King Charles III thanked, Sunday, September 18, all those who have supported him and his family since the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. “In London, Edinburgh, Hillsborough and Cardiff, [mon épouse Camilla et moi] We were moved beyond measure by all who took the trouble to come and pay tribute to the lifelong service of my dear mother, the late Queen.”he wrote in a press release, on the eve of a state funeral which should bring together more than 2,000 guests. “As we all prepare to say our final goodbyes, I just wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you to all those countless people who have been such a support and comfort to me and my family during this time. period of mourning.”
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Earlier in the evening, at 8 p.m. local time, the UK froze for a minute’s silence. The British had been invited to live “this moment of reflection” in their homes, on their doorsteps or on their streets, or at community events and vigils.
The sovereign, who died on September 8 at the age of 96, was extremely popular after seventy years of reign, an unprecedented longevity in British history. Tens of thousands of people have lined up night and day since Wednesday to gather in front of his coffin, displayed in Westminster Hall. Monday will be a public holiday in the United Kingdom for this state funeral, the first since that of Winston Churchill in 1965.