A former butler to Queen Elizabeth II, an African royal family member and a railway worker determined to make her next shift were among the first mourners to start queuing to see the monarch lying in state in London.
Avid royal fans began to arrive in South Bank on Monday morning — more than 50 hours before the late queen's coffin will be put on view in Westminster Hall in Parliament.
For many people who never had the chance to see the queen in person, either during a royal visit or perhaps receiving an award, filing past her coffin is a final opportunity to get close to her. And all they have to do is queue.
About a million people are expected to descend on the streets of central London to attend events surrounding the queen's death. These include the procession of her coffin from Buckingham Palace to Parliament, the six-day lying-in-state period and the funeral at Westminster Abbey. Queues are expected to stretch for miles and take up to 35 hours to reach the front once doors open.
Some mourners were determined to get right to the front of queues. After camping out on the banks of the Thames and waking up to the sunrise on Tuesday, mourners told The National they would not budge from their spots come rain, hail or storm.
“She gave us 70 years of service ― what’s a few hours?” Frank, 48, who was seventh in the row, said. “It’s not a long time.
“You get to be a part of history. It’s something you can look back on and say: 'I was there'. It’s a once-in-lifetime event. When events happen elsewhere across the world, we all look into [them]. When it happens in London, you’ve got to be part of it.”
“It will be surreal,” added the retail worker, as he pondered the moment when he would get close to the queen’s remains.
People will be allowed to pay their final respects to the late monarch when she lies in state in Westminster Hall from 5pm (8pm UAE) on Wednesday to 6.30am on Monday before her funeral.
A group of ladies, who have for years earnestly followed the queen and attended royal events, were the first to camp on the pavement on Monday.
“We miss her so much,” said Grace Gothard, as she sat on a foldable chair with a Union Jack flag draped around her to shield her from the morning chill.
“We’ve been sleeping here since last night. We want to come and pay our respects to the queen who sadly has left us.
“I am also from a royal family, from Ghana. My mum would be a princess. I would be a lady.
“It was a shock for everyone. As soon as I heard that she died on Thursday, I was at Buckingham Palace.”
Ms Gothard, from Mitcham, south London, was huddled with her friend and fellow royal watcher Vanessa, who secured first spot in the queue.
“I am very happy that I got this position,” Vanessa, an administrator, 56, said as she closely guarded her place. “I couldn’t believe that I am going to be the first person from the public to go in. It’s going to be an emotional moment.
“I started queueing up yesterday because we heard they might be controlling the crowds and they might stop people, so it’s better to come early.”
The two ladies were joined by their friend Anne Daly from Cardiff, who was proudly sporting a Welsh flag.
Sarah Langley, 55, dashed from work late on Monday to reach the queue just after midnight. The customer service ambassador at Chiltern Railway is determined to not let her work schedule prevent her from attending the once-in-a-lifetime event. She came prepared with a bag stuffed with a winter coat, warm boots, woolly hats, snacks and toilet roll.
“It was damp, I slept on the grass,” she said, after her first night sleeping rough. “The traffic was busy and the lights were quite bright. I think I got about three and a half hours' sleep.
“I’ve come this early because I’ve got to be back at work at 6.20am on Thursday morning. I need to be near to the front of the queue because otherwise I won’t make it.
“I’ve come to pay my respects to the queen, a fantastic woman. She was the head of my church, the Church of England, and it’s really important to me.”
Bryan Tudor, 60, who was sixth in line on Tuesday morning, said he had never had the opportunity to meet the queen while she was alive.
His sister has for 30 years proudly showed off a framed photo of her meeting the queen's mother when she worked at a school she visited. The salesman arrived at 5am on Tuesday, prepared for the long haul with a flask of coffee and sandwiches.
“I was always envious of somebody else in the family having that,” he said. “I will be psyching myself up for that moment.
“When I came down I expected to be in a long queue, way down. To be sixth, I’m shocked.”
Monica Farag, 61, was among the more well-prepared fans camping out in South Bank in central London, sporting a backpack stuffed with food, drinks and a warm blanket. A native of the Philippines who has lived in the UK for 36 years, she spoke of her desire to be around royalty.
“It’s never too late to be a queen,” she said, as she pointed to the slogan on her T-shirt which read “it’s never too late”.
“We have water, chocolate, pancakes and some blankets. We can order dinner by Uber Eats later.
“I will offer some prayers. I will remember her as a very hard-working lady and very dignified and sincere.”
Tony Jones, who previously worked as a butler at Royal Ascot, attending to guests the monarch had invited, was among those queueing on Monday.
“I worked for the queen, I was a freelance butler, I used to do the royal boxes for many years,” the Westminster native told the PA news agency.
“We’ve gone to the [Princess] Diana things and Prince Philip’s funeral, so I thought I’d come along and join in and pay my respects to the queen for the duty that she’s given to the country for all these years.”
On seeing the queen’s coffin, he added: “I think it will be a very emotional moment, you’ll have all the people there as well and the atmosphere of it all.
“At the moment, it’s a bit low key but as the crowds gather, it’s going to feel more emotional. It will build and build.”
Rehearsals for the procession of Queen Elizabeth's coffin in London - in pictures
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
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Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
THE SPECS
GMC Sierra Denali 1500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Price: Dh232,500
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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ACC 2019: The winners in full
Best Actress Maha Alemi, Sofia
Best Actor Mohamed Dhrif, Weldi
Best Screenplay Meryem Benm’Barek, Sofia
Best Documentary Of Fathers and Sons by Talal Derki
Best Film Yomeddine by Abu Bakr Shawky
Best Director Nadine Labaki, Capernaum
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Gulf Men's League final
Dubai Hurricanes 24-12 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
THE SPECS
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm
Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Top speed: 250kph
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: Dh146,999
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
The five pillars of Islam
RESULTS
Dubai Kahayla Classic – Group 1 (PA) $750,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
Winner: Deryan, Ioritz Mendizabal (jockey), Didier Guillemin (trainer).
Godolphin Mile – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
Dubai Gold Cup – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (Turf) 3,200m
Winner: Subjectivist, Joe Fanning, Mark Johnston
Al Quoz Sprint – Group 1 (TB) $1million (T) 1,200m
Winner: Extravagant Kid, Ryan Moore, Brendan Walsh
UAE Derby – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Rebel’s Romance, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
Dubai Golden Shaheen – Group 1 (TB) $1.5million (D) 1,200m
Winner: Zenden, Antonio Fresu, Carlos David
Dubai Turf – Group 1 (TB) $4million (T) 1,800m
Winner: Lord North, Frankie Dettori, John Gosden
Dubai Sheema Classic – Group 1 (TB) $5million (T) 2,410m
Winner: Mishriff, John Egan, John Gosden
