Persian cat becomes royalty as he glimpses King Charles III in Belfast

This is a photograph of a Persian cat on the shoulder of their owner wearing a crown. They were watching King Charles III as he visited Royal Hillsborough, near Belfast, Northern Ireland during the King's whistlestop tour after the procession from Buckingham Palace to the late Queen's resting place at Westminster Hall.

Persian cat becomes royalty as she glimpses King Charles III in Belfast. Pic in the public domain.

I thought the picture was quite good because it is the only picture I've seen of a cat during these extensive proceedings in memory of Queen Elizabeth II. Clearly, the owner felt confident enough to take a Persian cat on her shoulder into a large crowd which I think is good.

The cat looks a bit ragged and a bit unkempt it has to be said. I don't like the dirty chin but all in all, I think it's a good photograph and I always like to see a cat taken outside on a lead even into large crowds if the owner thinks it is safe and acceptable to do so.

Some cats are very well trained to sit on shoulders and accept all the kerfuffle and noise that is going on around them.

One of the most extraordinary aspects of the memorial activities is the 14-hour queue which snakes for 5 miles before ending up at Westminster Hall for those waiting for a precious few moments to pass in front of the Queen's coffin to pay their respects.

Last night was particularly cold as there was a clear sky. There must have been hundreds of thousands of people in the queue last night, perishingly cold waiting to get to Westminster Hall. Can you imagine being in a queue for 14 hours and throughout the night when temperatures dropped to about 7°C? 

The dedication is amazing but everyone who has been interviewed by the news media have said that they've enjoyed being in the queue, meeting different people and joined together in one mission to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II on her passing.

I've not heard one person who has been in the queue moaning about it. In fact, they've actually enjoyed it partly because they have had a chance to meet like-minded people, some of them from thousands of miles away. Some have made friends for life and in one very rare instance a cat has joined in although this is in Belfast and not that famous queue snaking along the Thames in London.