[Animals] Guide dog joins mourning owner in show of respect by Queen's coffin

[Amaterasu イタチ]

 

Mourners are being urged not to join the queue to see the Queen lying-in-state for at least six hours after it reached its maximum capacity. The queue currently measures about five miles long, with mourners having to wait as long as 14 hours to get close enough to pay their final respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II.

As tens of thousands stand in the streets awaiting their turn to enter Westminster Hall, in London, others from around the world have been tuning in on the live stream. On the live stream, mourners can be seen walking down the steps to the Queen's coffin before pausing for a moment to thank her for her 70 years service to the United Kingdom and the 14 Commonwealth realms.
But it isn't only her subjects who have been showing their respects as a guide dog has been spotted lowering his head towards the coffin when accompanying his owner.

The adorable moment has been shared on Twitter, with many royal fans online agreeing "Her Majesty would have approved".

It comes after officials stopped si x people from trying to 'smuggle' their pets into Westminster Hall, hiding them under their coats as they queued up.

Westminster Hall has a strict policy against animals in its building, with an exception to service or assistance animals, such as guide dogs and hearing dogs.

A statement on the government website reads: "Please do not bring pets or other animals as you will not be allowed to enter with them. Animals are not permitted in the Palace of Westminster, except guide dogs, hearing dogs and other official assistance dogs."
When Westminster Hall was first opened to mourners at 5pm on Wednesday, the queue stretched 2.5 miles all the way to London Bridge.

By the following morning, it had grown to three miles, beginning from Albert Embankment and runs along Belvedere Road behind the London Eye.

Now stretching even further, it goes onto the South Bank where it follows the Thames past the National Theatre, the Tate Modern and the HMS Belfast, before passing under Tower Bridge and along to Southwark Park.

In an attempt to help more mourners get into central London, extra transport services, including late-night trains, have been put on, and people are being urged to check Transport for London's (TfL) latest updates.

A number of roads around the queue area have been closed to vehicle and bicycle traffic, and are now only accessible on foot.

Officials expect more than 750,000 people to visit the coffin before viewings close on Monday, prior to the Queen's state funeral at 11am.

 

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