Bidens among thousands paying respects to Queen Elizabeth II

U.S. President Joe Biden paid his respects astatine Queen Elizabeth II's coffin connected Sunday arsenic thousands of police, hundreds of British troops and an service of officials made last preparations for the queen's authorities ceremonial — a spectacular show of nationalist mourning that volition besides beryllium the biggest gathering of satellite leaders for years.

People crossed Britain paused for a infinitesimal of soundlessness astatine 8 p.m. successful representation of the lone monarch astir person ever known. At Westminster Hall, wherever the queen is lying successful state, the changeless watercourse of mourners paused for 60 seconds arsenic radical observed the infinitesimal of reflection successful heavy silence.

In Windsor, wherever the queen volition beryllium laid to remainder connected Monday evening aft her ceremonial astatine Westminster Abbey, rainfall began to autumn arsenic the assemblage fell soundless for the infinitesimal of reflection. Some person acceptable up tiny camps and chairs extracurricular Windsor Castle, with plans to walk the nighttime determination to reserve the champion spots to presumption the queen's coffin erstwhile it arrives.

"Well, it's conscionable 1 nighttime and time of our lives. Elizabeth gave america – you cognize – 70 years. So the remainder of it is not a batch to ask, is it?" said Fred Sweeney, 52, who kitted retired his spot with 2 Union flags connected ample emblem poles.

Biden and archetypal woman Jill Biden were among thousands of mourners — from locals and tourists to royals and satellite leaders — to wage their respects. The president made the motion of the transverse and enactment his manus to his bosom arsenic helium stood softly adjacent the casket successful the ornate 900-year-old hallway with his woman and U.S. Ambassador Jane Hartley.

Biden past signed the authoritative condolence publication and attended a reception Sunday astatine Buckingham Palace hosted by King Charles III. He is 1 of 500 satellite leaders and royals invited to the queen's authorities ceremonial Monday, on with hundreds of dignitaries, politicians, subject veterans and British foundation workers.

Biden called Queen Elizabeth II "decent" and "honorable" and "all astir service" arsenic helium signed the condolence book, saying his bosom went retired to the royal family.

"Queen Elizabeth lived her beingness for the people," Jill Biden wrote successful a publication for spouses and ambassadors. "She served with contented and grace. We volition ne'er hide her warmth, kindness and the conversations we shared."

One no-show volition beryllium Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose invitation drew disapproval from quality rights groups due to the fact that of the sidesplitting of writer Jamal Khashoggi wrong the Saudi consulate successful Istanbul successful 2018. Saudi Arabia is expected to beryllium represented by different royal, Prince Turki bin Mohammed.

As the dignitaries poured in, the timepiece was ticking down for those seeking a spot successful the longest queue galore person ever seen to record past the queen's coffin. The miles-long queue is expected to beryllium closed to caller arrivals aboriginal Sunday truthful that everyone present successful the enactment tin presumption the coffin earlier Monday morning, erstwhile it volition beryllium taken to Westminster Abbey for the queen's funeral.

Family by family, thousands of radical kept joining the enactment astir the clock, braving chilly overnight temperatures and waits of up to 17 hours successful a queue that stretched for implicit 5 miles (8 kilometers.)

Lauren Wilson, 36, was successful the much-shorter queue for radical with mobility issues. She said she wanted to acquisition successful idiosyncratic the coffin lying successful state.

"The satellite is successful specified a weird spot and past this happened. It feels much momentous," she said.

She disquieted that the pageantry surrounding Elizabeth's decease deprives the queen's relatives of the quality to travel to presumption with their loss.

"The household are not allowed to grieve. I find it rather heartbreaking," she said.

The queen's 8 grandchildren, led by heir to the throne Prince William, circled the coffin and stood with their heads bowed during a soundless vigil connected Saturday evening.

Among the overseas leaders successful London was New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who told the BBC she was humbled to correspond her federation astatine the ceremonial and to witnesser the nationalist outpouring of grief and respect for the precocious queen.

"The happening that I volition instrumentality distant from this play is conscionable the quality of the public's response, the kindness that you spot from members of the public, the patience, the camaraderie. That has been, for me, the astir moving tribute of all, has been the nationalist effect of the British people," she said.

Monday has been declared a nationalist vacation successful grant of Elizabeth, who died Sept. 8 astatine 96 aft 70 years connected the throne. Her ceremonial volition beryllium broadcast unrecorded to implicit 200 countries and territories worldwide and screened to crowds successful parks and nationalist spaces crossed the country.

Police officers from astir the state volition beryllium connected work arsenic portion of the biggest one-day policing cognition successful London's history.

Camilla, the queen consort, paid tribute to her mother-in-law successful a video message, saying the monarch "carved her ain role" arsenic a "solitary woman" connected a satellite signifier dominated by men.

"I volition ever retrieve her smile. That grin is unforgettable," said Camilla, who is joined to Charles.

Ukraine's archetypal lady, Olena Zelenska, was besides among mourners paying respects to the queen's coffin. British royal officials said Zelenska met with Catherine, the Princess of Wales, astatine Buckingham Palace connected Sunday afternoon. They did not merchandise further details. The British authorities has been among the strongest supporters of Ukraine since it was invaded by Russia successful February.

On Saturday night, it was the grandchildren's clip to mourn. William and Prince Harry, Charles' sons, were joined by Princess Anne's children, Zara Tindall and Peter Philips; Prince Andrew's daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie; and Prince Edward's 2 children — Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.

William stood with his caput bowed astatine the caput of the coffin and Harry astatine the foot. Both princes, who are subject veterans, were successful uniform. The assemblage kept slowly, silently filing past.

"You could spot that they were reasoning hard astir their grandmother, the queen," said Ian Mockett, a civilian technologist from Oxford successful confederate England. "It was bully to spot them each unneurotic arsenic a acceptable of grandchildren, fixed the things that person happened implicit the past fewer years."

The lying-in-state continues until aboriginal Monday morning, erstwhile the queen's coffin volition beryllium moved connected a weapon carriage pulled by 142 Royal Navy sailors to adjacent Westminster Abbey for the funeral, the finale of 10 days of nationalist mourning for Britain's longest-reigning monarch.

After the work Monday astatine the abbey, the precocious queen's coffin volition beryllium transported done the historical bosom of London connected the authorities weapon carriage. It volition past beryllium taken successful a hearse to Windsor, wherever the queen volition beryllium interred alongside her precocious husband, Prince Philip, who died past twelvemonth astatine 99.

Sumita Tanda enactment down agleam reddish roses arsenic a immense floral tribute bloomed adjacent Windsor Castle.

"I consciousness truthful privileged to beryllium a section nonmigratory of Windsor," she said. "I conscionable wanted to wage my respects."