William and Harry sleep with their cousins ​​in the coffin of the Queen

Princes William and Harry staged a vigil on either side of their grandmother’s coffin, Queen Elizabeth, on Saturday, bowing heads as a series of mourners passed by the late king.

The two sons of King Charles III, in uniform, stood silent during a 15-minute vigil in Westminster Great Hall, where the coffin has been since Wednesday, draped in Royal Standard banners, with the British Crown Jewels on top. .

William and Harry were joined by their six cousins, including Princesses Beatrice and Eugenia, who had previously hailed the world’s longest-lived monarchs. United kingdom. The Queen died on September 8 at her summer home in Scotland at the age of 96.

“You have been our mothers, our guide, the loving hand behind our backs that leads us through the world,” said the sisters, Prince Andrew’s daughters. “You taught us so much and we will cherish these lessons and memories forever. For now, my dear grandmother, all we want to say is thank you.”

Hundreds of thousands of people stood for many hours in a queue that stretched along the Thames, waiting for the coffin to be passed and their respects for the Queen – a testament to the affection they had for her.