▁King ▁Edward ▁VII ▁had ▁died ▁on ▁ 6 ▁May , ▁and ▁following ▁a ▁private ▁lying ▁in ▁state ▁in ▁the ▁Th r one ▁Room ▁at ▁Buck ingham ▁Palace , ▁on ▁ 1 7 ▁May ▁the ▁coff in ▁was ▁taken ▁in ▁process ion ▁to ▁West min ster ▁Hall , ▁where ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁public ▁lying ▁in ▁state . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁be ▁held ▁in ▁the ▁hall ▁for ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Family ▁and ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁lying ▁in ▁state ▁of ▁William ▁Glad stone ▁there ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 8 . ▁On ▁the ▁first ▁day , ▁thousands ▁of ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁public ▁que ued ▁patient ly ▁in ▁the ▁rain ▁to ▁pay ▁their ▁respect s ; ▁some ▁ 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁were ▁turned ▁away ▁when ▁the ▁gates ▁were ▁closed ▁at ▁ 1 0 ▁pm . ▁On ▁ 1 9 ▁May , ▁Kaiser ▁Wilhelm ▁II ▁wanted ▁to ▁have ▁the ▁hall ▁closed ▁while ▁he ▁laid ▁a ▁w re ath ; ▁however , ▁the ▁police ▁ad vised ▁that ▁there ▁might ▁be ▁dis order ▁if ▁that ▁happened , ▁so ▁the ▁Kaiser ▁was ▁taken ▁in ▁through ▁another ▁entrance ▁while ▁the ▁public ▁continued ▁to ▁file ▁past . ▁An ▁estimated ▁half ▁a ▁million ▁people ▁visited ▁the ▁hall ▁during ▁the ▁three ▁days ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁open . ▁ ▁The ▁fun eral ▁was ▁held ▁two ▁weeks ▁after ▁the ▁king ' s ▁death ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁May . ▁ ▁H uge ▁crow ds ▁gathered ▁to ▁watch ▁the ▁process ion , ▁which ▁passed ▁from ▁Buck ingham ▁Palace ▁to