The queen’s four children stood vigil beside their mother’s coffin for fifteen minutes on Friday night. King Charles III (73), Princess Anne (72), Prince Andrew (62) and Prince Edward (58) positioned themselves – all in uniform – around the coffin, clasped their hands and looked down. Many other members of the royal family also attended the wake from a podium at the edge of Westminster Hall in Parliament, where the coffin has been laid since Wednesday night.
22 hours of waiting
The wake is reportedly the only occasion at funeral ceremonies when Prince Andrew will be allowed to wear a uniform. The Queen stripped her second eldest son of all military ranks earlier this year for his involvement in the abuse scandal surrounding the late American billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.