Today’s news summary – Paper Talk
Monday’s papers dedicate their front pages to the Queen ahead of her state funeral in Westminster.
Buckingham Palace released a portrait – taken in May – of the Queen on the eve of her funeral. It is featured on many of the front pages. The portrait shows the Queen dressed in blue and wearing her favourite pearls.
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Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral
“Happy and Glorious” in the Daily Mirror, in the Daily Express: “Farewell our Glorious Queen”, The Daily Telegraph: “A life of selfless service.” The Sun frames the image in black, with the headline “God Bless”.
The i looks to today’s funeral saying it will be the “biggest state funeral in history” that’ll be watched by billions around the world. The Daily Mail estimates four billion will tune in to watch it. The paper’s headline says “the world prepares to join our last farewell.”
The Financial Times suggests that no one can emulate the Queen’s level of soft power and a post-imperial and the post-Brexit UK will need to seek and nurture other sources.
The Guardian leads with news Prince George and Princess Charlotte will walk behind her coffin. The Telegraph says they’ll be the youngest children to take an important role in the day – the Daily Mail says the Prince and Princess of Wales thought “long and hard” about the children attending the state funeral.
The Daily Star’s front page says “Kingdom United” as millions of people took part in last night’s nation minute silence in memory of the Queen. Whilst the Sun paid tribute to the 400,000 people who waited to file past the coffin as HM laid in state.
UK Politics – Liz Truss tax cut plans
The Sun suggests Liz Truss plans to cut the basic rate of income tax to 19p in the pound. The Times reports on economic analysis that suggests the aim to lower national insurance contributions will leave the poorest three million households only 63p better off each month.