King Charles spends quiet day as crowds queue for queen’s coffin

King Charles III spent the day in solitary reflection on his first week as king as thousands of mourners filed past the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall of Parliament on Thursday.

On Thursday morning, a line to see the queen lying in state snaked along the south bank of the River Thames for 2.6 miles (4.2 kilometres) before crossing a bridge to Parliament. The hours of waiting didn’t bother the thousands who were in line.

“I’m glad there was a queue because that gave us time to see what was ahead of us, prepared us and absorbed the whole atmosphere,” said health care professional Nimisha Maroo. “I wouldn’t have liked it if I’d had to just rush through.”

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The king was spending the day in “quiet thought” at his Highgrove estate in western England after a day of high ceremonial and great emotion as the queen was carried in solemn procession from Buckingham Palace.

Charles is speaking to a number of international leaders, many of whom will go to London on Monday for the queen’s burial. He has phone conversations with French President Emmanuel Macron and American President Joe Biden.

In order to view some of the tributes left by well-wishers, the heir to the throne Prince William and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, will travel to the royal family’s Sandringham estate in eastern England.