Some stopped and bowed, others blew kisses while a few sobbed openly as mourners slowly walked past Queen Elizabeth II lying in state on Wednesday evening.
Two lines streamed down the thick, fawn-coloured carpet past the coffin draped with the Royal Standard.
It rested on the raised catafalque guarded by two officers each from the Life Guards and Blues and Royals, four Beefeaters and two King's Body Guard, each statuesque as they rested hands on drawn swords, tips touching the red carpet, heads bowed.
The National, in the first small group of journalists allowed into Westminster Hall, watched as lords, MPs and parliamentary workers went down one side while the public went down the other.
As they came to the North Door of the 11th-century hall, they momentarily mingled, politicians and the people. It was how the queen, resting only a few metres away, would have wanted it.
Some left crying on the shoulders of a colleague. One woman blew a kiss, walked a few more paces then turned and blew another. The sense of loss was tangible.
The public pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster - in pictures
Never had Britain witnessed a monarch so devoted to duty or so respected after her record 70-year reign.
That will be reflected in the 16-kilometre queues that will continue until Monday at 6.30am British time, with many Britons and overseas mourners who have only known one monarch wanting to pay their last respects.
At the front, people young and old alike had arrived from 4am, some wearing military medals, others in wheelchairs.
“It was so emotional. You could feel such warmth coming from her,” one woman told The National after leaving the hall.
Queen Elizabeth II's coffin procession from Buckingham Palace - in pictures
The National counted 50 people passing a minute until after 20 minutes the line inside Westminster Hall halted for five minutes to allow the 10 catafalque guards to change over, in another solemn but exact act of military precision.
That discipline was reflected earlier in the day when Big Ben tolled mournfully once every minute as the late queen left Buckingham Palace for the last time at 2.22pm.
From 5pm on Wednesday to 6.30am on Monday her closed coffin will be mounted on a catafalque where it will be viewed by an estimated 500,000 people.
It was accompanied by wreath of white roses and dahlias appropriately joined by pine from the gardens at Balmoral Castle along with lavender and rosemary from Windsor Castle, both places treasured homes of the queen
The morning rain from slate-grey skies had subsided to rays of sunshine as the gun carriage of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery trundled down The Mall, which was lined with Union flags and flanked by silent mourners, 10 people deep.
Mourners line The Mall to watch queen's coffin procession - in pictures
It was a road that the queen had taken so many times, on horseback for Trooping the Colour, others in the state carriage for the opening of Parliament. Many a head of state and prime minister had travelled in the opposite direction for audiences that Queen Elizabeth hosted during her reign.
Her final formal journey down the route through Horse Guards Parade had been in late June, to celebrate her platinum jubilee.
Now, instead of the joyful tunes of military bands and the rock group Queen, was the sound of gunfire every minute from the Royal Horse Artillery in Hyde Park.
Behind the escort party of 34 soldiers from The Queen’s Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards came King Charles III walking alongside his three siblings.
Queen Elizabeth II's lying in state explained - video
The waiting crowd of his new subjects watched the procession slowly march past, some smiling in memory of all Queen Elizabeth had done for their country, others crying. Nearly all clapped.
The escort of Grenadiers, Life Guards and Blue and Royals, who form part of the Household Division, marched the entire 40-minute journey either with their rifle or sword reversed under their right arm with their left hand behind their back. Each wore a black armband.
At precisely 3pm the procession reached Westminster Hall, attached to the Houses of Parliament.
In a moment of perfect unison, the eight Grenadier pallbearers removed the coffin from the gun-carriage then, as if it was raising under its own volition, placed it on their shoulders, before marching to the catafalque as choristers sang.
Queen Elizabeth II's coffin arrives at Buckingham Palace - video
The lying in state is another important moment in the transition of power, during which British subjects historically confirmed that the monarch was actually dead. This has been open to the public only since Edward VII’s death in 1910.
The location of Westminster Hall, once the home of kings and feasts, is symbolic in recognising the close relationship between crown and Parliament, in which the latter’s legislation ultimately has to be signed off by the monarch.
Another symbol of the transition was the crown on the coffin that will not be passed to King Charles until his coronation, most likely next year.
Before then, people from Britain and around the world will queue, some potentially for 24 hours, to pay their last respects.
RAF plane carrying Queen Elizabeth II's coffin lands in London - video
A major operation has begun with 1,000 security staff and volunteers supervising the line that stretched down the Thames past the London Eye and beyond the Tower of London.
Coloured wristbands were handed out to ensure people could keep their place if they needed to visit one of the 500 Portaloos lining the route or to get some refreshments.
After an airport-type security check, the first entered the hall silent in the gravity of the presence of their dead queen.
For the next six days, officers of the Household Division will stand vigil at each corner of the catafalque in six-hour shifts, except when the queen’s four children will mount their own vigil late on Friday evening.
People queue to view Queen Elizabeth II's coffin lying in state - in pictures
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
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December 2024
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Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
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Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
