It has been four days since the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. Despite national mourning, life in England went on as usual. ‘There’s even a party going on’, says correspondent Lia van Bekhoven. Meanwhile, King Charles III has started his first full week as head of state.

Charles has a full agenda this week. This morning he gave a speech to the British Parliament, saying he was “very grateful” for all the expressions of support after his mother’s death. After the speech, he visited representatives from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. According to Van Bekhoven, he did this to introduce himself as the new king. “In Scotland, for example, he got the keys to the city of Edinburgh.” He will also accompany the coffin to St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh for the service. He then traveled to Belfast.

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The Queen’s body will be moved to London tomorrow. Van Bekhoven expects this to be a ‘giant event’. ‘I just read, for example, that all foreign officials should leave their private jets at home. They have to take commercial flights.’ After they arrived in London, they were taken to the city center by bus. “A twenty hour line is expected in front of the great hall at Westminster. It will be a very grand and solemn event.’

Gloomy splendor and splendor

Everything will be thought out tomorrow, said Van Bekhoven. For example, Big Ben goes off at nine in the morning. After that it will not sound again and the clapper will be fully charged. Service starts at 11.00 WIB. He hoped the whole country would be calm by then. ‘This will be a day of gloomy splendor, of great national unity. I think it will happen somewhere between Queen Victoria’s funeral in 1901 and Winston Churchill’s funeral in 1965.’

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