Two thousand guests are expected to attend, which will begin at 11am and [be] followed by a national two-minute silence at 11.55am.

A public procession will begin at 12.15pm as Her Majesty’s coffin travels from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch in London.

The procession will travel along Broad Sanctuary, Parliament Square, Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade, Horse Guards Road, The Mall, Constitution Hill and end at London’s Wellington Arch.

Space dedicated for those with accessibility requirements is available at the Green Park side of The Mall and the St James’s Park side of The Mall. The Albert Memorial viewing areas will have British Sign Language interpreters and a hearing loop.

Away from London, there are many events to commemorate the life of Queen Elizabeth II taking place today.

These include remembrance services taking place at various times in cathedrals including Blackburn, Bradford, Canterbury, Chichester, Durham, Gloucester, Lichfield, Liverpool, Manchester, Norwich, Sheffield and Worcester.

The government website has provided a list of events taking place today here.

Peter Stanford, the author of How To Read a Graveyard: Journeys in the Company of the Dead, has written for the Observer today about the rituals of death and the meaning of grief. In it, he says:

However much we feel in the peak of life, with full diaries and every possibility in front of us, the ritual of attending a funeral – or watching one on our screens on a day set aside as a national holiday for us to do so – is both an unconditional invitation to reflect on our own mortality, and an opportunity openly to recall those who have gone in our lives, to mourn them afresh. We will remember, as we watch the Queen’s children and grandchildren try to hold back the tears, how we have done the same in similar circumstances.

And grief for those we loved, and whose death leaves a space never filled in our lives, never ever goes. We just get used to living with it, learning to shed our tears for lost parents, siblings, partners, children, friends, in private rather than in public. The Queen’s funeral will lift that veil for a day at least.

You can read more of Peter Stanford’s piece here: A ritual of life – In mourning the Queen we are confronted with our own mortality

Tonight at 8pm in the UK there is scheduled to be what is described as “a national moment of reflection”, with people urged to observe one minute of silence. That will follow a pre-recorded televised address by the Queen Consort, as Nadeem Badshah reports:

The Queen Consort is to pay a televised tribute to the Queen on Sunday, praising her for carving out her own role for many years while being in the “difficult position” of being a “solitary woman” in a male-dominated world.

In prerecorded words, she will also recall the late monarch’s “wonderful blue eyes” and say: “I will always remember her smile.”

The Queen Consort’s tribute to her mother-in-law is to be broadcast shortly before the national minute’s silence at 8pm.

Camilla will say: “She’s been part of our lives for ever. I’m 75 now and I can’t remember anyone except the Queen being there. It must have been so difficult for her being a solitary woman.

“There weren’t women prime ministers or presidents. She was the only one so I think she carved her own role.”

Remembering the late monarch, Camilla will add: “She’s got those wonderful blue eyes, that when she smiles they light up her whole face. I will always remember her smile. That smile is unforgettable.”

You can read more of Nadeem Badshah’s report here: Camilla to pay tribute to Queen in TV broadcast

Just as a note, if you had missed the news, during this process there had been an accessible route, which started at Tate Britain, and which had timed slots for people with access requirements to be able to play their part in the national mourning.

That has now permanently closed, with all the time slots and wristbands allocated, and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has said:

The accessible queue for lying in state has reached full capacity and is now permanently closed. Wristbands for all time slots are allocated so that as many people as possible can pay their respects. Please do not join the queue at Tate Britain. Thank you for your understanding.

You can read more about that in Charlie Moloney’s report here: Accessible queue for Queen’s coffin permanently closes after reaching ‘full capacity’

How long is the queue?

Good morning from London. Today is the last full day of lying in state for the Queen’s coffin, ahead of tomorrow’s state funeral.

Heads of state and members of foreign royal families are expected to start arriving in London later for funeral.

The King is also due to hold an audience with Liz Truss at Buckingham Palace, while the King and Queen Consort will host heads of state and official overseas guests at the palace, in what the King’s spokesman described as an “official state event”.

A service of reflection will be held for the Queen at the Kelpies sculptures near Falkirk, Scotland, and members of the public are invited to observe a one-minute silence at 8pm to remember the Queen.

We will bring you all the latest developments throughout the day. I’m Martin Belam, and you can reach me at [email protected]