CARDIFF (UK), Sept 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Crowds cheered King Charles III in the Welsh capital Friday — though a handful protested — while in London, the public was told they faced a wait of up to 24 hours to file past the coffin of the late queen.
In Cardiff, Charles met in private with Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford, an avowed republican. There was isolated booing on the streets after the new monarch declared his son William the new Prince of Wales.
But Drakeford said questions over the future of the monarchy would “be a footnote to the dominant feelings of the day”, following the death on Sept 8 of Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 96.
Large crowds chanted “God Save the King” as Charles shook hands with well-wishers following a multi-faith service in Llandaff Cathedral, and at Cardiff Castle, on the last of his visits to the UK’s four nations.
In a speech at the parliament of Wales, which alternated between English and Welsh, Charles vowed to follow the “selfless example” of Britain’s longest-serving monarch.
He added that William’s “love for this corner of the Earth is made all the greater by the years he himself has spent here”: his son trained as a Royal Air Force helicopter pilot in Anglesey.
Outside Cardiff Castle, a few protesters held up banners declaring “Abolish the Monarchy”, “Citizen not subject” and “Democracy now”.
Charles later returned to London to join his siblings — Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward — for a family vigil in front of the flag-shrouded casket as it lies in state in parliament.
The “Vigil of the Princes”, with all four royals in ceremonial military uniform, lasted for 15 minutes. Eight of the queen’s grandchildren, including William and his brother Harry, are expected to hold a similar vigil on Saturday evening.
Elizabeth’s death has triggered an outpouring of emotion, with tens of thousands from all backgrounds and many nations queueing for hours, often through the night, to pay their respects in Westminster Hall.
At Westminster Abbey on Monday morning, the queen will be honoured with Britain’s first state funeral in nearly six decades, with more than 2,000 guests expected.
After the televised service, the coffin will be transferred by royal hearse to Windsor Castle, west of London, for a private burial in which the queen will be laid to rest alongside her late husband Philip, her parents and her sister. — NNN-AGENCIES
