it was tony blare had just come into office in 1997. this is a different era certainly for the artists. you say that but she wasn t of that era, let s be quite frank. very much. so you say that she was lively. she was enthusiastic. just walk me through that. just walk us through that experience. okay. so, the most nerve racking time was waiting for the queen to arrive in the yellow drawing room over there. and i was a bit nervous. it was like being in doctor surgery. but as soon as she arrived, as everybody said, she was brilliant at putting people at ease. one of the things that happened that was a chance thing actually which is what really works of art i find is she brought a blanket with her. she said, do you mind if i put the blanket on the chair, i said nope that s fine. i knew that was an element that said something about her character and her personality. so that was included in the
cnn s anna stewart joining me from where that cue will start in london. one what are the details? reporter: well, this is one of the major events in the leadup to the state funeral. an opportunity for people to pay their respects to the queen and visit her coffin and hundreds of thousands of people are expected to come, which means very, very long cues are expected. look at the guidance that we had from the government. they re saying you will need to stand for many hours, possibly overnight with very little opportunity to sit down as the cue will be continuously moving. you ll see i m on the other side of the houses of parliament where westminster is, this is where the cue will go. we can t say how far the queue will stretch. we can t say just how many hundreds of thousands of people will be coming to try to facilitate as many people as possible, they ll keep it open for 24 hours through wednesday through the day of the funeral.
wish king charles well as he walks up the street. this is going to an extraordinary moment where the royals walk up, hear the comments, hear the support from the public as well as this time digesting their own emotions and for the king to again absorb that moment that he is king. he ll have his constitutional duties here, going into the scottish parliament today. but i think this, this walk, up the royal mile, that s going to be a very emotional thing for everyone involved. nic, you re exactly right. nic robertson, thank you very much. we appreciate that. the last time king charles appeared in parliament, that was in may, when he stood in for the late queen at the state opening in parliament. now that was a symbolic moment in modern british history with the queen forced to withdraw from the first time in six
close at 6:30 a.m. on that monday. people have to go through airport style security, small bags, no liquids and also being told that people are expected to be dignified in their behavior and walk through westminster hall in complete silence and no photos will be allowed. it s a big tradition lying in state dates back to the 17th century. westminster hall is older than that, 11th century, in fact. if we look back to the last time we had something like this, it was the queen mother, 200,000 people showed up for that. that will be absolutely dwarfed by this. i say hundreds of thousands, it could be over a million people. becky? and as you and i speak, liz truss, the british prime minister, only installed last tuesday, leaving 10 downing street on her way to the houses of parliament. she will receive prince charles there just half an hour or so from now.
the moving carpet because they used to go all around this giant grouping of corgis and running all around. any time anyone visited buckingham palace the corgis would be there. and the queen always wanted the corgis. she always wants to outlive the corgis. there are only two remaining. the stars of the 2012 when the queen was a bond girl talking to daniel craig inside the palace, they are no longer with us. they are going to the duke of york. but i think the corgi was a new dog when the queen got it and popularized it. i do think that although the queen s corgis, she s no longer with those to care for them, her love for the corgi and love for dogs will live on. absolutely. always good to have you, kate. thank you very much indeed. kate williams with you with me here for you. and nic robertson, of course, in edinburgh.