A peek inside the history of Westminster Hall, where Queen Elizabeth lies in state

As Queen Elizabeth II continues to lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday, mourners gathering to pay their respects to the longest-reigning monarch in British history will do so inside a building that has borne witness to 900 years of monarchy, pageantry and tales straight from the history books – Westminster Hall.

And while it shares a name with the perhaps better-known Westminster Abbey where the queen was crowned, Westminster Hall has a history all of its own and is in fact nearly “the only part of the ancient Palace of Westminster which survives in almost its original form,” according to the British government.

Dating back to 1097, Westminster Hall was built by the son of William the Conquerer and spans more than 17,000 square feet. At the time it was built, it was “by far the largest hall in England, and probably in Europe at that time,” the government’s heritage website states.

It’s the oldest building on the parliamentary grounds, which includes sites like the U.K. Parliament buildings and the Big Ben clock tower, while Westminster Abbey lies across the street.

Within the spectacular stone walls of Westminster Hall have rested towering figures of British history, like wartime prime minister Winston Churchill and Queen Elizabeth II’s father King George VI during their periods of lying in state.

And now, Queen Elizabeth II rests among them, until early Monday morning when her coffin will be moved to nearby Westminster Abbey for her funeral.

Global News will carry special live coverage of the funeral on GlobalNews.ca.