Westminster attack funeral: UK to pay ultimate respect to `last beat` of PC Palmer

The `final beat` for the man who died protecting the UK`s democratic heart will take the hero of London`s 22/3 past the biggest gathering of police officers ever assembled. More than 5,000 men and women representing every force in Britain are expected to line the two-and-a-half mile route from the Palace of Westminster to Southwark Cathedral for Monday`s (April 10) funeral of Police Constable Keith Palmer. Up to 50,000 members of the public are thought to be planning to join the tribute to the 48-year-old Metropolitan Police Service officer who paid the ultimate sacrifice for queen and country – in defending the entrance to the Houses of Parliament. Unarmed PC Palmer was stabbed to death in the terror attack on March 22, when he tried to stop Muslim extremist Khalid Masood running into the Palace of Westminster armed with two knives. Masood, who had ploughed through pedestrians on Westminster Bridge – killing four people – was eventually shot dead by armed police. Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said the response had been “incredible”. He added: “I can’t recall an occasion like this in regard to the number of officers who will be there, but we must not lose sight of the fact that it is a family funeral. “It is for Keith’s family and we have made sure we have done everything his wife wants because, first and foremost, it is for her to mourn her husband.” Today (April 9) the body of PC Palmer arrived at Westminster where he will `lie in rest` overnight, ahead of tomorrow`s full police funeral at 2pm. Crowds gathered outside the Palace of Westminster to pay their respects as a group of officers wearing white gloves formed two lines to meet the hearse. Draped in a police flag, PC Palmer`s coffin was taken to the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft where it will lie in rest for 24 hours. Inside, a short private service to receive the body into the chapel was led by the Rev Prebendary Rose Hudson-Wilkin and attended by members of the Palmer family. The honour of lying in rest in Parliament has in the past only been reserved for senior politicians – most recently ex-prime minister Margaret Thatcher and Labour veteran Tony Benn. The fifth victim of the attack, Romanian Andreea Cristea, 31, who fell into the River Thames, died in hospital on Thursday (April 6). The other victims were Aysha Frade, 44, who worked at a London sixth-form college, US tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, from Utah, and retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, from south London. Romanian ambassador to the UK, Dan Mihalache, said it was thought Masood`s car had mounted the pavement and hit Ms Cristea`s boyfriend Andrei Burnaz before pushing her into the river. Relatives of those killed joined members of the Royal Family at a `service of hope` at Westminster Abbey on Wednesday (April 5).