London Photo Gallery - Art Exhibitions & Special Events

A Historic Farewell: Elizabeth II's Lying-in-State

Queen Elizabeth II passed away in 2022. The lying-in-state took place in Westminster Hall at the Palace of Westminster, where there is an exhibition with works by 6 artists to document the event. These artists observed both the ceremonial aspects as well as wider activity through a variety of media, such as drawings and film.

Long queues stretched for miles to pay respects to the queen. Westminster Hall opened to the public from Sept 14th until the 19th. Her closed coffin was placed on a raised platform, guarded by a vigil of soldiers at each corner continuously. It is estimated 250,000 people joined the queue, with over 800 volunteers stewarding it.

Westminster Hall has traditionally been the venue for such lying-in-state events, with the previous being the Queen Mother in 2002, when over 200,000 attended.