According to the longest-serving member of the House of Commons, two million people are expected to attend the four-day wake in the British Parliament this week. Elizabeth II’s coffin will be placed there on Wednesday and will be open to the public day and night until Monday morning. “When the Queen Mother died there were 200,000 people, we’re going to see ten times that number now,” Conservative MP Peter Bottomley told BBC Radio 4 today.
It was “a sad but great opportunity” for people to “see both the modernity of the monarchy and its history”, said the conservative lawmaker. However, organizing so many people is also a big challenge, not least because of the need for toilets for so many people who stand in line for hours.
Parliament today issued guidelines to citizens wishing to bid farewell to the Queen. It’s to be expected with considerable wait times, she said. There are few opportunities to sit. However, camping chairs are not allowed. Teddy bears and flowers are also not allowed in Parliament.