Prince William Joins King Charles in Surprise Appearance to Thank Mourners Waiting to See Queen
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King Charles III is showing his appreciation for emergency service workers ahead of Queen Elizabeth's funeral on Monday — and his son, Prince William, made a surprise appearance to join him.
On Saturday, the 73-year-old monarch and his 40-year-old heir met with police officers and staff at the Metropolitan Police Service Special Operations Room in London to thank them for their work ahead of the Queen's state funeral.
Hollie Adams/Getty King Charles and Prince William
King Charles was greeted by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and briefed by Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jane Connors and Commander Karen Findlay, who are leading police operations around London during the funeral.
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The pair also met with officers from other forces and officials from key partners including the London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade, Transport for London and the Army.
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Hollie Adams/Getty King Charles
King Charles and Prince William also surprised mourners waiting on the line to see Queen Elizabeth lying in state at Westminster Hall. They shook hands with members of the public near Lambeth Bridge, who have been lining up around the clock and waiting for hours to pay their respects to the late monarch. (On Saturday, the wait was 14 hours, according to a live tracker provided by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport.)
"She'd never believe this, honestly, she really wouldn't," Prince William said of his grandmother's reaction to the line in a video shared by royal correspondent Charlie Proctor on Twitter.
Vianney Le Caer/Shutterstock Prince William
Queen Elizabeth's state funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey in London on Monday, gathering about 2,000 world leaders and royals from around the globe.
The funeral will be followed by a committal at St. George's Chapel in Windsor— where the Queen's parents, sister Princess Margaret and beloved husband Prince Philip are laid to rest.
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ISABEL INFANTES/AFP via Getty Prince William
On Friday, King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla completed their tour visiting the four countries of the U.K. following the death of the Queen with a visit to Wales. The country is of particular significance to Charles, who spent most of his life as the Prince of Wales.
The royal couple also attended engagements in Scotland on Monday, including the Queen's four children following her coffin in a procession through Edinburgh and later standing vigil inside St. Giles' Cathedral.
They also greeted well-wishers gathered outside of Hillsborough Castle in Belfast, Ireland on Tuesday.
Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty King Charles
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On Wednesday, the coffin of the late monarch traveled from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall in a solemn procession. The procession included her four children — King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward — and several of her grandchildren, including Prince William, Prince Harry and Peter Phillips.
