As the fourth anniversary of the end of Queen Elizabeth II’s Lying-in-State approaches, an exhibition of artworks created in response to the historic occasion is entering its final two weeks at Westminster Hall.
A Historic Farewell: Art as Witness to the Lying-in-State of Queen Elizabeth II brings together work by six artists commissioned by Parliament to document the Lying-in-State and the events surrounding it in 2022.
The free exhibition is on display in Westminster Hall, where the Queen’s coffin lay in state from 14 to 19 September 2022, until 2 October 2026.
Among the artists featured are Londoners Dryden Goodwin and Tina Crawford, alongside Caroline Walker, Julia Midgley, Lachlan Goudie and Eleanor Crook.
Tina Crawford next to her work ‘A Million Footsteps’, a free thread embroidery representation of the public paying their respects (House of Lords commission). Copyright: ©House of Commons
Working across different mediums including oil painting, pencil, printmaking, embroidery, film and sculpture, the artists created works documenting different aspects of the occasion, from the public queue and the people who helped stage the Lying-in-State to the formal ceremonies inside Parliament.
Goodwin’s The Queue is a multi-part work comprising 588 drawings of members of the public as they progressed through the queue. The exhibition also includes film footage documenting the creation of the work and Goodwin’s conversations with some of those he drew.
Crawford’s A Million Footsteps is a free-thread embroidery incorporating fabric from the catafalque and representing the millions of footsteps made by members of the public paying their respects.
Other works include Caroline Walker’s Ceremonies of Mourning, Julia Midgley’s The Queue 2022, Lachlan Goudie’s The Vigil and Eleanor Crook’s bronze sculpture May Flights of Angels Sing Thee to Thy Rest.
The exhibition also features preparatory material from the artists, offering an insight into how they responded to the events as they unfolded.
The six artists invited to capture the Lying-in-State (from left): Lachlan Goudie, Julia Midgley, Caroline Walker, Tina Crawford, Eleanor Crook, Dryden Goodwin. Copyright: ©House of Commons
The Lying-in-State attracted an extraordinary public response in September 2022, with thousands of people joining the queue in London to enter Westminster Hall ahead of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
The exhibition provides an opportunity to revisit that period through the artists’ work, while preserving a record of the ceremony and the public experience surrounding it.
Crook’s sculpture was permanently installed in Parliament earlier this year to mark 100 years since the birth of Queen Elizabeth II. Preparatory artworks relating to the sculpture are also included in the exhibition.
The exhibition opened in July and is now entering its final two weeks, closing on 2 October 2026.
The exhibition is free to visit, although visitors need to book tickets online through the UK Parliament website. Anyone attending Parliament for a booked tour during the exhibition dates can also see the exhibition at no additional charge.
The completed artworks are also available to view online through the Parliamentary Art Collection.
Exhibition details
A Historic Farewell: Art as Witness to the Lying-in-State of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Westminster Hall, Houses of Parliament
Until 2 October 2026
Free to visit with a booked Parliament visit
A Historic Farewell: Art as Witness to the Lying-in-State of Queen Elizabeth II exhibition in Westminster Hall. Copyright: ©House of Commons
