Route for Queen’s coffin queue as mourners set to line up through five miles of London

People will need to stand for ‘many hours, possibly overnight’, official guidance says

Details of the route for mourners queuing to see Queen Elizabeth II lying-in-state in London have been announced by the government.

Following her death at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, the Queen’s coffin was taken to St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, where tens of thousands queued through the night on Monday to pay their respects, some filing past as the late monarch’s four children – including King Charles III – led a 10-minute vigil by her side.

After arriving at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday evening, the Queen’s coffin will be taken to Westminster Hall by gun carriage on Wednesday afternoon, where it will remain until Monday morning, with huge numbers of people expected to flock to the oldest building on the parliamentary estate to mourn her passing.

An emergency government Cobra meeting was reportedly told that the estimated queueing times for Westminster Hall could be up to 35 hours, with between 750,000 and one million people expected to visit the capital.

Mourners from across the UK, Commonwealth and around the world are expected to join the line which will form on the Albert Embankment, run along Belvedere Road behind the London Eye, and head onto the South Bank, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) announced on Tuesday night.

From there, it will follow the River Thames past the National Theatre, Tate Modern and HMS Belfast through to Southwark Park, in a route stretching four miles.

Once people have passed through Albert Embankment they will be directed across Lambeth Bridge, into Victoria Tower Gardens and through “airport-style security” before entering the Palace of Westminster, where the Queen will be lying-in-state.

(PA Graphics)

Mourners will be able to walk past the coffin, which will be raised on a catafalque, draped in the Royal Standard, and adorned with the orb and sceptre. It will be guarded by a vigil of units from the Sovereign's Bodyguard, the Household Division or Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London.

Regular updates on queue length and estimated waiting time, as well as where to find the back of the queue, will be provided on the DCMS social media channels.

The main queue has step-free access and there will be a separate accessible route, starting at Tate Britain – where timed entry slots will be issued for a queue heading along Millbank towards the parliamentary estate.

Guide dogs, hearing dogs and other official assistance dogs will be permitted in Westminster Hall and British Sign Language interpreters will be available.

Toilets and water fountains will be placed at various locations along the route, with nearby organisations such as the Southbank Centre and Shakespeare’s Globe operating extended opening hours to provide refreshments and comfort breaks. The BFI will display archive footage of the Queen on an outdoor screen.

The queue is expected to snake along the Thames for 4.9 miles (DCMS)

St John’s Ambulance will be stationed along the route to provide first aid if required, while volunteers from the Scouts, Samaritans, British Red Cross, First Aid Nursing Yeomanry and Salvation Army will also support those in the queue.

Thousands of officers will also be involved in an enhanced police response, which is codenamed Operation Feather, with new Metropolitan Police chief, Sir Mark Rowley – who first joined planning for the Queen’s death “five or six years ago” – having said that the lying in state presented a “massive challenge”.

There are tight restrictions on what members of the public can bring into the Palace of Westminster, with people allowed just one small bag with one simple opening or zip, which must be smaller than 40cm x 30cm x 20cm. A bag drop facility is available but capacity is limited, and there is no guarantee that there will be space.

There is a lengthy list of banned items, available on the government website, which includes flowers or other tribute items, including candles, soft toys, and photographs. Other banned items include banners, flags, hampers, blankets and folding chairs.

Mourners are also prohibited from filming, taking photographs, and using mobile phones in the security search area and within the Palace of Westminster.

People will need to stand for “many hours, possibly overnight”, with very little opportunity to sit down as the queue will be continuously moving, the government said, advising people to “consider this before you decide to attend or bring children with you”.

Those waiting in line will not be allowed to camp and a wristband system will be used to manage the queue and allow people to leave for a short period.

According to the official guidance, those queueing should bring suitable clothing for the weather, food and drinks to have while queueing, a portable power bank for their mobile phones and any essential medication.

As large crowds are expected, there are likely to be road closures and delays on public transport.

The queue will close early on Monday as the Queen’s lying-in-state period comes to an end, shortly prior to the late monarch’s state funeral.