The most royal and most unforgettable scenes of the week that followed the death of the Queen Mother took place under the magnificent vaulted ceiling of Westminster Hall, in the Palace of Westminster, siege of the British Parliament. Members of the House of Lords and the House of Commons welcomed the coffin as it arrived following the magnificent ceremonial procession. Four at each time, service men took their places in the vigil over the coffin, creating a scene of magical royalty and tradition. In the picture on the left, Her Majesty's Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms stands vigil. In the centre, the officers Royal Company of Archers (the Queen’s Bodyguard in Scotland) stand vigil and on the right, a beautiful picture of an officer of the Blues and Royals as he bows his head during the vigil.

During four days and four nights, over 200.000 people filed past the Queen Mother’s coffin as it Lay-in-State. The scene inside the Great Hall was uniquely royal, uniquely magnificent. On the left, officiers of the Household Cavalry and the Blues and Royals stand vigil as thousands file past (the rate was between 2500 and 3000 people per hour). In the middle, The Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard come down the stairs of the West Door of the Great Hall where they would replace the officers and stand vigil for 20 minutes, as in the picture on the right.

Impressive picture of the vaulted ceiling of Westminster Hall with the queues filing past and the Gentlemen-at-Arms about to change the vigil. The queues impressed everyone, especially because the days right after the Queen Mother’s death hadn’t seen much public adhesion to the mourning. But during days and nights of the Lying-in-State, thousands queued for hours alongside the River Thames. On Sunday, the 7th April, around 70.000 people were queuing at one point, some waiting for up to 10 hours, the queue starting in the South bank of the river in front of the Dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral, thus more than 4 miles away from the Hall.

The most moving moments of the week came on the evening of the 8th April, as the four grandsons stood vigil over their grandmother’s coffin, as thousands continued to file past. On the left, HRH the Duke of York, Viscount Linley, HRH the Prince of Wales and HRH the Earl of Wessex come down the stairs of the North Door of the Great Hall, silently and slowly. At 5.40 pm they replaced the Royal Company of Archers (centre) and kept the solemn vigil for some dramatic minutes. From a discreet point on the side, other members of the Royal Family watched: TRH the Princes William and Henry of Wales, HRH the Countess of Wessex, HRH the Princess Royal and Commodore Timothy Laurence watched the vigil.

The Prince of Wales, whose eulogy to the Queen Mother and sad face during the funeral cortege had caught the attention, keeps the vigil over the coffin of his beloved grandmother. The coffin was covered with the Queen Mother’s personal standard and the magnificent Queen Consort’s Crown over it. As various people recalled, as the thousands moved one step forward there was always one diamond to get light and shine. The historic Koh-i-Noor diamond, set in the centre of a Maltese Cross, continuously got attention from the crowds.