Are there toilets near Westminster Hall? Map en route to Queen’s lying in state - plus rules on leaving queue

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Queuers could face a 12-hour wait to pay their respects to the Queen at Westminster Hall

Mourners have already begun queuing to attend the Queen’s lying-in-state ahead of her funeral on Monday.

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Queen Elizabeth’s coffin leaves Buckingham Palace for the final time today and will arrive at Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster at 3pm where it will rest on a raised platform.

Members of the public will be able to file past and pay their respects from 5pm on Wednesday until 6.30am on Monday 19 September, the day of the state funeral.

Queuers could face a 12-hour wait to pay their respects to the Queen (Photo: PA)Queuers could face a 12-hour wait to pay their respects to the Queen (Photo: PA)
Queuers could face a 12-hour wait to pay their respects to the Queen (Photo: PA) | PA

Up to 400,00 people are expected to brave a 12-hour wait on the banks of the Thames and by 8am today the line already stretched between Lambeth Bridge and Westminster Bridge.

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It is thought the queue could reach four miles up the Thames to Southwark Park in Bermondsey before the public are admitted to the lying-in-state.

The government has warned that people will likely have to stand for “many hours, possibly overnight”, and with very little opportunity to sit down.

Lengthy guidance has been issued regarding what can be carried into the hall, how to join the queue, and toilet facilities along the way.

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If you are planning to attend the lying-in-state, here’s what you need to know about the toilet stops and the rules around leaving the queue.

Will there be toilets along the queue route?

The government has confirmed that public toilets will be available at designated locations along the queue route to Westminster Hall, along with drinking water and first aid stations.

Public toilet locations have been highlighted along the route map and there will also be more than 500 Portaloos along the way, as well as access to existing facilities in local businesses.

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Local organisations including the Southbank Centre, the National Theatre, the BFI Southbank, the Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe will be opening their doors for extended hours to provide refreshments and comfort breaks to queuers around the clock.

Public toilet locations are highlighted along the route map and there will be more than 500 Portaloos along the way (Graphic: Kim Mogg / NationalWorld)Public toilet locations are highlighted along the route map and there will be more than 500 Portaloos along the way (Graphic: Kim Mogg / NationalWorld)
Public toilet locations are highlighted along the route map and there will be more than 500 Portaloos along the way (Graphic: Kim Mogg / NationalWorld) | Kim Mogg / NationalWorld

Am I allowed to leave the queue to go to the toilet?

Members of the public will be given a colour and numbered wristband when they join the queue.

This will serve as a record of when you joined the line, although it does not guarantee you entry to the lying-in-state.

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To help avoid disappointment, entry to the back of the line may be closed early, to ensure as near as possible that those already waiting are able to file past the late monarch’s coffin in Westminster Hall to pay their respects.

Entry to the line will also be paused for a time if the queuing infrastructure, which is 10 miles long, cannot take any more people.

The coloured and numbered wristband will allow people to leave the queue for a reasonable period of time to use the toilet or get refreshments, before returning to their place in line.

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The government has warned there will be an element of self-policing when it comes to people keeping their places, with the numbered wristbands intended to stop queue-jumping.

It is thought people will know those around them in the line and be supportive when others need to step out.

Where do I join the queue?

The queue to see the Queen lying-in-state will start where Albert Embankment meets Lambeth Bridge in Central London, on the south side of the River Thames.

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From Albert Embankment, the queue will continue along the south bank of the Thames.

The queuing infrastructure is 10 miles in length and includes 6.9 miles from Victoria Tower Gardens to Southwark Park, with a further three miles inside Southwark Park.

To visit the Lying-in-State you need to join the back of the queue, which will keep moving depending on how many people are queuing.

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The government advises checking the current location of the back of the queue and estimated queue times before travelling via updates on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

If you have trouble finding the back of the queue, government guidance recommends making your way to the published queue route and asking stewards along the way where the back of the queue is at that time, and the best way to join.

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