Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan was harshly criticized by British newspapers on Sunday after one of his staffers broke the rules by taking a photo of him posing in front of Queen Elizabeth's coffin in London's Westminster Hall and his delegation spoke loudly, according to The Hill.

The Sun reported that staff in the 1,000-year-old chamber were outraged over the incident.

Andrew Kerslake told the publication that hundreds of people were in Westminster Hall at the time and "no one was speaking. Only him. Yap, yap, yap, yap," adding that Khachaturyan was laughing during the viewing, calling it "an absolute outrage."

The Daily Mail reported that the Armenian leader "copped flak" from bystanders for "loudly rabbiting on to his entourage" and then "bowing at the late monarch's coffin as one of his lackies snapped some pictures on his mobile phone."

Large crowds of visitors have been standing in long lines in London waiting to view the queen, ever since Wednesday, when she has been lying in state. VIPs are given special access, permitting them not to wait in line.

Westminster Hall forbids taking photos, and people are encouraged to be quiet and respectful while in the hall.

The Sun reported that special visitors allowed inside the hall with a specific time slot to pay their respects are given a briefing beforehand clearly explaining the rules.

One source told the newspaper that "the rules are extremely straightforward. We simply ask people to behave with respect and not take any photos. Everyone has managed to follow those rules to the very letter — apart from this one individual."

The queen will lie in state until her funeral service at Westminster Abbey on Monday, which will be attended by hundreds of international leaders.

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