times because the times has gone with a slightly different focus, i think almost every single paper has gone with some image of the queen or image of crowds and people, the times, though, has decided to focus on charles and charles gives thanks, is the headline.— on charles and charles gives thanks, is the headline. yes, the photograph of him giving — is the headline. yes, the photograph of him giving an _ is the headline. yes, the photograph of him giving an audience _ is the headline. yes, the photograph of him giving an audience to - is the headline. yes, the photograph of him giving an audience to the - of him giving an audience to the prime minister liz truss, i think the emphasis there is obviously on his thanks to the nation for the gratitude that it has shown for an amazing reign, there is little doubt that now he has finally ascended the throne, it has been, i can only describe it as a whirlwind of activity. apart from the reception this evening where these heads of states, i mean, one of the aspects of this and i think it is very significant, is that it shows the monarchy with its truly global

reach, if britain wanted an example of soft power, this is surely it, it is said that the funeral is being watched by 4 billion people, that beats the previous record when mohammed ali open to the los angeles olympics, so i think the concentration on charles, i think, is something that is significant because after all it is so important, looking to the future as the nature —— nation acclimatise itself to a new claim, that his roles and duties are handled as the queen did of course every monarch has its own style but i suspect the times will be keeping and i on any activist tendencies that he might have. . ., �* ., ., , have. richard, i've got to “ump in because we * have. richard, i've got to “ump in because we have t have. richard, i've got to “ump in because we have one _ have. richard, i've got tojump in because we have one minute - have. richard, i've got tojump in because we have one minute left| have. richard, i've got to jump in - because we have one minute left and i want to bring lucy back in on one final thought which is the front

page of the eye, world was back farewell to elizabeth ii, a lovely image of the people which has been so fundamental to this, i want to quickly, and under a minute, something about the ikes —— psychology, not everyone is a monarchist, there is something about the psychology that has caught people. i the psychology that has caught --eole. ~ , the psychology that has caught neale, ~' , , the psychology that has caught --eole. ~ , , ., the psychology that has caught neale, ~' , , ., ., people. i think it is partly to do with the fact — people. i think it is partly to do with the fact that _ people. i think it is partly to do with the fact that it _ people. i think it is partly to do with the fact that it was - people. i think it is partly to do with the fact that it was the - people. i think it is partly to do . with the fact that it was the queen herself, _ with the fact that it was the queen herself, polling showed that she was by far_ herself, polling showed that she was by far and _ herself, polling showed that she was by far and away the most popular member— by far and away the most popular member of the royal family and she was synonymous with monarchy and therefore. _ was synonymous with monarchy and therefore, even if you are anti—monarchy, i think a lot of people — anti—monarchy, i think a lot of pebble are _ anti—monarchy, i think a lot of people are grieving the loss of a woman— people are grieving the loss of a woman that was in their life, to some _ woman that was in their life, to some degree, but also someone who represented really quite noble tbings— represented really quite noble things like duty and service, and they can — things like duty and service, and they can respect that. and things like duty and service, and they can respect that.— things like duty and service, and they can respect that. and they did, and i feel like _ they can respect that. and they did, and i feel like i _ they can respect that. and they did, and i feel like i am _ they can respect that. and they did, and i feel like i am hugely _ and ifeel like i am hugely disrespecting do, i'm so sorry, we are totally out of time, lucy, richard, thank you so much, this is bbc news.

you are watching bbc news, thanks very much for your company. the queen's state funeral will take place tomorrow at 11am at westminster abbey. the abbey's tenor bell will toll every minute for 96 minutes before the service, to mark each of the years of queen elizabeth's life. our midlands correspondent navtej johal has spent the day with two people who have been invited to attend the funeral. as a volunteer emergency responder, barbara is prepared for everything. she is so good at the job that she was informed that she was being awarded an mbe a few months ago, but she wasn't prepared for the call she received on saturday last week. "hello, is that barbara crelin?" "you tell me who you are because it is a no caller id

"and i'll tell you if i am." so, the cabinet office, and the next thing was, "we'd like to invite you to the queen's funeral. i sort of filled up and said, "sorry?" "we would like to invite you to the queen's funeral." and i said, "why me?" i just didn't know what to think, what to say. i cried, went and found my husband and took him outside, and i cried again. he said, "can i come?" i said, "there's no plus one!" the retired head teacher has spent more than a decade responding to 999 calls for the ambulance service as part of rutland first responders, a volunteer group trained to give life—saving treatment to their community. how will you feel tomorrow when you are at the state funeral in london? i should imagine very choked up. emotional is probably the main word. honoured and emotional. westminster abbey, the state funeral of queen elizabeth ii... much like barbara, kevin's life

is focused on volunteering, as well. he organised thousands of people to give up their time to help others during the pandemic. he had no idea he would end up being invited to the queen's funeral. a call on the landline which, of course, you only get calls when someone is trying to scam you on the landline, but it was the cabinet office, just saying, "would you like to come "to the queen's funeral?" it came completely out of the blue, very much like the honour came, and i was completely floored by it. the volunteers that kevin worked with did everything from delivering essential supplies to vulnerable people in his home city of leicester, to supporting the vaccination effort. he says he can't believe his work has now been recognised with an invitation to the funeral. i don't think i can get over the fact it is such an honour to be there representing the general british public, to be there to witness the funeral, and just to be part of it, it is just out of this world. barbara and kevin are among around 200 people from the queen's birthday honours list who have received an invitation.

members of the public who will bear witness to an historic event. navtejjohal, bbc news. the archbishop of canterbury, justin welby has spoken of his hope that the state funeral tomorrow will bind people together more. the funeral will reflect the queen's deeply—held christian beliefs. our religion editor aleem maqbool has been looking at what religion meant to the queen, and the role it played during 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 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, 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.

as we've witnessed, there's been an outpouring of emotion across the country. on the eve of the queen's funeral, our home editor mark easton reflects now on the past ten days of national mourning in the uk. 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. it has been an extraordinary ten days. meditate you live to central london in the queue to witness the queen's lying in state. these are some of the last people now, it is only six hours or so left, the queue is now officially closed to any new joiners, the official statement is the queue to attend the line in —— lying in state is at final capacity as —— and is now closed to new

entrants, please do not attempt to join the queue. after four days or so, for the half days, the queueing is almost at an and and these are some of the people in the last few hours to witness that the queen's lying in state before the funeral tomorrow. ok, now it is time to get the weather with ben. cloud amounts have been gradually increasing over the weekend and cloud is set to play quite a part in monday's whether story, the art shower and the odd spot of rain but on balance —— on balance it will be dry. it should stay dry around the london area for her majesty the queen's state funeral, but as the cloud thickens into the afternoon, we may see the odd shower or spot of rain or drizzle. northwest —— south wales will see the best of the

sunshine. cloudy monday night and into tuesday, spots of rain and drizzle, especially across eastern counties, some clear spells and the rest —— in the west. an increasing chance of rain, some of heavy front mid week onwards, but it will feel a little warmer than has done.

this is bbc news — i'm kasia madera live in westminster. our top stories... a minute's silence across the uk — time to reflect on the life and legacy of queen elizabeth ii. the queue for people waiting to pay their respects and file past the queen's coffin lying in state has reached capacity — and no more are allowed to join. the queen this spring — one of the last official photographs of her majesty is released on the eve of herfuneral. president biden pays his respects at the lying—in—state — and later gave this tribute. our hearts go out to you. you were fortunate to have had her for 70 years, we all were. the world is better for her.