This Livestream Shows Queen Elizabeth II Lying In State
The queen's reign was not only the longest in British history but also the most visible — and technology is partially responsible for that. Her coronation ceremony, which took place in 1953, was the first to be fully televised. Her father George VI's coronation received some limited coverage in 1936. However, the broadcast was limited to the procession itself and did not include the ceremony inside Westminster Abbey.
Televisions were also far rarer in the 1930s. Elizabeth II's coronation is seen as a major landmark in both world and television history. Many of her subjects who would have had no chance of witnessing similar ceremonies in the past rushed out and bought a TV so they could witness the Imperial State Crown being officially placed on their ruler's head. Those who couldn't afford their own televisions crowded into their more affluent neighbors' houses so they too could see the ceremony firsthand (via BBC).
And now, at the end of the queen's reign, another technological advancement allows people around the world to be involved in some way. The funeral process involves the queen's body lying in state for several days, so members of the public can file past and pay their respects by bowing their heads at the royal coffin. Small military formalities also happen as the soldiers guarding the queen's body are periodically relieved by a new set of guards. The lines outside of Westminster Hall are staggeringly long. The official queue tracker has reported lines stretching back over 2.5 miles and the BBC says the maximum potential length of the line is capped at 10 miles. Some people slept on the street overnight to guarantee they would get a chance to see the queen's coffin lying in state.
How to watch the queen lying in state online
While thousands of people have made their way to London intent on standing in line for as long as it takes, that isn't practical for most of the world's population. However, because the internet is a thing you can now observe the queen lying in state online. It's not quite the same as being there in person, but it is still an opportunity to witness a major piece of history as it is happening.
The BBC is Britain's official state broadcasting service. While it does make some of its money from selling its more popular shows like "Doctor Who" and "Top Gear" to TV stations around the world, it is largely publicly funded through the UK's TV Licensing system. The BBC provided the coverage of the queen's coronation, and it is also providing in-depth coverage of the ceremonies leading up to her funeral, along with the funeral itself. The BBC website has a live stream running until the morning of the funeral.
Unlike many of the BBC's live services, which are only viewable from the U.K., the coverage of the queen lying in state is free to view worldwide. Westminster Hall, where the queen is lying in state, is also open to the public 24 hours a day until 6 a.m. local time on the morning of the funeral. The BBC's live stream is scheduled to run for that entire time.