LIVE | 'Our last farewell' to Queen Elizabeth II
King Charles III has in the last week faced the difficult task of handling his own grief at the death of his mother, giving voice to the nation's loss and taking on the job of royal figurehead.
Tens of thousands of people have already filed past the coffin in a steady, solemn stream, queuing for hours through cold temperatures, some through the night, to pay their respects to Britain's longest-reigning monarch - a testimony to the affection in which she was held. On Saturday, King Charles will meet the prime ministers of the 14 other countries where he is head of state. He will also meet workers in the emergency services who are helping to stage the funeral.
The two brothers will be joined by their cousins - Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, the children of Princess Anne, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, the children of Prince Andrew, and Louise and James, the children of Prince Edward. King Charles and his siblings stood vigil by the coffin of their late mother Queen Elizabeth on Friday as tens of thousands of mourners queuing to pay their final respects during her lying in state were told they faced a wait of up to 24 hours.
Despite the warning of how long it would take to reach the building, mourners continued to join a well-organised line that stretches along the south bank of the Thames then over the river to parliament's Westminster Hall, knowing their wait would last through the night when temperatures were forecast to be cold.
"We were all here celebrating her majesty today and it didn't matter how long we were there," said Beckham, wearing a dark suit and flat cap."We were there for a reason. And everyone was together. It was a special few hours." Some 750 000 people in total are expected to file past the coffin ahead of the state funeral on Monday which presidents, prime ministers, royalty and other world leaders are due to attend. US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and the leaders of Australia, Canada and Jamaica will join the emperor of Japan among the congregation.
Wales has a particular significance for the new king, who for five decades preceding last week's accession had the title Prince of Wales. As monarch and Supreme Governor of the Church of England, Charles holds the title"Defender of the Faith", but he said he his saw his role as stretching beyond his own strong Christian beliefs, and that he had a duty to protect diversity.
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