A million visitors are queuing up to attend the longest-reigning Queen Elizabeth II Lying-in-State, making history; while a galaxy of world leaders land in London for the State funeral at Westminster Abbey at 11 am (3:30 pm IST) on Monday. It will be a huge gathering of world leaders never seen before. King Charles III hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace for them on Sunday evening. There were 500 dignitaries.

The queue from Southwark Park touches Tower bridge, London bridge, Southwark bridge, Millennium bridge, Blackfriars bridge, Waterloo bridge and Westminster bridge before crossing the Lambeth bridge to enter a zig-zag near the entrance.

The BBC gave a calculation of the length of the queue. The distance from Westminster to Southwark Park, the starting point of the queue, is 11 km. Then there is the zig-zag section of nearly 5 km to rough in. So the queue is meandering slowly up towards Westminster for a total of 16 km! (which in theory becomes a constant). Although, 16 km is quite a lot for standing and moving without any chance to cool your legs for a moment. "Very little opportunity to sit down as the queue will be continuously moving” - the Government itself cautioned a swelling stream of mourners pouring into London from across the kingdom day and night. The time taken can easily be 14 hours! Yet the determination keeps everyone fit as a fiddle.

The calculation doesn't take into account a queue to join the queue that has come up and the last-minute doubling of the official queue into a double lane.

The masses in the queues looked extremely solemn and serious too and displayed an amazing natural discipline that illustrated a national character evolved partly from a thousand years of democratic tradition.

LONDON, Sept 18: Biggest-ever security arrangements were put in place in London as a stream of Heads of State and Government, like US President Joe Biden, and royals and other dignitaries from across the world began landing in the city since Saturday to participate in Queen Elizabeth II's funeral on Monday at 11 am (3:30 pm IST). Around 2,000 guests are expected who will be seated in Westminster Abbey, the venue for the State funeral, by 8 am. King Charles III and Prime Minister Liz Truss were scheduled to meet the top leaders separately on Saturday-Sunday. On Sunday evening Charles hosted a reception for them at Buckingham Palace. There were 500 dignitaries.

Meanwhile, the long queues of commoners that began swelling by the hour since Wednesday evening has broken the Guinness World Records. Nearly a million visitors will have filed past the coffin by the end of time or that is the capacity for which only arrangements had been made!

Britons are displaying exemplary fortitude in enduring the grueling journey standing 12 to 14 hours day or night in unending queues wanting to pay respects to the departed Queen lying-in-state.

Shuffling along the streets of London, it appeared uncertain on Sunday if most visitors desiring to come will make it, missing out an experience of a lifetime, attending the Monarch lying-in-state.

The mourners in line are roughing it for the toughest time braving the cold nights standing in queues for over 12 hours on an average, old and young alike, from far and near, having come for a last glimpse of their beloved Queen 'waiting' in the people's house, the centuries old Westminster Hall, before Her Majesty moves into her final resting place at Wintsor Castle alongside her Prince Consort.

Southwark Park is the entry point for the queue. Queues systematically wind through a zig-zag section and along the Thames bank passing the Lambeth Bridge (see image).

Unusual for Westerners, the mourners united in purpose were seen at places chit-chatting as they willingly embraced the ordeal. Those were positive expressions. No complaints.

People talking to one another, asking where did they hail from, connecting with people walking past slowly, on their own, disciplined, absolute silence, orderly movement, without need for cops to utter a word! Even inside the Hall they behaved themselves, they could take their own time, if they wanted. There was pindrop silence as everyone bowed one's head in reverence. It was history in the making.

30 things you didn’t know about Queen Elizabeth!

The mourners came prepared, dressed to face any weather. On Saturday too like the previous day, queues lengthened to full capacity and it was overwhelming at Southwark Park, the entry point. It was estimated a visitor joining the queue at Southwark Park took 12 hours on an average to reach the entrance. On Sunday the stream of visitors to London only mounted. As the entrance will close at 6:30 am Monday, joining the queue after 6 pm Sunday will invite only disappointment.

A Government website said, "this is a journey with very little opportunity to sit down as the queue will be continuously moving”.

It was cloudy on Sunday morning at 8 and the temperature was 11 deg C. The night before was colder. How did the multitudes manage. According to BBC, blankets were distributed.

King Charles and Prince William had an unscheduled meeting with mourners in the queue at points like Lambeth bridge, south London, on Saturday. King Charles shook their hands. Several people cried after meeting Prince William, BBC reported.

Some Do's & Don'ts

Authorities had on Saturday warned the public not to undertake travel to join the queue as the wait time stretched beyond 14 hours standing. Visitors were told better not to bring children.

According to Daily Telegraph, the visitors are given a coloured wrist band bearing a number that helps them to leave the line to go to portaloos or for refreshments if they want and get back to their slot.

There are 500 portable toilets and eight first aid stations run by St John Ambulance along the route.

Around a 1,000 cops have been drawn to London from across the Kingdom to help the Scotland Yard, the city police, to assist the public.

The British Film Institute (BFI) has set up an outdoor screen showing footage from the archives of Queen's life for the those in the queues.

The Government had already warned the people about the physical endurance.

More than 700 people had fallen sick in the queue and had to be treated by paramedics, till Saturday.

Before reaching the security check at the Victoria Tower Gardens at the Palace of Westminster, any food or liquid thay may have must be consumed or disposed of. Flasks and water bottles must be emptied. A small bag of size up to 40 cm x 30 cm x 20 cm, with one simple opening or zip is allowed in. However, there is a bag drop facility before check point. Checking is very strict.

No photography is allowed. Flowers, candles etc can be dropped at an identified tribute area beforehand. That is near Green Park.

No weapons, blankets etc are allowed. One should be ready to spend the night in the queue.

David Beckham in queue

Renowned soccer star David Beckham preferred to take his turn waiting in line with the rest of the country's mourners. Beckham was seen in line on Friday morning. He waited for more than 12 hours to reach the Queen.

Grateful King Charles and Prince William met some mourners in the queue and shook hands, on Saturday.

Entry to the queues was blocked by authorities on Friday as they were snaking beyond an unmanageable 8 km at 10 in the morning (IST 2:30 pm Friday), taking 14 hours to reach the entrance. New visitors were not allowed for at least six hours. They were told to be prepared to spend the night standing in queue.

"Entry (to the queue) will be paused for at least 6 hours. Please do not attempt to join the queue until it re-opens," the Government's culture department said on Twitter.

Lying-in-State

The longest-reigning Queen Elizabeth II who died on September 8 was the oldest monarch at 96. She was on the throne for over 70 years.

The coffin is placed on a catafalque and draped in the Royal Standard, with the Orb and Sceptre placed on top.

The Queen’s four children - King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, will be present at the funeral.

The opening of lying in state was attended by the new British Prime Minister Liz Truss and Labour Party Opposition leader Keir Starmer.

The new Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, Prince William, and his brother Duke of Sussex Prince Harry and other royals stood vigil at the Queen's coffin on Saturday evening. Charles and the Queen Consort did so on Friday.

Prince Harry and Prince Andrew were given permission to wear military uniform for the vigil. He had relinquished royal functions a few years back over the scandal relating to Jeffrey Epstein.

The tradition of Lying-in-State for monarchs began in 1910 with Edward VII, who lay-in-state in Westminster Hall. Three lakh visitors had lined up day and night in bitter cold to file past the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II's father George VI. Elizabeth the Queen Mother lay in state, in 2002. Prince Philip, Elizabeth II's consort, opted out; he died in 2021. Some Prime Ministers like Winston Churchill also lay-in-state in Westminster Hall.

A national minute's silence is held across the UK on Sunday at 20:00. A prayer service will be held at the Kelpies, near Falkirk.

Buckingham Palace said five prime ministers held audiences with the King on Saturday afternoon. They were Jacinda Ardern, PM of New Zealand, Australian leader Anthony Albanese, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, The Bahamas' PM Philip Davis, and the PM of Jamaica Andrew Holiness.

The funeral

Queen Elizabeth II's funeral is the first state funeral in the UK since Winston Churchill’s in 1965.

The lying-in-state in Westminster Hall ends 6:30 am Monday and the Hall will be closed. At 10:44 am the coffin will be placed on the gun carriage and moved to nearby Westminster Abbey at 10.52 am. Pall bearers will lift the coffin from the carriage and carry to Abbey. Doors will open at 8 am to allow guests like Biden take their seats.

Heads of state and overseas Government representatives, including foreign royal families, Governors-General and realm Prime Ministers will gather initially at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, and travel under “collective arrangements” to Westminster Abbey, Independent said. Royals other than those in procession will also take their seats early.

All others like MPs and those from the realms and the Commonwealth will form the congregation, about 2,000 people, who will also be seated at 8 am.

A life of duty

At 11 am the funeral service will begin. It will be attended by world leaders and the royal family members present. Funeral will be conducted by Dean of Westminster. Prime minister Liz Truss and the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth are both expected to give readings at the service.

At 11:55 Last Post is played and then a national two-minute silence will follow. The service ends with a piper playing at 12 noon.

Then, starting at midday, the bearer party will lift the coffin from the catafalque and place on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy which will stop at Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner, at around 1 pm. There the coffin will be transferred on to the State hearse and driven to Windsor Castle. It will arrive at Windsor Castle at 3.06 pm. Then starts a walking procession up Windsor Castle's Long Walk, about 5 km. The King and other royals join the cortege in the Quadrangle in a procession for the committal service at St George's Chapel.

The three processions

(So there are three processions for the funeral. The first is a short one from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey for the official State funeral service; then from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch in State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy; here the coffin is transferred to the State Hearse for the onward journey to Windsor Castle. The third procession is within the Castle premises, to St George's Chapel.)

After a ceremony at 4 pm in St George’s Chapel, the coffin will be lowered into the Royal Vault.

Queen's coffin will be reunited with Prince Philip’s

At 7:30 pm Queen Elizabeth II's coffin will be reunited with the her husband of 70 years, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Consort Philip’s coffin and they both will be interred in the King George VI Memorial Chapel (of the Queen's father) in a private service. Prince Philip is currently resting in the Royal vault.

(A chapel is a small place of worship which can be anywhere - like even residences - and without clergymen or priests while a church is a dedicated building with clergymen or priests managing the prayers. A large church can also accommodate one or more chapels. A cathedral is bigger than a church and is run by a bishop. The very ancient Windsor Castle belongs to the monarchy and has the medieval St George's Chapel which may be used for services like weddings and burials. The King George VI Memorial Chapel was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth II as her father's burial place. It is a part of St George's Chapel. The Castle was the Queen's private residence.)

True or false, Savitri claimed her husband had told her to throw Vinod into the canal as all that he does is eat. "How much torture can my son endure?" She picked him up when he was asleep.

Marking a decisive stage in the ongoing tussle between Governors and the Governments in some States, the Governor of Bengal has thrown down the gauntlet to the State police, asking the Raj Bhavan staff to refuse any enquiry from the cops in the sexual harassment case filed by a woman employee against him.

COMMENT: In many a case complaints can be frivolous, made under certain circumstances. So it is more in the interest of the accused that there is an investigation to clear his name. Denial may only mean acceptance of the guilt. Besides, quoting Constitutional immunity in sexual harassment cases is nothing short of a vulgarity of the feudal landlord. Nobody is above the law.

While the universal apprentice scheme will enable the educated youth to stand up (literally) in a country where the people are trampled by wretched politicians, and look about for avenues to earn a living confidently, the provision of student credit cards of up to Rs 10 lakh will ensure each and every student of this country receives equal opportunities to fulfil their aspirations of higher education irrespective of their financial conditions. It will be a game changer. These are on the lines of what US Vice-President Kamala Harris visualised to be happening to the Third World when she hailed Ajay Banga as a transformative World Bank President.

Peter Higgs is the father of the mysterious Higgs boson, otherwise called 'God Particle', which gives mass to all elementary particles, and created our universe. His contribution helped other scientists understand how the Big Bang created something out of nothing 13.8 billion years ago. The equations of particle physicists which did not have a leg to stand on till then, the 'God Particle' came as a Godsend. The theories so far to describe the universe did not hold water.

It was only by 2012, after 50 years of the boson discovery, that scientists at CERN could make the big announcement that they had finally found a Higgs boson using the Large Hadron Collider.

Higgs instantly broke into tears, tears of profound satisfaction, in the lecture hall where the announcement was made.

LEGAL REMEDIES: Last year, on the directive of the Supreme Court, the Governor granted assent to one Bill, and referred seven Bills to the President. The petition against the President also challenges the Governor's action of referring the Bills to her.

The unprecedented step by the State may also establish that it always upholds the Constitution and the rule of law in order to pre-empt any eventuality of getting dismissed on flimsy grounds invoking provisions of the Constitution later on; and, also provide a thrust to an emerging platform of regional forces pitted against the ongoing centralisation of every subject and activity in the country under one umbrella where the States will ultimately 'wither' away (for some time).

OPINION: Made to happen as it does just weeks ahead of the general elections, the arrest may signal, if not the cause of, far-reaching consequences in the course of Indian politics. The Opposition charges that the ruling party at the Centre has unleashed the police to catch a leader every other day for corruption allegedly indulged in in the present or the remote past in order to incapacitate any concerted opposition to the ruling dispensation.

The “My way or the highway" man, Trump has predicted 'apocalypse' for Americans if he is not elected the President in the upcoming election. He sounds “extremism, affection for violence." As always, he is also seeing what others don't, and repetitively using words like "(2020) election was stolen"! And that's a symptom! Delivering a no-holds-barred speech at a rally in Ohio, he also predicted the US won't see another election if he did not win the November battle against the incumbent President. With his savage push against the God-fearing Catholic, and the heap of criminal cases pending in the courts, the unpredictable Trump's nomination exposes a season of drought of leadership of calibre in the United States.

The much-touted 'one-nation, one-election' argument was purportedly to prevent wasteful expenditure of the people's money, manpower and deceleration of development, but the committee report when implemented will end up paving the way for holding more elections than currently being held. Because of the logistics and democratic limitations involved, the committee was not expected by commonsense to be out of a loose end either! Those who are alive at that time, and further for ten more years thereafter, can count the rounds and compare with the present numbers. Therefore, either the agenda is different or the 8-volume presentation is faulty/made-up!!!

The manager has defended himself saying that dry ice got mixed with mouth freshener by the negligence of the staff...After taking the mouth freshener the customers felt a burning sensation and started vomiting blood. Five of them were hospitalised. Two are in critical condition.

Harmful effects of dry ice: Ingested, dry ice can burn your mouth, esophagus and stomach as it sublimates on contact with the moisture of the organs and turns into CO2, apart from other damaging physical and chemical changes it induces. The pressure building up in the stomach due to sublimation can also rupture the stomach muscles. It turns lethal. In normal direct handling it leads to frostbite due to the cold temperature.

One of them is seen in CCTV being shot at close range. The motive is suspected to be personal enmity.

TAILPIECE: Almost every other day we hear of shootings in one place or other in the country. India will very soon replace the US as the world's No 1 in the incidence of mass shooting. It will eclipse terrorism as a source of concern. Who can help? At least, has it occurred to anyone's mind?

'This Moment' of Shakti fusion won the Best Global Music Album at the Grammys. Zakir Hussain has won two other awards too. In a great victory for Indians, five of them have won the Grammys this time. In other sections, Taylor Swift got her fourth Album of the Year award and Miley Cyrus got an award for the first time.

The Government scheme provides ₹ 51,000 per wedding of which ₹ 35,000 goes to the girl, ₹ 10,000 for wedding materials and ₹ 6,000 towards expenses for the ceremony.

“Two activists from the environmental movement ‘Riposte Alimentaire’ sprayed pumpkin soup on the armoured glass protecting the Mona Lisa, this Sunday, January 28, 2024, around 10 am (4aET),” a statement from the museum said.

It is not understood how undesirable elements are allowed to get so close to her and play havoc with the artwork. Several times over this has happened in the past, deranged minds masquerading as tourists and cultists venting their frustration.

A Spicejet passenger had a harrowing experience inside a tiny claustrophobic lavatory aboard a Mumbai-Bengaluru flight when he found to his bewilderment that the door was not opening.

Two days earlier, in a similar incident in the area, a domestic help was bitten by a pet dog in the lift when she was going for work.

Tailpiece: Sometimes appearing to outnumnber men and women on the streets, the stray dogs are turning more and more daring with sections of anti-social elements out there to feed and protect them in order to find a window for their unfulfilled love! There is an all-pervading feeling of lack of authority.

Ankit Tiwari had told the employee that “instructions had been received from the Prime Minister’s Office to conduct an enquiry” and reopen the “already disposed of” case and asked him to appear before the ED office at Madurai on October 30, DVAC said. The doctor was allegedly threatened with arrest and told to pay a bribe of Rs 3 cr to avoid the ED probe, which was later negotiated down to Rs 50 lakh.

Tailpiece: We are made to believe RBI, CBI, ED, Judiciary as sacrosanct and all others like railways, transport, revenue, education, PWD departments are composed of us the mortals, absolutely corrupt! As if in the sacrosanct places the angels descend from the heavens to work in the night and fly away before day-break! Let's be true to ourselves, we are all cut from the same cloth.

Apart from cash, Gill had also taken three planes as bribe and two of them were leased out to Redbird Aviation Academy. With the result, flying schools compromised on safety requirements and trainers met with accidents several times.

Five people were arrested from a banquet hall in Sector 51 Noida on Thursday where they were called to hold a rave party in a trap laid by the animal rights group, PFA. They named Yadav but he was not present.

Betting through Dubai-based Mahadev Book in India is conducted through a countrywide network. Probes reveal that the online gambling is worth several millions and top politicians, officials and celebs have been beneficiaries.

TAILPIECE: Polling dates for some States are round the corner. Top politicians have begun their acrimonious debate who looted more, even as Mahadev is washing their dirty laundry in the open ghat. Come what may, one needs to seize power to amass "thy wretched pelf!" One simple question is, why else one should spend lakhs or crores to get elected! A question every Indian should ask to oneself at least once a day!

His inaction amounts to defeating the rights of the people of the State to welfare measures sought to be implemented through the Bills, the Kerala Government's petition submitted, while the State of Tamil Nadu remarked that its "Governor is acting as a political rival."

Tailpiece: Coming up back to back, the petitions in their totality seem to question the provision of Raj Bhavan, and not motives of a Governor as a person.