Dear All,
I usually only send one update a week, but I am conscious many in the bay will wish to attend the lying-in state of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at the Palace of Westminster.
Her Majesty The Queen’s Lying-in-State in the Great Hall at the Palace of Westminster opens to the public at 5pm on Wednesday 14 September. It will be open 24 hours a day until it closes at 6.30am on Monday 19 September.
The historic Great Hall is the oldest part of the building which makes up the modern Parliamentary Estate. Its walls were erected 900 years ago. It survived the massive fire in 1834 which destroyed most of the Palace and the air raid in 1941 which destroyed the Chamber of the House of Commons.
Lying in state is a rare honour, they are historic occasions in themselves, the last such occasion was in 2002 when the Queen Mother laid in state. 200,000 people paying their respects during this period. Prior to the Queen Mother Sir Winston Churchill laid in state back in 1965. As such those attending become part of this history.
If planning to attend do bear in mind large crowds are expected, and there are likely to be delays on public transport and road closures around the area. Do plan ahead and be prepared for long queues (Possibly well in excess of 6 hours), it is worth noting the last train from London Paddington back to Newton Abbot is at approximately 10pm (On weekdays) and queuing will continue overnight, including the early hours of the morning. Do think about this carefully when deciding whether to attend and at what time.
Do be aware all visitors will need to go through airport-style security and there are tight restrictions on what you can take in. Only small bags are permitted. For security reasons roads around the Palace of Westminster are mostly closed and driving into Central London is strongly advised against. Westminster Tube Station is open and Waterloo is a relatively short walk from Parliament.
You can find all the details on the Government website and details of the queuing arrangements will be uploaded at 10pm tonight (Tuesday 13
th September). You can find them by clicking
here.
I would strongly recommend reading the information on this page before planning your journey to London.
I appreciate many for whom it will not be possible to attend the lying-in state will wish to pay their respects in person at an event. The best option is attending one of the memorial services being held here in our bay and I have been given details of two so far:
- Thursday 15th September at 7.30pm – Paignton Parish Church, Church St, Paignton, TQ3 3AQ.
A Special Commemoration Service marking the death of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II supported by South Devon Choir.
- Saturday 17th September at 12Noon – All Saints Babbacombe, Cary Ave, Babbacombe, Torquay TQ1 3NY.
A Requiem Mass in thanksgiving for the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. All welcome.
Finally books of condolence are available across our bay for you to leave your own tribute. You can find details
here.
Best Wishes,
Kevin
