President Droupadi Murmu meets King Charles at Buckingham Palace ahead of Queen's funeral

President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday visited UK's King Charles III at a reception hosted at Buckingham Palace, before Queen Elizabeth's official funeral. The President of India was invited to the reception which was hosted by King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla. President Murmu paid her respects at the Palace of Westminster in London, where the Queen's coffin is lying in state on the catafalque in Westminster Hall. 

In addition to this, on behalf of the Indian government, President Murmu signed a book of condolences while on a three-day trip to London for Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral, which will take place at Westminster Abbey today, September 19. The President was accompanied by acting high commissioner Sujit Ghosh at Lancaster House in London, where international leaders are coming by to sign the condolence book in remembrance of Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away at the age of 96 in Scotland on September 8.  

President Droupadi Murmu paid respect to Queen Elizabeth II

At Westminster Hall, where Britain's longest-serving monarch is lying in state until the morning of the royal funeral, President Murmu paid his respects on September 18. With an audience of almost 2,000 people, the President attended the solemn service at the Abbey with some 500 international leaders and royals. 

Rashtrapati Bhavan shared a video of the President at the Hall in the House of Parliament complex, saying "The President offered tributes to the departed soul on her own behalf and on behalf of the people of India." 

Queen's funeral

In the meantime, the congregation for the state funeral service on Monday will include representatives of the Realms and the Commonwealth. British officials further announced on late Sunday that the queue to see Queen Elizabeth II laying in the state has to be stopped for new arrivals. People waited for up to 24 hours on the weekend with a nearly 10-km-long line that has been forming over the past several days. 

The doors of the Abbey will open today at 8 a.m. (local time) for the visiting dignitaries and attendees invited to the funeral, among whom will be hundreds of people honoured in the Queen's Birthday Honours earlier this year, many of whom were chosen by the late monarch for their extraordinary contributions to the COVID-19 pandemic response and volunteer work in their local communities, PTI reported.  

All heads of state and foreign royal families are anticipated to congregate at a central location and go to the Abbey via "collective arrangements," according to the procedures in place for the day. The chapel at Windsor Castle will serve as the location for the late monarch's burial.

(Image: Twitter/ @HCI_London)