Queen Elizabeth II of England dies | Summary news, 14 September

People queue to pay respects to Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday evening, as the coffin of Britain's late monarch lies in state at London's Westminster Hall.

(Photo: REUTERS/Hannah McKay)

Queue to enter Westminster Hall is 2.4 miles long

According to the latest data on the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport's Queue Tracker, the queue of mourners waiting to enter Westminster Hall to observe the Queen lying in state is currently 2.4 miles long.

The queue starts where Albert Embankment meets Lambeth Bridge in Central London, on the south side of the River Thames. From Albert Embankment, the queue continues along the south bank of the Thames. Facilities are available at designated locations along the queue route, including public toilets, drinking water and first aid stations.

Queen Elizabeth II's funeral expected to break TV audience record

Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral will be broadcast and streamed live by the BBC and ITV on Monday and is expected to smash audience records to become the most watched live broadcast of all time. Experts estimate that as many as 4.1 billion, half the planet, could tune in to watch momentous event.

The current audience record for a live broadcast is set at 3.5 billion viewers who watched Muhammad Ali open the Atlanta Olympics at the Centennial Olympic Stadium on Friday 19 July1996. A reported 3 billion watched the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Queen Elizabeth II lying in state in Westminster

Her Majesty The Queen’s coffin arrived at the Palace of Westminster today under the care of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery and Grenadier Guards. Her Majesty’s coffin will now be lying-in-state, under vigil, until the funeral.

Thousands of mourners line the Mall

Thousands of mourners lined the Mall and the route to Westmister Abbey to pay their last respects to Queen Elizabeth II as the former monarch's coffin was led in a solemn procession to parliament where it will remain lying in state for the next four days.

Westminster Abbey bells muffled in respect

Muffled bells were tolled for the first time in over 70 years in churches across the UK in respect of the later Queen, Elizabeth II. Bells at Westminster Abbey, where the Queen is lying in state, have been muffled with leather pads to produce a softer, less harsh sound.

A statement issued by the Church of England explained, "The death of the Sovereign is one of the rare occasions when fully muffled bells are sounded – a technique to create an echo by fitting pads to both sides of the bell clapper."

When did Charles become king?

There have been many questions surroidning the assertion to the thrown of King Chares III. One of the main questions relates to when exactly Charles became king. Verify looked into it and according to royal procedures, the minute Queen Elizabeth II passed away, Charles became the next monarch of the United Kingdom. 

WORLD NEWS

Will King Charles have to pay inheritance tax on the Queen’s private estate valued at over $750 million?

King Charles has been gifted the Duchy of Lancaster in his inheritance from his mother, Elizabeth II. While he gives up the $1 billion (£855 million) Duchy of Cornwall to his son William, the Duchy of Lancaster provides and ample swap worth more than $750 million (£641 million). Better yet, this will come at no cost to him due to a tweak in royal inheritance law.

The 1993 change prevents a depletion of royal funds in the case of royal deaths in quick succession. It was first utilised in 2002 when the Queen Mother bequeathed her $100 million (£80 million) estate. Read more. 

WORLD NEWS

When will the new pound bills with the face of King Charles III start to circulate in the UK?

The Queen has been the face, literally, of currencies around the world for 69 years. Her passing means a change will be needed, and her heir and successor, Charles III is to take up the mantle in matters of state and coinage.

The new coins will have the face of King Charles III facing the opposite direction to the late Queen Elizabeth, keeping up a royal tradition. An example of this is shown upon a commemorative coin released in 2019 with Charles upon it.

Royal family leads Queen's procession through Scotland

King Charles III led a funeral procession through the streets of Scotland, down the "Royal Mile to St Giles’ Cathedral with his siblings earlier this week. This is one of the few occasions where all of the children were present together, celebrating the life of their mother. 

The Queen's body lay in rest at St Giles’ Cathedral until she was moved to London, where she will lie in state at Westminster Abbey.  

Arrests made after anti-monarchy protests

At least four people have been arrested for protesting against the monarchy, King Charles and Prince Andrew, during the course of the remembrance events for Queen Elizabeth II. Calls to abolish the monarchy have become increasingly common, spurred on the controversial compensation payment made on behalf of Prince Andrew to avoid facing charges related to sexual abuse. 

Many criticised the heavy-handed policing that saw peaceful protestors arrested in Oxford and the Scottish capital, Edinburgh. 

In more recent days, many loyal to the crown have made their position clear that the civil liberties fought for by the people should not be suspended merely because they challenge the monarchy. Civil liberties were won in spite of the monarchy, and the institution wishes to remain relevant, ensuring they are on the side of expressive freedoms is seen as a much wiser move.

Donald Trump not invited to Queen Elizabeth's funeral

After days of speculation, Buckingham Palace has confirmed that no former US presidents will be invited to the funeral. Current heads of state will be invited, and the White House has not confirmed whether President Biden or any officials from his administration will be in attendance. Russian President Vladimir Putin has not been invited either, given the tensions between the two countries.

Mourners already lining up to

Through the rain, mourners welcomed the casket of Queen Elizabeth II back to Buckingham Palace. More than a quarter million people are expected to pay their respects to the Queen while she lies in state at Westminister. 

Good morning and welcome to AS USA, where we'll be bringing you all the latest from the United Kindom as the late Queen Elizabeth II lies in state at Buckingham Palace. 

King Charles III has begun his tour of the UK, visiting Northern Ireland and Scotland and addressing Parliament. 

The Queen's funeral will take place on 19 September, with leaders from across the Commonwealth expected to attend.