Government shares estimate of how many people viewed Queen's coffin while it was lying in state

The UK government has shared an estimate of how many people visited the Queen's coffin while she was lying in state - unsurprisingly, it's a lot.

Prior to the funeral yesterday (19 September), the late monarch's body was placed in Westminster Hall for four days so the public could visit and pay their respects.

But the queues soon became the focal point, as tens of thousands of people waited for hours just to see the coffin.

At its longest, the line was nearly 10 miles long - 6.9 miles from Westminster to Southwark and a three mile zigzag procession in Southwark Park.

Things got so out of hand that there was even a queue to join the queue, while reports emerged of some dwellers camping out on the streets for two days just so they could be at the front.

As such, it'll come as no surprise that the number of people who were able to bid farewell to the Queen is pretty damn high.

According to Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan, officials are estimating the figure to be at around 250,000 over the four-day period.

Speaking to Sky News, she said: "Over 250,000 people went through Parliament," adding, "We are just crunching the final numbers so that's an approximate figure at the moment."

If this turns out to be accurate, that's 50,000 more than the number of people who visited the Queen Mother during the same time period.

As for how much the whole funeral cost, Donelan was less clear and did not give an estimate.

Instead, she said: "I think the British public would argue that was money well spent.

"You saw so many thousands out there and I don't think anybody can suggest that our late monarch didn't deserve that send-off, given the duty and the selfless service that she committed to over 70 years."

Following the funeral, which is predicted to have drawn in four billion viewers from across the globe, Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest at the King George VI memorial chapel in St George's Chapel.

The monarch passed away on 8 September, sending the nation - and people across the world - into a period of mourning.

She was Britain's longest-serving monarch, with a reign lasting 70 years, and earlier this year she was the first to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee.

The Queen's death meant her son Charles became the new monarch, assuming the title King Charles III.

Featured Image Credit: REUTERS/Alamy Stock Photo

Topics: The Queen, UK News, Royal Family

Daisy Phillipson

Daisy graduated from Kingston University with a degree in Magazine Journalism, writing a thesis on the move from print to digital publishing. Continuing this theme, she has written for a range of online publications including Digital Spy and Little White Lies, with a particular passion for TV and film. Contact her on [email protected]

@DaisyWebb77