Queen lying in state: entry to queue paused as waiting time passes 14 hours – live updates | Queen Elizabeth II

The King has arrived in Cardiff, the first time he has travelled to Wales since his mother the Queen died last Thursday.

King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, have arrived by helicopter in Wales with members of the armed forces present to salute their sovereign and commander-in-chief.

The royal couple’s arrival by helicopter will be marked with a 21-gun salute from reservists from 104 Regiment Royal Artillery from Cardiff Castle.

They will attend a service of prayer and reflection at Llandaff Cathedral, before receiving condolences at the Welsh Parliament and meeting members of the Senedd.

Steven Morris

Laura Thomas-Walters, 29, a conservation scientist, is the sole person in the official protest section outside Llandaff Cathedral.

Two protest liaison officers are keeping an eye on her.

She said:

In the 21^st century in a democratic country an unelected head of state has no place. It’s an antiquated system of class oppression and class inequalities which is especially heinous at a time when inequalities are rising so fast.

Many people this winter are going to pay their heating bills but we’re going to pay millions for a coronation, a funeral, changing stamps and Charles isn’t going to pay a penny in inheritance tax. Today is exactly the day for this.

People saying it’s disrespectful is a way of silencing dissent. I don’t think the Prince of Wales title should exist. If it did, it should belong to a Welsh person.

Steven Morris

The Welsh first minister has said that anti-monarchists have a right to protest in Cardiff when King Charles visits the Welsh capital on Friday on the last leg of his tour of the four nations, but called for them to be restrained.

A silent anti-monarchist demonstration is due to begin from 1pm at Cardiff Castle, organised under the banner “Real Democracy Now”.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mark Drakeford said:

People have a legitimate right to protest and there are a variety of views. Myself, I don’t think this is the week in which that debate needs to surface. But people have that right and I think it will be exercised with restraint and it will be a footnote to the dominant feelings of the day.

He called for the policing of the protest to be proportionate.

It should recognise the rights that people have. I’ve every confidence in the South Wales police, who have dealt with this sort of event many times. They will deal proportionately with protest, making sure those rights are respected but that those rights don’t interfere with what most people will have come to Cardiff today to exercise.

The King’s visit is taking place on Owain Glyndŵr Day, a celebration of the life and legacy of the last Welshman to be known as Prince of Wales. Many nationalists and republicans see the title as a symbol of English oppression and more than 27,000 people have signed a petition calling for it to be abolished.

Read the full story here:

Steven Morris

The Bishop of Llandaff, the Rt Revd June Osborne, has backed the granting of the Prince of Wales title to William.

I think the vast majority of people in Wales will be delighted to have William as Prince of Wales. It so obviously gives him years of connection with Wales. We will feel blessed by his connection with Wales. It seems the natural thing to do, the right thing to do. It’s going to bring many happy years to Wales.

There is evidence to suggest there was an ancient church on the Llandaff site prior to the construction of the cathedral, dating from the 6^th century, the time of the Celtic church after the withdrawal of the Roman Empire from Great Britain.

The present cathedral was started on the site in 1120 and was completed around sixty years later.

Llandaff Cathedral was severely damaged by a bomb dropped during an air raid on Cardiff in January 1941. Elizabeth II attended a service to mark the completion of the repaired cathedral in August 1960.

The queue may be paused for at least six hours, but has a second queue formed to join the main queue once it reopens?

From the BBC’s Victoria Fritz:

And LBC’s Charlotte Lynch:

Steven Morris

Guardian reporter Steven Morris is reporting from Cardiff today ahead of a visit by King Charles to the Welsh capital.

Patrick Wintour

The wife of the president of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, is expected to represent Ukraine at the Queen’s funeral on Monday [see earlier post] in a sign of the gratitude Ukraine feels for the support Britain has given to Ukrainian forces.

It is deemed too dangerous for her husband Volodymyr Zelenskiy to come to the UK and he will not in person be attending the UN General Assembly in New York.

The Queen’s eight grandchildren will stand vigil beside her coffin in Westminster Hall for 15 minutes on Saturday night, royal sources have confirmed.

William, the Prince of Wales, will stand at the head of his grandmother’s coffin, while his brother, the Duke of Sussex, at the foot.

At the King’s request, William and Harry will both be in uniform. The other grandchildren will be in morning suits and dark formal dresses with decorations.

William will be flanked by his cousins Zara Tindall and Peter Philips, the children of the Princess Royal, Anne.

Harry will be with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, the daughters of the Duke of York, Andrew.

The Earl of Wessex’s children Lady Louise and Viscount Severn will stand near the middle of their grandmother’s coffin.

Entry to the queue to see the Queen lying in state has been paused for “at least” six hours, the government has announced.

Members of the public have been warned not to attempt to join the queue until it re-opens.