accept that it is think we have to accept that it is as it _ think we have to accept that it is as it were — think we have to accept that it is as it were the global community coming — as it were the global community coming and, even if there are controversies surrounding particular individuals— controversies surrounding particular individuals and countries, those were _ individuals and countries, those were not— individuals and countries, those were not actually technically broken relations, _ were not actually technically broken relations, such as russia and belarus. _ relations, such as russia and belarus. it_ relations, such as russia and belarus, it seems to me entirely natural— belarus, it seems to me entirely natural that they should come and pay their— natural that they should come and pay their respects to the queen. thank you very much forjoining us. with so many heads of state in town, it is a big diplomatic event as well. we will get a chance to speak to each other at a palace reception held in the next few hours. let's cross over to my colleague rebecca jones who is there. tell us a little bit about this reception. who is going, what is the format, how much time as they get to spend with king

charles? it time as they get to spend with king charles? , ., time as they get to spend with king charles? , . , . charles? it is an unprecedented uuatherin charles? it is an unprecedented gathering of _ charles? it is an unprecedented gathering of world _ charles? it is an unprecedented gathering of world leaders, - gathering of world leaders, politicians and dignitaries. as you say, hosted by king charles iii and the queen— say, hosted by king charles iii and the queen consort camilla. prince, princess. _ the queen consort camilla. prince, princess, president, prime minister, diplomats— princess, president, prime minister, diplomats will be here. the first guests _ diplomats will be here. the first guests started arriving around 4:15pm, — guests started arriving around 4:15pm, and they were largely members of the uk government. we spotted _ members of the uk government. we spotted ben wallace, kit malthouse and sir— spotted ben wallace, kit malthouse and sir keir starmer, the leader of the labour— and sir keir starmer, the leader of the labour opposition here. and then at about— the labour opposition here. and then at about 4:50pm, president biden's motorcade — at about 4:50pm, president biden's motorcade swept by on its way to westminster hall, where as we have been reporting the president, the first lady— been reporting the president, the first lady drjill biden, and the us

ambassador to the uk pay their respects— ambassador to the uk pay their respects at westminster hall in front— respects at westminster hall in front of— respects at westminster hall in front of the clean's coffin at the queen's— front of the clean's coffin at the queen's lying in state. and we know that the _ queen's lying in state. and we know that the president went on to lancaster house to sign the book of condolence. then, about 20 minutes a-o, condolence. then, about 20 minutes ago. for— condolence. then, about 20 minutes ago, for large coaches arrived, sadly— ago, for large coaches arrived, sadly with _ ago, for large coaches arrived, sadly with blacked out windows so we couldn't _ sadly with blacked out windows so we couldn't see who was inside, but we understand — couldn't see who was inside, but we understand that was carrying dozens and dozens of guests who are coming here to _ and dozens of guests who are coming here to this— and dozens of guests who are coming here to this state reception, and we know— here to this state reception, and we know that _ here to this state reception, and we know that among the guests we can expect— know that among the guests we can expect here today are the prime minister— expect here today are the prime minister of canada, justin trudeau, the prime _ minister of canada, justin trudeau, the prime minister of new zealand, jacinda _ the prime minister of new zealand, jacinda ardern, the emperor ofjapan and kings _ jacinda ardern, the emperor ofjapan and kings and queens from holland, spain _ and kings and queens from holland, spain and _ and kings and queens from holland, spain and norway. and we await of course _ spain and norway. and we await of course the — spain and norway. and we await of course the return of the president

of the _ course the return of the president of the united states, joe biden, and the first— of the united states, joe biden, and the first lady, but we understand that when — the first lady, but we understand that when the guests go into buckingham palace they will be met by the _ buckingham palace they will be met by the king and the queen consort camilla _ by the king and the queen consort camilla. there will be drinks and they are — camilla. there will be drinks and they are being hosted in the buckingham palace picture gallery and the _ buckingham palace picture gallery and the state department. fine buckingham palace picture gallery and the state department. one person who will not be — and the state department. one person who will not be travelling _ and the state department. one person who will not be travelling in _ and the state department. one person who will not be travelling in a - and the state department. one person who will not be travelling in a bus - who will not be travelling in a bus is the president of the united states. he will be there with the beast. president macron was walking when he came here to westminster hall to see the queen lying in state. are the crowds going to be allowed back into the area where you are in front of buckingham palace before the actual funeral tomorrow morning, orare before the actual funeral tomorrow morning, or are we expecting all of that area to be cleared of people until after the funeral is over? i until after the funeral is over? i wish i could give you a definitive answer— wish i could give you a definitive answer to— wish i could give you a definitive answer to that question. it's not clear. _ answer to that question. it's not clear. and — answer to that question. it's not clear, and the reason it isn't clear is because — clear, and the reason it isn't clear is because of security reasons. the crowds _ is because of security reasons. the

crowds kept — is because of security reasons. the crowds kept growing here this morning — crowds kept growing here this morning and into the early afternoon, and then there was a public— afternoon, and then there was a public announcement to say that access— public announcement to say that access to — public announcement to say that access to buckingham palace had been closed _ access to buckingham palace had been closed we _ access to buckingham palace had been closed. we are just watching live pictures — closed. we are just watching live pictures of— closed. we are just watching live pictures of various dignitaries arriving — pictures of various dignitaries arriving here for this state reception, which you can see there as various — reception, which you can see there as various limousines draw up and people _ as various limousines draw up and people emerge. but the crowds were then told _ people emerge. but the crowds were then told that access to buckingham palace _ then told that access to buckingham palace was being closed. also access on the _ palace was being closed. also access on the mall, horse guards parade and stjames's_ on the mall, horse guards parade and st james's park was being restricted as well _ st james's park was being restricted as well we — st james's park was being restricted as well. we assume this was for security— as well. we assume this was for security reasons ahead of this state reception _ security reasons ahead of this state reception tonight, but at the moment we don't _ reception tonight, but at the moment we don't have any definitive answer as to _ we don't have any definitive answer as to when — we don't have any definitive answer as to when the crowds will be able to come _ as to when the crowds will be able to come back here to buckingham palace, _ to come back here to buckingham palace, which of course has been a place _ palace, which of course has been a place that— palace, which of course has been a place that people have come to almost — place that people have come to almost from the moment that the death— almost from the moment that the death of— almost from the moment that the death of the queen was announced.

thank— death of the queen was announced. thank you _ death of the queen was announced. thank you very much forjoining us. a lot going on at buckingham palace and here at westminster. i'm looking over my shoulder because the people are still queueing. but the snake is just there, the infamous snake, and thatis just there, the infamous snake, and that is where the queue gets very long. i think my husband hasjust joined it so i don't know when he will get to the front of that line. the prince and princess of wales have played a significant part this week. there are new roles make them increasingly important in this slimmed down monarchy. here is our royal correspondent, daniela. days of duty, of honouring a grandmother and queen, of supporting the new king, of representing the royal family. and at times, prince william, now heir to the throne, watched his father closely, a clear view of what the future holds. the prince and princess of wales, a new title and a new status within the royal family.

any changes to their life, officially and personally, won't be rushed. william takes over the vast duchy of cornwall estate from his father. royal sources say the couple remain committed to the work they already do around mental health, the environment and supporting young families. they may pick up some of the king's previous charity work, but firm decisions are yet to be made. we talk a lot about soft power, but i've witnessed that soft power in action. a word or two from a member of the royal family can mean a lot to you and also make you think, so they are determined to use that power for good, i would say. they realise how much responsibility they have, and they feel passionately about the citizens of this country and about making the lives of people in this country better. some areas will require careful navigation. there have been critical voices, but expect an early visit to wales from the prince and princess, where we are told they will

invest time in creating meaningful relationships. for william, there will also be a big focus on homelessness. there were hints of it earlier in the year when he was out in london selling the big issue. he's going to be king, he's got a few houses. he's got a bit of money. but as much as he can, he wants to engage. he's trying to make positive change and he's trying to understand. he was there, he was present, you know? he wasn't ticking a box saying, "i've done it now, i'm off for a dinner of foie gras." he was there in the moment, trying to do something. taking on the title princess of wales, catherine is said to respect the history of the role but will create her own vision for it. children and families will remain at the centre of her work. you can see, she spends time with children and staff, and it's a really direct, personal, humane interest and a huge level of compassion and understanding, so on a personal level, you can see how it touches

people's lives and changes them. over the summer, the prince and princess of wales moved here, to a house in the grounds of windsor castle. it's been a period of readjustment. they may eventually move into the main castle, but for now, their focus is on settling their family into a new routine. the prince and princess of wales taking their three children to their new school. so much has changed in the ten days since these pictures were filmed. they will all have an increasingly important role in the future popularity of the royal family. daniela relph, bbc news, windsor. and that is a very busy set of working parents about to get only busier, one expects. religion was a significant influence throughout the queen's life, and her funeral is expected to reflect her deep and personal christian faith. our religion editor aleem maqbool has been looking at what the queen's

private faith meant to her and the role it played throughout her reign. throughout her reign, in good times and bad, the queen drew heavily from herfaith to guide her. and this little church on the edges of the balmoral estate was a place she held dear. she came to services at crathie kirk all her life, with very little ceremony. but there was a royal seat on a royal pew where she always sat. the queen was a very regular churchgoer. if she was here, almost always she would come to church. for 15 years, ken mackenzie was domestic chaplain to the queen. he will be among those at windsor for herfinal service. some of the moments i cherish most would be moments when the queen would speak to me as a parish minister. i remember being over there one evening, so i asked her what her favourite hymn was.

she said to me that her fondest memory ever of christian song was herfather singing to her at her bedside, as she was going to bed. the hymn she remembered herfather singing was based on the parable of the sheep lost in open country. "although the road be rough and steep, i go to the desert to find my sheep." lord sentamu, former archbishop of york, is one of a small team that came up with the original order of service for the queen's funeral. he says her knowledge of scripture was remarkable. she knows the psalms by heart and can recite them. so you can have a conversation. one time, you know, she was going through quite a trying

period, we'd been talking, and suddenly, "i lift up mine eyes to the hills. whence cometh my help? my help cometh from the lord, maker of heaven and earth." and you knew, whatever difficulty she was going through, her anchor is in god. and it was that anchor of her faith that once led the queen to say this. as dark as death can be, particularly for those suffering with grief, light and life are greater. aleem maqbool, bbc news. the queen's face in her own words there. people are continuing to queue here hoping to get into westminster hall before they shut the doors before the funeral tomorrow morning, but let's remind you of what is going to be happening in the next few hours. the clean's lying in state ends at 630 tomorrow morning, then her coffin will be transferred to westminster abbey

where the state funeral service is going to be held. the royal navy's state gun carriage will bear the coffin, it is going to be drawn by 142 sailors. senior members of the royal family, including the new king and prince william and prince harry, will walk just and prince william and prince harry, will walkjust behind in the procession. at 11 o'clock sharp, the queen's funeral which is expected to be attended by 2000 guests from around the world. the service will be led by the very reverend doctor david hoyle. you know this will run like clockwork. we are getting messages from all of the branches of the british military and british services involved in running this to say that when we say 11 o'clock, we mean exactly 11 o'clock. these people are just hoping that they managed to get into westminster hall by 6:30am. managed to get into westminster hall b 6:30am. �* , managed to get into westminster hall b 6:30am. �*, .,, managed to get into westminster hall b 6:30am. �*, , ., �* by 6:30am. let's hope they do. i'm sure those — by 6:30am. let's hope they do. i'm sure those just _ by 6:30am. let's hope they do. i'm sure those just by _ by 6:30am. let's hope they do. i'm sure those just by you _ by 6:30am. let's hope they do. i'm sure those just by you were - by 6:30am. let's hope they do. i'm sure those just by you were going l by 6:30am. let's hope they do. i'm| sure those just by you were going to be ok. but there is further down the

queue have got many more hours to come before they are in westminster hall. it is 6:30am where the lying in state for queen elizabeth comes to an end. 11 o'clock in the morning is when the state funeral begins. many thanks for your help covering this story from westminster. the bbc live news pages running continuously, you can find it on our website and our app. senior leaders have called for calm after days of violent anti—government protests in haiti. un secretary general antonio guterres says he's "deeply concerned" about the unrest which is said to have brought the country to a standstill. emily brown reports. after days of unrest in the capital of haiti, leaders call for calm. violent anti—government protests. demonstrators demanding

the prime minister to resign after hikes in fuel prices and inflation rising to its highest level in a decade. the country is faced with chronic gang violence. earlier this week, two journalists were shot dead and their bodies set on fire. but these demonstrations have been met with water shortages. thousands are said to be affected after the protests have virtually halted distribution. and with the first big storm of the season approaching, there's a huge sense of worry in an already reeling country. translation: because of - the blockades in the country, it has been two, three days. i live in fort national and since there are blockades in the country,

we came here to buy water. if it was not for these places, we would die from thirst. many are taking advantage of a brief truce to rush to distribution centres in the hope of stockpiling water supply. it's not known for how long this will last. the haitian government didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. for now, some are desperately taking shelter from a threatening storm, both on the ground and in the air. emily brown, bbc news. the european commission has given more details about its plans to withhold billions of dollars from hungary, which it accuses of failing to tackle corruption. $7.5 billion will be held back unless hungary takes action to protect the rule of law, though the proposal needs the approval of eu member states. this was what the eu's budget commissioner had to say. the commission's assessment is that a risk for the budget at this stage remains. therefore we cannot conclude that the new budget is

sufficiently protected. the commission has therefore proposed measures to the council. the commission proposes a suspension of 65% of the commitments for three operational programmes, amounting to an estimated amount of 7.5 billion euros. . , ., an estimated amount of 7.5 billion euros, ., , ., , ., an estimated amount of 7.5 billion euros. . , ., , . . an estimated amount of 7.5 billion euros. . . euros. heads of state have started arrivinu. euros. heads of state have started arriving- let's _ euros. heads of state have started arriving. let's bring _ euros. heads of state have started arriving. let's bring in _ euros. heads of state have started arriving. let's bring in my - arriving. let's bring in my colleague who is just by buckingham palace. hi, rebecca. help us understand the format here. there is every head of state who is in london for the funeral get an invite? than for the funeral get an invite? an unprecedented gathering of world leaders. — unprecedented gathering of world leaders, but politicians as well and other— leaders, but politicians as well and other dignitaries. we have got princes. —

other dignitaries. we have got princes, princesses, presidents, prime _ princes, princesses, presidents, prime ministers, ambassadors, diplomats, ought to be hosted by kin- diplomats, ought to be hosted by king charles iii and the queen consort — king charles iii and the queen consort camilla, who we saw arrive 'ust consort camilla, who we saw arrive just within — consort camilla, who we saw arrive just within the last few minutes or so. just within the last few minutes or so we _ just within the last few minutes or so. we were alerted to her arrival in the _ so. we were alerted to her arrival in the royal— so. we were alerted to her arrival in the royal car by the cheers of people — in the royal car by the cheers of people at— in the royal car by the cheers of people at the mall, who have been allowed _ people at the mall, who have been allowed to wait thereby the crash barriers — allowed to wait thereby the crash barriers i— allowed to wait thereby the crash barriers. i have to say, guests started — barriers. i have to say, guests started arriving here at about 415 pm, started arriving here at about 415 pm. about — started arriving here at about 415 pm, about an hour and a half ago. members— pm, about an hour and a half ago. members of the uk government and cabinet. _ members of the uk government and cabinet, and indeed sir keir starmer, _ cabinet, and indeed sir keir starmer, the leader of her majesty's opposition — starmer, the leader of her majesty's opposition. half an hour later, president _ opposition. half an hour later, president biden's motorcade swept past us _ president biden's motorcade swept past us on — president biden's motorcade swept past us on its way to westminster hall, _ past us on its way to westminster hall, where he and the first lady went— hall, where he and the first lady went into — hall, where he and the first lady went into the hall to pay their respects— went into the hall to pay their respects to see the queen's coffin at the _ respects to see the queen's coffin at the queen's lying in state. they

were _ at the queen's lying in state. they were joined there by the us ambassador to the uk. we then know that president biden went on to lancaster— that president biden went on to lancaster house to sign the book of condolence, but we are still waiting for him _ condolence, but we are still waiting for him to— condolence, but we are still waiting for him to return here to buckingham palace _ for him to return here to buckingham palace to _ for him to return here to buckingham palace tojoin the king and the queen— palace tojoin the king and the queen consort for this reception. then, _ queen consort for this reception. then, about half an hour after that, we saw— then, about half an hour after that, we saw four— then, about half an hour after that, we saw four coaches arrive, sadly and rather — we saw four coaches arrive, sadly and rather frustratingly with blacked out windows. but we understand inside dozens and dozens of guests _ understand inside dozens and dozens of guests. since then, it has been a steady— of guests. since then, it has been a steady stream of limousines snaking around _ steady stream of limousines snaking around here and into the palace gates — around here and into the palace gates. and we understand for example that president macron is already inside _ that president macron is already inside with his wife. we are still waiting — inside with his wife. we are still waiting for— inside with his wife. we are still waiting for the return of president biden _ waiting for the return of president biden. , . . . , waiting for the return of president biden. , . , ., waiting for the return of president biden. , , . . , biden. rebecca, there is an awful lot of people _ biden. rebecca, there is an awful lot of people to — biden. rebecca, there is an awful lot of people to host. _ biden. rebecca, there is an awful lot of people to host. king - biden. rebecca, there is an awful| lot of people to host. king charles will be there, the queen consort,

but our other members of the royal family also helping the king in hosting this gathering? i family also helping the king in hosting this gathering?- family also helping the king in hosting this gathering? i can't give ou a hosting this gathering? i can't give you a definitive _ hosting this gathering? i can't give you a definitive answer, _ hosting this gathering? i can't give you a definitive answer, because i you a definitive answer, because palace _ you a definitive answer, because palace officials haven't been terribly _ palace officials haven't been terribly forthcoming with information. i don't want to speculate. the honest answer is i don't _ speculate. the honest answer is i don't know — speculate. the honest answer is i don't know. what i do know is that guests— don't know. what i do know is that guests will— don't know. what i do know is that guests will be greeted by the king and the _ guests will be greeted by the king and the queen consort camilla in the buckingham palace picture galaxy and any state _ buckingham palace picture galaxy and any state departments there will be drinks _ any state departments there will be drinks and — any state departments there will be drinks and canapes. and while this is clearly— drinks and canapes. and while this is clearly a — drinks and canapes. and while this is clearly a fairly formal occasion, there _ is clearly a fairly formal occasion, there may— is clearly a fairly formal occasion, there may be more of an opportunity for guests, _ there may be more of an opportunity for guests, for these world leaders, for guests, for these world leaders, for these _ for guests, for these world leaders, for these very important people to see each— for these very important people to see each other rather more informally than it will happen tomorrow during the queen's funeral at westminster abbey, where the seating _ at westminster abbey, where the seating plan will be so heavily

policed — seating plan will be so heavily policed by the foreign office. so it may be _ policed by the foreign office. so it may be an — policed by the foreign office. so it may be an opportunity for people to catch _ may be an opportunity for people to catch up— may be an opportunity for people to catch up in— may be an opportunity for people to catch up in a slightly more informal way. catch up in a slightly more informal wa . . catch up in a slightly more informal wa. . , catch up in a slightly more informal wa. ., , ., catch up in a slightly more informal wa. . . , way. thanks, rebecca. that is really useful. way. thanks, rebecca. that is really useful- and — way. thanks, rebecca. that is really useful. and of _ way. thanks, rebecca. that is really useful. and of course, _ way. thanks, rebecca. that is really useful. and of course, as _ way. thanks, rebecca. that is really useful. and of course, as that - useful. and of course, as that reception gets under way and in time finishes we will get more details on exactly who was there, who was hosting and how it went. with the queen's passing, questions are being raised over the future of the commonwealth of nations. her ceremonial role has helped bind the group of 54 nations together. out of all of britain's former colonies in asia, singapore has seen the most dramatic development since independence. it's also seen as one of the commonwealth's success stories, and accordingly, the prosperous city—state tends to remember the positives of british rule — as nick marsh reports. singapore's synonymous with modernity. but look around and signs of the past reveal themselves.

the late queen, immortalised in a forward—thinking city. when she first came here in 1972, singapore was an ambitious young nation, keen to show its former colonial master it could go it alone. she visited this estate, pioneering public housing, that singapore is now famous for. it's something that i think we wanted to show off. jerome lim was seven when the queen and prince philip were invited into his parents' brand—new flat. we shook hands at the doorway. that's me with my back... that's you. that's me! you can see me peaking out. so, it's the highlight of my childhood. in fact, even for my parents, they still talk about the visit and it's the highlight of their lives. singapore's native malay population

was colonised 200 years ago. but most present—day singaporeans have their roots in china. their ancestors came after the british, looking for better opportunities. for singapore's foreign minister, continuing in the commonwealth is also about furthering opportunity. to him, singaporean history isn't a story of dominion. we have no baggage. we're not going to re—litigate the past. we acknowledge the past. we give credit for the institutions that we inherited. we admire british understatement. we believe even our current attributes of being pragmatic, sensible, reasonable... you know, it also reflects that shared history. it's pragmatism that allows singapore to wear its colonial past so lightly.

this luxury hotel used to be the british military headquarters, far east command, built on top of a hill in case of a local uprising. you can't say that there is any real controversy here in singapore over old buildings or statues or place names. the arrival of the british helped to transform this island into a global trading hub. but by the same token, ever since the british left, in the 1960s, well, singapore's hardly looked back. the new head of the commonwealth last came to singapore five years ago. when he returns, the crowds might not be as big as they were for his mother 50 years ago, but he'll be welcomed, because here, the past isn't something to be dwelled on for too long. nick marsh, bbc news, singapore. let's immediately look at pictures

just outside of buckingham palace because that is president biden's motorcade. we know that the president, along with the first lady, attended westminster hall a few minutes ago to pay their respects to queen elizabeth, who is lying in state in westminster hall. he then signed a book of condolence in lancaster house. now he has arrived in buckingham palace. the reason he is there is, as rebecca jones was telling us a few minutes ago, there is a reception inside buckingham palace hosted by king charles along with queen consort camilla. and amongst the guests are joe biden and jill biden. camilla. and amongst the guests are joe biden andjill biden. rebecca, let's bring you back in because that motorcade will have gone just behind you in the last few moments. yes. you in the last few moments. yes, that was a — you in the last few moments. yes, that was a pretty _ you in the last few moments. yes, that was a pretty impressive - you in the last few moments. yes, that was a pretty impressive sight, wasn't _ that was a pretty impressive sight, wasn't it? — that was a pretty impressive sight, wasn't it? we have been watching a lot of— wasn't it? we have been watching a lot of arrivals here in the last

hour— lot of arrivals here in the last hour or— lot of arrivals here in the last hour or so, _ lot of arrivals here in the last hour or so, various limousines with police _ hour or so, various limousines with police out — hour or so, various limousines with police out riders, but there is nothing — police out riders, but there is nothing as— police out riders, but there is nothing as impressive, i have to say, _ nothing as impressive, i have to say, as— nothing as impressive, i have to say, as president biden's motorcade. he swept— say, as president biden's motorcade. he swept past yearjust over an hour a-o he swept past yearjust over an hour ago on _ he swept past yearjust over an hour ago on his— he swept past yearjust over an hour ago on his way to westminster hall, where _ ago on his way to westminster hall, where he _ ago on his way to westminster hall, where he and the first ladyjill biden— where he and the first ladyjill biden saw the queen lying in state, then he _ biden saw the queen lying in state, then he went on to sign the book of condolence — then he went on to sign the book of condolence at lancaster house, and i was very— condolence at lancaster house, and i was very struck by something he said _ was very struck by something he said he — was very struck by something he said. he made a public comment, "queen— said. he made a public comment, "queen elizabeth was a decent and honourable, she communicated dignity and above _ honourable, she communicated dignity and above all a notion of the service" _ and above all a notion of the service." there is public comments from _ service." there is public comments from the _ service." there is public comments from the president of the united states— from the president of the united states as — from the president of the united states as we await him to emerge from _ states as we await him to emerge from the — states as we await him to emerge from the presidential motorcade to id from the presidential motorcade to go into—

from the presidential motorcade to go into buckingham palace tojoin the reception, this extraordinary reception, — the reception, this extraordinary reception, unprecedented gathering of world _ reception, unprecedented gathering of world leaders, of politicians and other— of world leaders, of politicians and other dignitaries which we understand is due to start at about six o'clock— understand is due to start at about six o'clock local time, so this would — six o'clock local time, so this would make sense that the us presidentjoe biden is the last guest — presidentjoe biden is the last guest to— presidentjoe biden is the last guest to arrive. and there you see drjill— guest to arrive. and there you see drjill biden, the us first lady, arriving — drjill biden, the us first lady, arriving here for this estate reception, accompanied by the us president. — reception, accompanied by the us president, joe biden. as they head inside _ president, joe biden. as they head inside to— president, joe biden. as they head inside to this reception which is being _ inside to this reception which is being hosted by king charles iii and the queen consort camilla. and i have _ the queen consort camilla. and i have to _ the queen consort camilla. and i have to say— the queen consort camilla. and i have to say that buckingham palace is being _ have to say that buckingham palace is being very reluctant about giving a lot of— is being very reluctant about giving a lot of detail about who will be

there — a lot of detail about who will be there. they have told us they won't -ive there. they have told us they won't give us _ there. they have told us they won't give us a _ there. they have told us they won't give us a full guest list. and rather— give us a full guest list. and rather frustratingly, a lot of other dignitaries have been arriving either— dignitaries have been arriving either in _ dignitaries have been arriving either in limousines with blacked out windows are on a series of four coaches _ out windows are on a series of four coaches that — out windows are on a series of four coaches that arrived just about 45 minutes _ coaches that arrived just about 45 minutes ago, but we understand containing — minutes ago, but we understand containing dozens and dozens of guests — containing dozens and dozens of guests. we know that president macron— guests. we know that president macron of france is already inside. we know— macron of france is already inside. we know that the emperor ofjapan has been _ we know that the emperor ofjapan has been invited. we are certainly expecting — has been invited. we are certainly expecting the prime ministers of canada _ expecting the prime ministers of canada and the prime minister of new zealand. _ canada and the prime minister of new zealand, and kings and queens from holland, _ zealand, and kings and queens from holland, norway and spain. so a glittering — holland, norway and spain. so a glittering guest list. which we understand will take place in the

buckingham palace picture gallery and then— buckingham palace picture gallery and then in the state departments, and then in the state departments, and the _ and then in the state departments, and the guests will be offered drinks — and the guests will be offered drinks and they will be offered canapes~ — drinks and they will be offered canapes. and strange as it may sound. — canapes. and strange as it may sound. it — canapes. and strange as it may sound. it is _ canapes. and strange as it may sound, it is clearly a very formal occasion, — sound, it is clearly a very formal occasion, a _ sound, it is clearly a very formal occasion, a very choreographed occasion, — occasion, a very choreographed occasion, but it may be an opportunity for some of these dignitaries to meet each other in a slightly— dignitaries to meet each other in a slightly more informal way than at the funeral of the queen tomorrow. but as— the funeral of the queen tomorrow. but as i_ the funeral of the queen tomorrow. but as i say, — the funeral of the queen tomorrow. but as i say, that reception expected to start officially in a couple — expected to start officially in a couple of minutes. as expected to start officially in a couple of minutes. as rebecca is talkin: , couple of minutes. as rebecca is talking. we _ couple of minutes. as rebecca is talking. we can _ couple of minutes. as rebecca is talking, we can see _ couple of minutes. as rebecca is talking, we can see more - couple of minutes. as rebecca is talking, we can see more of- couple of minutes. as rebecca is| talking, we can see more of these coaches with blacked out windows arriving. we can assume there are heads of state and other dignitaries on those coaches and they will be attending the reception as rebecca was describing. well, as the beginning of that perception approaches injust a couple of minutes' time, we will continue our coverage here on bbc news of both

that perception and of queen elizabeth continuing to lie in state in westminster hall. in a few minutes, my colleague lucy hopkins will be with you live from victoria gardens.

this is bbc news, i'm lucy hockings. our top stories... king charles is hosting a reception at buckingham palace for hundreds of world leaders ahead of his mother's funeral on monday. a little earlier, president biden was one of the leaders paying their respects at queen elizabeth's lying in state. among the 2,000 guests at monday's funeral at westminster abbey are members of the public, who've been preparing for the solemn occasion. fairly choked up. emotional is probably the main word, yeah. honoured and emotional.

heads of state are at buckingham palace for a reception, just getting under way now, hosted by king charles iii and queen consort camilla. it comes as world leaders gather in london ahead of queen elizabeth's state funeral to be held at westminster abbey tomorrow. we'll be crossing live to buckingham palace shortly. first, let me just show you the latest pictures of president biden, paying his respects to the queen. he was there around an hour ago with his wife, jill biden, and the us ambassador to london, jane hartley. mr biden was one of the 14 us presidents in office during the queen's 70—year reign — she met them all except lyndonjohnson.

president biden is now attending an informal gathering of world leaders at buckingham palace, hosted by king charles. a short time ago, as he signed the book of condolence, president biden had this tribute to the queen. we had an opportunity to meet with an awful lot of consequential people. but i can say that the ones who stand out in your mind are those whose relationship is consistent with their reputation. the queen had us overfor tea. she kept offering me know and i kept eating everything she put in front of me. but she was the same in person as her image, decent, honourable, and on about

service. and our hearts go out to the royal family, king charles and all the family. it is a loss that has left a giant hole. and sometimes you think you will never overcome it. but as i told the king, she will be with him, every step of the way, every minute, every moment, and that is a reassuring notion. so to all the people in the united kingdom, our hearts go out to you, and you are fortunate to have had her the 705, we are, the water is better for it, thank you. just because of the way she touched on the way she leaned over. she had that look, are you ok, anything i can do for you, what do you need? and then also make sure you do what you are supposed to

do! the american press has been around for a long time. but it is about treating people with dignity. i talk about my mother and father, no matter how they were, what their station over the overcome, everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, and that's exactly what she communicated, overshadowed by her staff and then she acted, and what she gave us a sense of, above all, the notion of service, something, something with our capacity to do, that can make things, notjust a better, but your neighbourhood and hassle better, revoke place better.

and that's what she communicated to me, anyway, and it was an honour to meet her. abs, me, anyway, and it was an honour to meet her. �* ., me, anyway, and it was an honour to meet her. . ., , ., meet her. a moving tribute from president biden _ meet her. a moving tribute from president biden and _ meet her. a moving tribute from president biden and also - meet her. a moving tribute from president biden and also his - president biden and also his recollections of meeting with the queen, were fortunate to have had herfor 17 years, r. queen, were fortunate to have had herfor17 years, r. let's queen, were fortunate to have had herfor 17 years, r. let's take queen, were fortunate to have had her for 17 years, r. let's take you to buckingham palace. let's cross over to my colleague, rebecca jones, who is at buckingham palace. as expected there this evening? we do, as expected there this evening? - do, and people are still arriving, india's coaches which have been snaking their way into buckingham palace, frustratingly with blacked out windows, but inside them, dozens of guests, and already we have seen some of the guests who have arrived. as our live pictures of some of those guests now entering that

reception. when there as you said that president biden arrived here back at buckingham palace for the us first lady, joe biden, within the last ten minutes, we know that president macron france has arrived, and prime minister shadow from canada. we also know who else is expected, whenever kings and queens from holland, norway and spain, we expect the emperor ofjapan, and we are also expecting the prime minister of new zealand. it are pictures from a little earlier, about ten minutes ago, when president biden and his wifejill arrived at the palace. they had come from westminster hall, where they had been to see the queen's lying in state, and then had moved on to sign

that book of condolence, and that is when president biden spoke, what we just saw in that video clip that you just saw in that video clip that you just played there. so it is an unprecedented gathering of world leaders, of politicians, dignitaries, princes, princesses, presidents, prime ministers, ambassadors, diplomats, all in one room, being hosted by king, charles iii, and the queen consort camilla. we know the reception is taking place in the buckingham palace gallery and then the state departments, and the guests from around 200 countries will be offered drinks and canapes, and as strange as it may sound nothing is informal at buckingham palace, not least a state reception, but strange as it may sound this would be a rather

more informal occasion, an opportunity for some of these important people to see each other and to meet each other in a more informal way and it will definitely happen tomorrow, when they will attend the queen's funeral at westminster abbey. find attend the queen's funeral at westminster abbey.- attend the queen's funeral at westminster abbey. and for the first time in days. — westminster abbey. and for the first time in days. it _ westminster abbey. and for the first time in days, it is _ westminster abbey. and for the first time in days, it is actually _ westminster abbey. and for the first time in days, it is actually empty - time in days, it is actually empty behind you, we can of course see security, the police as well, but what was it like earlier when members of the public were asked to leave, and also tell us about the security presence there? the focal oint of security presence there? the focal point of course _ security presence there? the focal point of course of _ security presence there? the focal point of course of so _ security presence there? the focal point of course of so much - security presence there? the focal point of course of so much of - security presence there? the focal point of course of so much of what has gone on in the last few days has been here, at buckingham palace. we have seen hundreds and hundreds of people come here, from the very moment that the queen's death was announced, and that was continuing this morning and into the afternoon. i spoke to one police officer who said he had never seen such a large crowd here. then there was an announcement over a tannoy to say

that access to buckingham palace was being closed, and not only that, access to the mall in horse guards parade and stjames's park to my right ear was being restricted, and thatis right ear was being restricted, and that is when the helicopters started hovering above, and we can only assume that this was because of the security arrangements that needed to be put in place for the arrival of so many important people, world leaders, heads of states, this reception this evening. what we are not clear about is the point at which members of the public will be allowed back into this area ahead of the funeral tomorrow.— the funeral tomorrow. thank you so much forjoining _ the funeral tomorrow. thank you so much forjoining us _ the funeral tomorrow. thank you so much forjoining us from _ the funeral tomorrow. thank you so l much forjoining us from buckingham palace. people were told to take their floral tributes to hyde palace. people were told to take theirfloral tributes to hyde park, there is a carpet of flowers there, so many people moving from green park and outside buckingham palace, all the way across to hyde park,

people monitoring their phones, looking at twitter, seeing the messages coming through from the government all the time, and everyone is closely watching what is happening with the queue. members of the public are being advised not tojoin the queue to see her lying in state as it will shortly reach its final capacity. those who were already in line will be admitted in to westminster hall untiljust before 6:30am local time tomorrow. here's our royal correspondent, nicholas witchell. the final preparations for tomorrow's state funeral. at buckingham palace, the king arrived with a wave to the crowds. many have been drawn to the palace as they have been since the first news of the queen's death ten days ago. a part of this moment, placing flowers in the designated the route of the funeral procession and in the places where world leaders will gather.

we didn't know what exactly to do, but we wanted to do something. it felt right to come up and do something and bring my son here. i think there's a lot of people that don't know what to do but feel like they need to do something, so itjust felt like the right thing to do was to come up here with everybody else. from camilla, the queen consort, a personal reflection recorded for a bbc documentary on the 70 years of the queen's reign. she has been part of our lives forever. i'm 75 now and i can't remember anybody except the queen being there. it must have been so difficult for her being a solitary woman. there weren't women prime ministers or women presidents — she was the only one — so i think she carved her own role. i'll always remember that smile. that smile is unforgettable.

the former archbishop of york recalled a letter he'd received from the queen about grief. the queen wrote to me a most wonderful letter four weeks - after the burial of prince philip, thanking me for the flowers, i the prayers, and then ended it- by saying, "when you are grieving someone you deeply love, - it isn't easy when you're having to do it in public." | so my thought will be to the newj king and the whole royal family. they are grieving publicly and they have to find a space to do it. - there is little such space at the moment — the king had an audience with the uk prime minister, and then other political leaders, who'll be attending the state funeral, started arriving at buckingham palace for a state reception there this evening to be hosted by the king and other members of the royal family. one of the visiting heads of state

is the us president, joe biden. a short time ago, he and the first lady visited the palace of westminster to pay their respects to the late queen on behalf of the american people. nicholas witchell, bbc news. as we've been hearing, people are being asked not to set off to join the queue to pay their respects to the queen. people were tired, bleary eyed, cold and hungry, but they was a very buoyant optimism around the crowds of people and lots of lovely conversations happening between different groups of people, friendships being made as well. as they get closer to their final destination, it gets quieter, there's a of solemnity, a quiet sense of anticipation as well, then it really does change. at different

points in the car, it is interesting, the atmosphere is a consensus. and with the cameras are a special correspondent. where there was despair, it brought hope, where there was sadness, it broughtjoy. the queue itself was a journey, notjust in the steps people took. the lines will close this evening. the end of a perfect tribute. the last few running to make sure they were in it. i'm jo and i've just joined the queue at 15:22. i've come from bournemouth. we queued on friday night and then my daughter was crying her eyes out, her back and feet and knees, so we left the queue at six o'clock yesterday morning and we thought, we have got to give it another shot. luckily, i'm flustered, because we wanted to get here before the queue closed, and we have made it. for those nearer the front it was also a challenging night. i'm emma and this is esme.

we are from cornwall and we have been queueing about 11 hours. my legs have been hurting. it's been pretty hard. it's cold and we stopped for quite a long time, we were going to give up, but we carried on and we got each other through it, didn't we? yeah. why didn't you give up, esme? because the queen would have wanted us to be resilient in ourselves - and to push ourselves to be the best we can. _ you feel quite emotional about the journey you have done? yes, there's a lot of reasons for coming, people we have lost, and seeing so many people here all united. we lost my gran during covid, so we did not get the chance to say goodbye. emma kept turning back for a last look. was it worth a very hard night? yes. i think it was. it was our final chance to pay our respects. . it meant a lot to you to be able to do that? it did. i will be telling the people who aren't here any more all about it. it makes me closer to them.

we're lucy and jamie and we have been queueing for 12 hours and this is my second time doing this. she came first with her parents, returning today with her husband. the question is why do it again? that five minutes was so special, and it was almost not enough time to take it all in but i thought, well, i'll go through it again. it will be worth it. for me, it has restored my faith in humanity quite a bit because you see all of these people who are coming together and who may come from different backgrounds, but we have one thing in common today. there was something in the air in there that was just magnificent. this queue is a phenomenon. it has helped sustain the royal family and given the nation a focus for its grief. the british people, just by turning up and by being here, have turned a part of the national mourning into a celebration of the queen's life. millions of steps.

hundreds and thousands of people. all for one queen. people have been paying tribute to each other as they stand in the scheme. there has been an outpouring of grief right across the uk. on the eve of queen elizabeth's funeral, our home editor, mark easton, reflects on the past ten days of national mourning. the certainties of a kingdom have been shaken. ruptured by the loss of its monarch and a key bridgehead to its past. plans for these days have been in place for decades.

every feather and flag, every step and turn, choreographed in minute and meticulous detail. the last ten days have been about two distinct events — the passing of a queen and the making of a king. the transfer of authority is designed as an illustration of national competence — britain showing its people and the world that, even at a time of flux, it knows what it's doing. fanfare plays there is purpose in the performance, too, binding king and kingdom in the gold braid of reassuring custom. questions over the future of the monarchy or the union are answered with ceremonial conviction — echoes from ancient mists, albeit that much of the pageantry is a reinvention from the last century. hip—hip... hurray!

but the respectful public response is real. the loss of a much loved and venerable queen a reminder of our own transience. pilgrimages to palaces, the reverential ritual of flowers and flames, a communion with the sacred. the last time i saw her, i saw exactly the same cheerfulness and confidence in her eyes as i imagined i'd seen at the coronation. we shall see whether the threads been cut. king charles could, after all, take the thread and knot it in a royal knot and say, on we go. that's what i hope he will do. we have seen hostilities put to one side, a temporary truce, perhaps, but an opportunity for healing, too. planned strikes suspended, disputes and rivalries postponed, fulham and chelsea, alloa and falkirk, derbies for another day.

the detailed plans for the accession always emphasised how the new king must be seen not only surrounded by the elite and titled but among the ordinary people. his first public act as king was to step from his rolls—royce outside the palace railings to meet and touch the gathered crowds, content to be kissed on hand and cheek by those he did not know. but when the dust settles, normality will return, with the trials of real life. in facing those challenges, the country may have been strengthened by a period of reflection — a rare moment to think about who we are and who we want to be. mark easton, bbc news. karen has been a phenomenon around the world, people are watching it

with a sense of and confusion and in some parts of the world with a huge deal of respect, and think of the people behind me, started the final destination, inside westminster hall. we have live pictures from inside there, many following this online as well. nice for bright moments that people get. you can see that a lot of people are blowing kisses, sometimes they are crossing themselves, a atmosphere inside apparently notjust an very emotional. —— notjust solemn. it is something people have said they will never forget. and if you can't get to london — but you want to pay your respects — the bbc is offering

a continuous, 24—hour view of the queen's lying—in—state. the service is available on the bbc home page, the bbc news website and app, the iplayer, on bbc parliament, and the red button. we will be with you throughout the evening but for now back to you in the studio. 3 million people injapan have been urged to leave their homes as the country prepares for one of the most destructive typhoons in years. winds of more than 90 miles per hour have been battering the southern coast and at least 25,000 properties are already without power. our tokyo correspondent, rupert wingfield hayes, reports. so far, the more dire predictions about typhoon nanmadol have not come to pass. despite winds gusting to nearly 150 miles an hour, only minor damage is being reported from western japan. but this is a huge storm, one of the biggest to hit japan in half a century, and it is farfrom over.

as it swept ashore this morning, the government issued an emergency alert which has never been issued for anywhere before on the japanese mainland. translation: there's a chance we will see winds of a kind - we haven't experienced before. we could also get big swells, storm surges and record rain. the destructive winds are only part of the threat. it is also carrying vast quantities of water, and that is now falling right across the eastern half of kyushu. as much as half a metre of rain could fall in less than 24 hours. kyushu is very mountainous and the danger will then be of landslides and even more so of flooding. there is now too much water coming down for the rivers to handle, so the japanese government has told nearly 3 million people they need to leave their homes and head to local evacuation centres. this morning, thousands began to heed that advice, but hundreds of thousands more will likely choose to ignore

that advice and ride out the storm at home. it will be a very tense night for them and for the authorities. river levels across kyushu and southern honshu are expected to peak sometime in the next 12 hours, putting japan's flood defences under severe strain. it would only take one breach for whole towns to be inundated in minutes, giving those who've refused to evacuate no time to escape. rupert wingfield—hayes, bbc news, tokyo. ukraine's president volodymyr zelensky says investigations into possible russian war crimes are continuing in the city of izyum, which was recently retaken from russian forces. bodies are being exhumed from a mass grave on the edge of the city. izyum is one of several areas back in ukrainian hands after significant territorial gains in recent days, although heavy fighting is still continuing. our correspondent, hugo bachega,

in kyiv has the latest. officials have returned to this pine forest outside izyum. they are opening those graves, reopening those graves and recovering those bodies. they say they found more than 450 graves. and so far, they've managed to recover 59 bodies. they say that the majority of those bodies are of civilians, but they also include 17 ukrainian soldiers. we don't know how they died. the ukrainians are determined to find out what happened and it is going to be a very long investigation. now, last night, president zelensky said there was new evidence of torture that had been carried out by russian forces. he didn't provide details. it was invaded by russia in the early days of the war and was liberated by ukrainian forces earlier this week. and also, yesterday, there

was a call from the eu presidency for the creation of an international tribunal to investigate possible war crimes committed by russia. this was a call from the czech republic, which is now holding the rotating presidency of the european union. the european commission has given more details about its plans to withhold billions of dollars from hungary, which it accuses of failing to tackle corruption. $7.5 billion will be held back unless hungary takes action to protect the rule of law, though the proposal needs the approval of eu member states. this was what the eu's budget commissioner had to say. the commission's assessment is that a risk for the budget at this stage remains, therefore we cannot conclude that the new budget is sufficiently protected. the commission has therefore proposed measures to the council. the commission proposes a suspension of

65% of the commitments for three operational programmes and the cohesion policy, amounting to an estimated amount of 7.5 billion euros. now let's return to our coverage of events on this the final day of the queen lying in state in westminster hall, ahead of her state funeral tomorrow. religion was a significant influence throughout the queen's life, and her funeral is expected to reflect her deep and personal christian faith. our religion editor, aleem maqbool, reports. throughout her reign, in good times and bad, the queen drew heavily from herfaith to guide her. and this little church on the edges of the balmoral estate was a place she held dear. she came to services at crathie kirk all her life, with very little ceremony. but there was a royal seat and a royal pew where she always sat.

the queen was a very regular churchgoer. if she was here, almost always she would come to church. for 15 years, ken mackenzie was domestic chaplain to the queen. he will be among those at windsor for herfinal service. some of the moments i cherish most would be moments when the queen would speak to me as a parish minister. i remember being over there one evening, iasked her what her favourite hymn was. she said to me that her fondest memory ever of christian song was herfather singing to her at her bedside, as she was going to bed. the hymn she remembered herfather singing was based on the parable of the sheep lost in open country. "although the road be rough and steep, i go "to the desert to find my sheep."

lord sentamu, former archbishop of york, is one of a small team that came up with the original order of service for the queen's funeral. he says her knowledge of scripture was remarkable. she knows the psalms by heart and can recite them. so you can have a conversation. one time, you know, she was going through quite a trying period, we'd been talking, and suddenly, "i lift up "mine eyes to the hills. "whence cometh my help? "my help cometh from the lord, the maker of heaven and earth." and you knew, whatever difficulty she was going through, her anchor is in god. and it was that anchor of her faith that once led the queen to say this. as dark as death can be, particularly for those - suffering with grief, - light and life are greater.

aleem maqbool, bbc news. with the clean's death, questions have been raised over the future of the commonwealth of nations. her ceremonial role has helped bind the group of 54 nations together. out of all of britain's former colonies in asia, singapore has seen the most dramatic development since independence. it's also seen as one of the commonwealth's success stories, and accordingly, the prosperous city state tends to remember the positives of british rule — as nick marsh reports. singapore's synonymous with modernity. but look around and signs of the past reveal themselves. the late queen, immortalised in a forward—thinking city. when she first came here in 1972, singapore was an ambitious young nation, keen to show its former colonial master it could go it alone.

she visited this estate, pioneering public housing that singapore is now famous for. it's something that i think we wanted to show off. jerome lim was seven when the queen and prince philip were invited into his parents' brand—new flat. we shook hands at the doorway. that's me with my back... that's you? that's me! you can see me peaking out. so, it's the highlight of my childhood. in fact, even for my parents, they do still talk about the visit and say it's the highlight of their lives. singapore's native malay population was colonised 200 years ago. but most present—day singaporeans have their roots in china. their ancestors came after the british, looking for better opportunities. for singapore's foreign minister,

continuing in the commonwealth is also about furthering opportunity. to him, singaporean history isn't a story of dominion. we have no baggage. we're not going to re—litigate the past. we acknowledge the past. we give credit for the institutions that we inherited. we admire british understatement. we believe even our current attributes of being pragmatic, sensible, reasonable... you know, it also reflects that shared history. it's pragmatism that allows singapore to wear its colonial past so lightly. this luxury hotel used to be the british military headquarters, far east command, built on top of a hill in case of a local uprising. you can't say that there is any real

controversy here in singapore over old buildings or statues or place names. the arrival of the british helped to transform this island into a global trading hub. but by the same token, ever since the british left, in the 19605, well, singapore's hardly looked back. the new head of the commonwealth last came to singapore five years ago. when he returns, the crowds might not be as big as they were for his mother 50 years ago, but he'll be welcomed, because here, the past isn't something to be dwelled on for too long. nick marsh, bbc news, singapore. queen elizabeth is also a keen diplomatic asset for great britain, as sarah smith reports. not yet a

queen, princess elizabeth's first visit to the us was back in 1951, meeting president truman. north, south, meeting president truman. north, south. east _ meeting president truman. north, south, east and _ meeting president truman. north, south, east and west... _ meeting president truman. north, south, east and west... quite - south, east and west... quite eisenhower— south, east and west... quite eisenhower was _ south, east and west... quite eisenhower was president - south, east and west... quite l eisenhower was president when south, east and west... quite - eisenhower was president when she made herfirst state eisenhower was president when she made her first state visit, helping repair uk — us relations. and made her first state visit, helping repair uk - us relations. and then it was a coople _ repair uk - us relations. and then it was a couple dancing _ repair uk - us relations. and then it was a couple dancing in - repair uk - us relations. and then it was a couple dancing in the - repair uk - us relations. and then| it was a couple dancing in the rose garden. ,, . . .,, garden. the queen en'oyed a close friendship with h garden. the queen enjoyed a close friendship with president _ garden. the queen enjoyed a close friendship with president reagan i garden. the queen enjoyed a close l friendship with president reagan are based on their shared love of horses. he was given an honorary knighthood. she met and charmed 13 us presidents in all, her constant stable presence through seven decades of devout us history was the bedrock of the special history

between america and the united kingdom. democrats and republicans alike, the queen smiled at them all. a valuable diplomatic asset stop above party politics, the queen could use her royal touch to smooth international relations. as every president covets a royal state visit to great britain. it was at the clean's personal request that the coldstream guard splayed the american national anthem. after president obama enjoyed the full p°mp president obama enjoyed the full pomp and circumstance, the then prime minister david cameron said he received a red carpet treatment on his nextjourney to washington. president trump ditched the traditional bow, going for a handshake instead. before blocking her majesty's pass as they inspected the guard. during that visit, she

may have been sending a subtle message, wearing an emerald brooch that was a gift from president obama. president biden was the first head of state the queen met in person after the death of her husband, prince philip. as presidents and prime ministers came and went, the queen endured, representing her nation on the dramatic stage with her unique brand of diplomacy. sarah smith reporting there. catherine, thank you very much for joining us here. when you look back over the offence and the spectacle of the last ten days, what do you

believe we should draw about the role and importance of a constitutional monarchy in what is a modern britain? i constitutional monarchy in what is a modern britain?— modern britain? i think there been some really _ modern britain? i think there been some really interesting _ modern britain? i think there been some really interesting symbolism| some really interesting symbolism going _ some really interesting symbolism going on — some really interesting symbolism going on. we have seen the head of state _ going on. we have seen the head of state brought down from scotland, she was _ state brought down from scotland, she was handed over to her family to be in _ she was handed over to her family to be in buckingham palace, then she went back— be in buckingham palace, then she went back to the state and laid in state _ went back to the state and laid in state in _ went back to the state and laid in state in westminster hall, a keen building _ state in westminster hall, a keen building within the parliamentary complex~ — building within the parliamentary complex. and on her coffin was the royal— complex. and on her coffin was the royal standard, but also the imperial _ royal standard, but also the imperial state crown that she always wore out _ imperial state crown that she always wore out openings of parliament, the orb donating how the world and therefore — orb donating how the world and therefore kings and queens are under therefore kings and queens are under the cross— therefore kings and queens are under the cross that's above it, the symbol — the cross that's above it, the symbol for christ. the sceptre, meaning — symbol for christ. the sceptre, meaning justice and mercy. and then the flag _ meaning justice and mercy. and then the flag lying down at the bottom of the flag lying down at the bottom of the coffin _

the flag lying down at the bottom of the coffin from the grenadier guards _ the coffin from the grenadier guards. so you have symbols of government and the relationship with the monarch to government, symbols of religion _ the monarch to government, symbols of religion. king charles is now supreme — of religion. king charles is now supreme governor of the church of england _ supreme governor of the church of england. and that flag, a military fla- england. and that flag, a military flag linking the monarch to being head _ flag linking the monarch to being head of— flag linking the monarch to being head of the armed forces. in this country. — head of the armed forces. in this country. the _ head of the armed forces. in this country, the monarch plays all of these _ country, the monarch plays all of these various roles, helping to intertwine state, even church and monarch — intertwine state, even church and monarch. and i think that is a sentence _ monarch. and i think that is a sentence that sums up what our sovereign — sentence that sums up what our sovereign is about, is that our sovereign _ sovereign is about, is that our sovereign rains but does not rule. head _ sovereign rains but does not rule. head of— sovereign rains but does not rule. head of state, but it is the government that runs the country. the sovereign is somebody who has the right— the sovereign is somebody who has the right to — the sovereign is somebody who has the right to be consulted, to encourage, even the right to warn. and from _ encourage, even the right to warn. and from what we have seen from king

charles, _ and from what we have seen from king charles, what king charles has said is that— charles, what king charles has said is that he _ charles, what king charles has said is that he will act as a constitutional monarch just as his mother— constitutional monarch just as his mother did — constitutional monarch just as his mother did do. so i think in that sense, — mother did do. so i think in that sense, we — mother did do. so i think in that sense, we are going to see more of the same — sense, we are going to see more of the same. ., . ., . ., ., the same. you are not alone in not bein: the same. you are not alone in not being quite — the same. you are not alone in not being quite used — the same. you are not alone in not being quite used to _ the same. you are not alone in not being quite used to having - the same. you are not alone in not being quite used to having to - the same. you are not alone in not being quite used to having to say l being quite used to having to say king charles yet, catherine. there are many of us making the same slip. the tension is potentially there if a monarch strays towards politics when they are meant to remain above it, separate from it, and as the prince of wales of time, some people felt that charles overstepped the mark politically. so he has got to be very careful now he is king. that is absolutely _ be very careful now he is king. that is absolutely right, _ be very careful now he is king. that is absolutely right, and he knows that that — is absolutely right, and he knows that that is a? over him. which is why when— that that is a? over him. which is why when he _ that that is a? over him. which is why when he addressed the nation as first-time _ why when he addressed the nation as first—time as king, last friday night, — first—time as king, last friday night, the _ first—time as king, last friday night, the night after his mother died. _ night, the night after his mother died. and —

night, the night after his mother died, and in that statement he said "my life _ died, and in that statement he said "my life will of course change as i take up— "my life will of course change as i take up my— "my life will of course change as i take up my new responsibilities, it will no _ take up my new responsibilities, it will no longer be possible for me to -ive will no longer be possible for me to give so _ will no longer be possible for me to give so much of my time and energies to the _ give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which — to the charities and issues for which i — to the charities and issues for which i care so deeply", so he was acknowledging that things couldn't io acknowledging that things couldn't go on _ acknowledging that things couldn't go on as— acknowledging that things couldn't go on as they once did for him. i remember— go on as they once did for him. i remembera— go on as they once did for him. i remember a documentary once where he was asked _ remember a documentary once where he was asked about this, "are you going to intervene — was asked about this, "are you going to intervene in the same way when you are _ to intervene in the same way when you are a _ to intervene in the same way when you are a king," and he said, "i'm not that— you are a king," and he said, "i'm not that stupid." he knows what the constitution is about in this country _ constitution is about in this country. there was an attempt to suggest _ country. there was an attempt to suggest he was already overstating the mark— suggest he was already overstating the mark of the other day i noticed because _ the mark of the other day i noticed because a — the mark of the other day i noticed because a reporter picked up on him talking _ because a reporter picked up on him talking about the cost of living to people — talking about the cost of living to people. but i don't think he was suggesting he was critical of the government or anything such as that. so he _

government or anything such as that. so he knows — government or anything such as that. so he knows what is expected of him and we _ so he knows what is expected of him and we will— so he knows what is expected of him and we will have to see if he does continue — and we will have to see if he does continue in — and we will have to see if he does continue in that vein as he intends to do _ continue in that vein as he intends to do we — continue in that vein as he intends to do. we are of course in very early— to do. we are of course in very early days— to do. we are of course in very early days of his reign. of course, he becomes _ early days of his reign. of course, he becomes the _ early days of his reign. of course, he becomes the supreme - early days of his reign. of course, l he becomes the supreme governor early days of his reign. of course, - he becomes the supreme governor of the church of england, the established church going all the way back to henry viii and the reformation, but he is acutely aware that this is a multi—faith society now and how much more evident is that going to be under his reign? the new king has spent many years, many— the new king has spent many years, many years. — the new king has spent many years, many years, talking to people from other— many years, talking to people from other faiths, their leaders, talking to representatives of different christian — to representatives of different christian denominations, and as you 'ust christian denominations, and as you just mentioned his mother did the same _ just mentioned his mother did the same. there was less controversy

about _ same. there was less controversy about queen elizabeth doing that because — about queen elizabeth doing that because at one point the then prince of wales, _ because at one point the then prince of wales, now king charles, had said that rather— of wales, now king charles, had said that rather than the title defender of the _ that rather than the title defender of the faith, which again goes back to the _ of the faith, which again goes back to the time — of the faith, which again goes back to the time of henry viii, he would be known — to the time of henry viii, he would be known as a defender of faith. a slight _ be known as a defender of faith. a slight difference. he retracted that 'ust slight difference. he retracted that just a _ slight difference. he retracted that just a few— slight difference. he retracted that just a few years ago, he said it would — just a few years ago, he said it would be — just a few years ago, he said it would be called defender of the faith _ would be called defender of the faith, and that title was used several— faith, and that title was used several times during the meeting of the accession council, which included _ the accession council, which included the proclamation of him as king _ included the proclamation of him as king. again, perhaps experimenting a little when _ king. again, perhaps experimenting a little when he was prince of wales, now perhaps becoming that bit more part of— now perhaps becoming that bit more part of the _ now perhaps becoming that bit more part of the status quo as king. but i think— part of the status quo as king. but i think he — part of the status quo as king. but i think he will want to keep talking to other— i think he will want to keep talking to other faiths, he will want to keep— to other faiths, he will want to keep involving christian denominations, and interesting, yesterday, he did have a reception for there _ yesterday, he did have a reception for there is— yesterday, he did have a reception for there is leaders where he spoke

very warmly to them, saying "i am a committed _ very warmly to them, saying "i am a committed anglican." and he did say that he _ committed anglican." and he did say that he recognised that as king of this country in this diverse world we live _ this country in this diverse world we live in. — this country in this diverse world we live in, he needs to engage with all there _ we live in, he needs to engage with all there faiths. and he was i think trying _ all there faiths. and he was i think trying to— all there faiths. and he was i think trying to be — all there faiths. and he was i think trying to be hospitable, acknowledging their importance. but we will— acknowledging their importance. but we will see tomorrow at his mother's funeral. _ we will see tomorrow at his mother's funeral. that— we will see tomorrow at his mother's funeral, that it is a church of england _ funeral, that it is a church of england service, and then we will have _ england service, and then we will have a _ england service, and then we will have a coronation and we will have to see _ have a coronation and we will have to see whether there are some adaptations to that that recognise that this _ adaptations to that that recognise that this is a much more diverse, multi-faith — that this is a much more diverse, multi—faith country today than it was when — multi—faith country today than it was when queen elizabeth came to the throne _ was when queen elizabeth came to the throne 70 _ was when queen elizabeth came to the throne 70 years ago. let�*s was when queen elizabeth came to the throne 70 years ago.— throne 70 years ago. let's note that the funeral — throne 70 years ago. let's note that the funeral is _ throne 70 years ago. let's note that the funeral is organised _ throne 70 years ago. let's note that the funeral is organised by - throne 70 years ago. let's note that the funeral is organised by the - throne 70 years ago. let's note thatj the funeral is organised by the duke of norfolk, who is a catholic. thank you forjoining us.

the prince and princess of wales are increasingly important figures in the royal family, as our royal correspondent reports. days of duty, of honouring a grandmother and queen, of supporting the new king, of representing the royal family. and at times, prince william, now heir to the throne, watched his father closely, a clear view of what the future holds. the prince and princess of wales, a new title and a new status within the royal family. any changes to their life, officially and personally, won't be rushed. william takes over the vast duchy of cornwall estate from his father. royal sources say the couple remain committed to the work they already do around mental health, the environment and supporting young families. they may pick up some of the king's previous charity work,

but firm decisions are yet to be made. we talk a lot about soft power, but i've witnessed that soft power in action. a word or two from a member of the royal family can mean a lot to you and also make you think, so they are determined to use that power for good, i would say. they realise how much responsibility they have, and they feel passionately about the citizens of this country and about making the lives of people in this country better. some areas will require careful navigation. there have been critical voices, but expect an early visit to wales from the prince and princess, where we are told they will invest time in creating meaningful relationships. for william, there will also be a big focus on homelessness. there were hints of it earlier in the year when he was out in london selling the big issue. he's going to be king, he's got a few houses. he's got a bit of money. but as much as he can, he wants to engage. he's trying to make positive change and he's trying to understand.

he was there, he was present, you know? he wasn't ticking a box saying, "i've done it now, i'm off for a dinner of foie gras." he was there in the moment, trying to do something. taking on the title princess of wales, catherine is said to respect the history of the role but will create her own vision for it. children and families will remain at the centre of her work. you can see, she spends time with children and our staff, and it's a really direct, personal, humane interest and a huge level of compassion and understanding, so on a personal level, you can see how it touches people's lives and changes them. over the summer, the prince and princess of wales moved here, to a house in the grounds of windsor castle. it's been a period of readjustment. they may eventually move into the main castle, but for now, their focus is on settling their family into a new routine. the prince and princess of wales taking their three children

to their new school. so much has changed in the ten days since these pictures were filmed. they will all have an increasingly important role in the future popularity of the royal family. daniela relph, bbc news, windsor. the australian prime minister, anthony albanese, has told the bbc that he has ruled out holding a referendum on whether to keep the king as his country's head of state. mr albanese also said he had no problem if king charles continues to advocate for action to protect the climate. mr albanese is in london for the funeral and spoke to the bbc�*sjim naughtie about his meeting with the king yesterday. well, it was very warm and friendly. it was a moment for me to offer my condolences to the king, not only, of course, on the loss of ourjoint head of state, but in his case, of course, the loss of his mother

coming so soon after the loss of his father, so it's a very personal bereavement. one of the things that matters to you, of course, is the future of australia and its constitution. you've talked in the past about revisiting the republican question that was asked just over 20 years ago. when do you think that's likely to come around? well, i don't think now is the time to discuss those issues, and i've made that clear. this is a time in which we should acknowledge the life of service of her majesty queen elizabeth. those are matters of debate, of course, in australia, and certainly the royal family understand that, but now is not the time to focus on that. what i have said very clearly is that my priority as the incoming prime minister, and i said this before the election,

was to commit to a referendum in this term to recognise aboriginal and torres strait islander people in our constitution. you're talking about how any nation, when it considers its own history, is bound to go through a process of change and re—evaluation, and that process in australia is bound to continue, isn't it? i know you didn't want to talk about this this week, for very obvious reasons, but that process is going to go on and everyone knows it. of course that's the case. but it's also the case that you can have different views about our constitutional system whilst having respect for queen elizabeth's contribution and whilst having respect for king charles assuming the throne as our head of state, how we are one of 15 realm countries who are represented here to attend the queen's funeral tomorrow.

but it is also a fact that we will continue to have that strong engagement with the uk. how is the commonwealth, do you think, going to matter in the future? i think the commonwealth very much matters, because what ties it together is a common history. the queen herself had such a close affinity to australia. she herself spoke about that many times, including when she did major events — opening our sydney opera house, opening our new parliament house, but as well at times of tragedy and difficulty. australia's a land of much natural disasters, and the queen always stood with australians at times of difficulty. one last question, and it's about climate change, which you are very concerned about. the king is now out of the political arena in the sense that he has

to tread carefully on political issues that are a matter for government. but everyone knows his commitment on these questions, and no doubt you would hope that that is a conversation, despite his accession to the throne, that can go on? well, i think that is a matter, of course, for king charles, what he comments on. and it's important that the sovereign stay distant from pa rty—political issues. but from my perspective, what i said is that i would be very comfortable with the king expressing views about the importance of climate change. it is about the very survival of our way of life. we know that, in australia, the impact of bushfires, floods, natural disasters, are doing exactly what the science told us would happen. and it would be quite proper in your view for him to continue to make it clear that it's a concern

in his mind? well, if he chose to do so, then of course that would be a matterfor him. but i think that should be respected, if he does choose to do so. the australian prime minister. let's return to westminster and joined my colleague. u nfortu nately, unfortunately, it has actually started to rain, so the umbrellas are going up, most people here are well prepared, though. they have their coats, umbrellas, they have waterproof clothing on as well because it has been a long, long waits for many of these people. you can see them snaking through to westminster hall, and we have just had an update in the last few minutes about the queen. a decision will be taken today on when entry to the queue will close as it reaches its final capacity. the queue right now, the end point is at tower

bridge and that means there is about an eight hour wait. estimated queueing time of eight hours, the very latest we have from the department of digital culture, media and sport, the queue is still open by the end point is tower bridge and a decision will be made today on one entry to the queue will close as it reaches its final capacity. it has been difficult for some people who have come down to the queue, they have come down to the queue, they have tried tojoin have come down to the queue, they have tried to join at southwark park and have been turned away. i have been speaking to lucy and sarah. well, a little bit disappointed but i have probably left it a bit late. i have probably left it a bit late. i will pay my respects if i can. but thank you to everyone who is working, yourselves and all of the security guards really.— working, yourselves and all of the security guards really. where have ou come security guards really. where have you come from _ security guards really. where have you come from today? _ security guards really. where have you come from today? i _ security guards really. where have you come from today? i have - security guards really. where have| you come from today? i have come from eastbourne _ you come from today? i have come from eastbourne today. _ you come from today? i have come from eastbourne today. it - you come from today? i have come from eastbourne today. it took- you come from today? i have come l from eastbourne today. it took about two hours, everything was on time and running smoothly.—

two hours, everything was on time and running smoothly. where have you come from today? _ and running smoothly. where have you come from today? i'm _ and running smoothly. where have you come from today? i'm from _ and running smoothly. where have you come from today? i'm from germany, | and running smoothly. where have you | come from today? i'm from germany, i came from germany. _ come from today? i'm from germany, i came from germany. especially - come from today? i'm from germany, i came from germany. especially for - came from germany. especially for this? yes- — came from germany. especially for this? yes. how— came from germany. especially for this? yes. how are _ came from germany. especially for this? yes. how are you _ came from germany. especially for this? yes. how are you feeling - came from germany. especially for| this? yes. how are you feeling that security have _ this? yes. how are you feeling that security have said _ this? yes. how are you feeling that security have said it is closed now? i expected it, but i thought at least — i expected it, but i thought at least i — i expected it, but i thought at least i will try. and maybe we have a chance _ least i will try. and maybe we have a chance. , , ., least i will try. and maybe we have achance. , , ., , a chance. disappointing of course for her, a chance. disappointing of course for her. but _ a chance. disappointing of course for her, but there _ a chance. disappointing of course for her, but there is _ a chance. disappointing of course for her, but there is a _ a chance. disappointing of course for her, but there is a quiet - a chance. disappointing of course| for her, but there is a quiet sense of anticipation among the many people we have been talking to as they near the end of their destination. people have got babies with them, small children sometimes, they have been trying to keep their spirits up. and earlier, when i joined the queue further back, there was a buoyancy in the crowd. there were stories being told, friendships being made, but it really does

change as you get closer to the end of the queue. it becomes a lot more quiet, a lot more solemn as people near theirfinal quiet, a lot more solemn as people near their final destination. very close by, buckingham palace will be the focus. dignitaries from around the focus. dignitaries from around the world gathering at a reception hosted by king charles iii. that is take you to my colleague, rebecca. and you have just missed president biden's— and you have just missed president biden's entourage leaving that palace — biden's entourage leaving that palace reception. he arrived here about— palace reception. he arrived here about an — palace reception. he arrived here about an hour ago and we saw the president— about an hour ago and we saw the president of the united states emerge — president of the united states emerge from his vehicle with the first lady, — emerge from his vehicle with the first lady, drjill biden, to go inside — first lady, drjill biden, to go inside to— first lady, drjill biden, to go inside to this extraordinary state reception — inside to this extraordinary state reception for world leaders, heads of state. _ reception for world leaders, heads of state, diplomats, politicians, there _ of state, diplomats, politicians, there are — of state, diplomats, politicians, there are princes, princesses,

presidents, prime ministers, ambassadors. and we saw a steady stream _ ambassadors. and we saw a steady stream of— ambassadors. and we saw a steady stream of vehicles arrive, and also some _ stream of vehicles arrive, and also some coaches with blacked out windows. — some coaches with blacked out windows, so it was impossible to tell who — windows, so it was impossible to tell who was inside. but rather tantalising to imagine a king rubbing _ tantalising to imagine a king rubbing shoulder with an emperor and who knows, _ rubbing shoulder with an emperor and who knows, a politician as well. as i say, _ who knows, a politician as well. as i say, the — who knows, a politician as well. as i say, the president of the united states. _ i say, the president of the united states, joe biden, arrived here about— states, joe biden, arrived here about an — states, joe biden, arrived here about an hour ago with the first lady, _ about an hour ago with the first lady, and — about an hour ago with the first lady, and we have just seen the presidential motorcade depart from buckingham palace. the palace has said that _ buckingham palace. the palace has said that they are not going to reveal— said that they are not going to reveal a — said that they are not going to reveal a full guest list, but we have _ reveal a full guest list, but we have got— reveal a full guest list, but we have got a good idea of some of the other— have got a good idea of some of the other people who are here because we have seen— other people who are here because we have seen pictures of president macron— have seen pictures of president macron of— have seen pictures of president macron of france arriving with his wife _ macron of france arriving with his wife we — macron of france arriving with his wife. we also know that the president of the european

commission, ursula von der leyen is there, _ commission, ursula von der leyen is there. and _ commission, ursula von der leyen is there, and there you have the prime minister— there, and there you have the prime minister of— there, and there you have the prime minister of canada, justin trudeau arriving _ minister of canada, justin trudeau arriving a — minister of canada, justin trudeau arriving a little earlier with his wife _ arriving a little earlier with his wife as — arriving a little earlier with his wife as well. i know that the king and queen— wife as well. i know that the king and queen of spain, there they are. they have _ and queen of spain, there they are. they have also been guests inside buckingham palace at this reception, which _ buckingham palace at this reception, which as— buckingham palace at this reception, which as i— buckingham palace at this reception, which as i say is hosted by the king — which as i say is hosted by the king and _ which as i say is hosted by the king. and the president of brazil also there as a guest at this state visit _ also there as a guest at this state visit the — also there as a guest at this state visit. the emperor ofjapan as well we know— visit. the emperor ofjapan as well we know is— visit. the emperor ofjapan as well we know is expected there. with an entourage. — we know is expected there. with an entourage, and there he is. you can see the _ entourage, and there he is. you can see the emperor ofjapan arriving 'ust see the emperor ofjapan arriving just a _ see the emperor ofjapan arriving just a little earlier to enter into the reception. as i say, hosted by the reception. as i say, hosted by the king _ the reception. as i say, hosted by the king and the queen consort, camilla — the king and the queen consort,

camilla. and certainly, one of the other— camilla. and certainly, one of the other guests, the king and queen of holland _ other guests, the king and queen of holland. the king and queen there from the _ holland. the king and queen there from the netherlands. so a starry cast. _ from the netherlands. so a starry cast. and — from the netherlands. so a starry cast. and i— from the netherlands. so a starry cast, and i know it seems a strange thing _ cast, and i know it seems a strange thing to— cast, and i know it seems a strange thing to say— cast, and i know it seems a strange thing to say in terms of formality, informality, when all of these world leaders _ informality, when all of these world leaders and heads of state are at westminster abbey pearly queen's funeral— westminster abbey pearly queen's funeral tomorrow, which of course is the reason _ funeral tomorrow, which of course is the reason they are to pay their respects— the reason they are to pay their respects to her majesty queen elizabeth ii, it is also to meet the new king — elizabeth ii, it is also to meet the new king. and that will be slightly more _ new king. and that will be slightly more informal tonight if that is possible. — more informal tonight if that is possible, a slightly more informal way for— possible, a slightly more informal way for some of these world leaders to get— way for some of these world leaders to get together. way for some of these world leaders to get together-— to get together. rebecca, thank you so much. to get together. rebecca, thank you so much- some _ to get together. rebecca, thank you so much. some lovely _ to get together. rebecca, thank you so much. some lovely words - to get together. rebecca, thank you so much. some lovely words spoken to get together. rebecca, thank you i so much. some lovely words spoken by president biden earlier after he signed that official book of

condolence, he says his country's hearts go out to all the people of the united kingdom, "you were fortunate to have her for 70 years, we all were." and then he said, "the world is better for we all were." and then he said, "the world is betterfor her." he has of course been inside westminster hall himself with the us ambassador, with his wife jill himself with the us ambassador, with his wifejill biden. one of the things that is remarkable is various dignitaries do come in, but if you have queued for hours outside that is not your focus of attention at all. in fact, is not your focus of attention at all. infact, people is not your focus of attention at all. in fact, people barely glanced at them. they are so focused in this private moment they have, the few seconds they have in front of the coffin. people walking slowly in silence, you saw the guards, the flickering candles, it is an amazingly solemn experience for people. we have seen so many people leave quite visibly emotional, many

wiping away the tears. this is the queue you can see now. unfortunately, it is starting to rain a little here at westminster. thank you so much for being with us on bbc news.