At least 250,000 people lined up to see queen’s coffin

By SYLVIA HUI
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — A British official says around a quarter of a million people joined the huge queue to see Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin lying in state in London’s Westminster Hall. The figure was released a day after Britain ended 10 days of national mourning for the late monarch. Elizabeth died on Sept. 8 in Scotland at age 96 after 70 years on the throne. Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said an estimated 250,000 people joined the longest queue most have ever seen for a chance to file past the queen’s coffin. In addition, more than 26 million people in the U.K. watched the queen’s funeral service Monday on television, according to provisional figures. That makes the event one of the country’s biggest-ever TV audiences.