BREAKING: More than a quarter of a million people passed through Westminster Hall to see the Queen lying in state, a minister said.
The number is less than was expected for those lining up in ‘The Queue’ through central London, which at times had a waiting time of more than 24 hours.If confirmed, the number is fewer than the total to see her father King George VI lie in state over five days, which is thought to have been 305,806.
However, it does not include the number to pay their respects in St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, where the Queen also lay in state after dying at Balmoral estate in Scotland.supports HTML5 videoThe queue in London was constantly busy since the lying in state began, with the government repeatedly warning people to stay away to avoid disappointment towards the end.
Ms Donelan said she did not yet have the cost for the state funeral, but said it was ‘money well spent’. ‘I’m not sure of the exact costings but as I say, I think the British public would argue that that was money well spent,’ she said. ‘You saw so many thousands out there and I don’t think anybody can suggest that our late monarch didn’t deserve that send-off, given the duty and the selfless service that she committed to over 70 years.’