Final chance to see Queen lying in state

Final chance to see Queen lying in state: Mourners face being turned away from line to pay their respects to Her Majesty with queue still 12 hours long and coffin only on public view until 6.30am tomorrow

The final day of Queen Elizabeth II’s lying-in-state at the Palace of Westminster begins today
Thousands of mourners face the prospect of being turned away from the queue to see the coffin
Monarch’s casket will remain in Westminster Hall until 6.30am tomorrow, ahead of the state funeral
Officials warned wait time for the queue along the Thames to Southwark Park is at least 12 hours
The Queen’s funeral: All the latest Royal Family news and coverage

The final day of the Queen’s lying-in-state begins today, as tens of thousands of mourners face the prospect of being turned away from the huge queue snaking its way through London before her coffin is removed from public view in Westminster Hall tomorrow morning.

The late monarch’s casket will remain in the Palace of Westminster until 6.30am tomorrow, ahead of the state funeral in Westminster Abbey.

Officials are warning that the five-mile queue winding its way along the banks of the Thames to Southwark Park will shut ‘well before’ tomorrow morning, and possibly as early as this evening – but everyone currently in line is guaranteed to file past Her Majesty’s casket. Yesterday the accessible queue for people with disabilities shut at around 4.30pm.

A Government source warned: ‘We don’t want people to make long journeys only to find it closed. We will give people as much notice as possible so they can avoid disappointment. We are monitoring the numbers incredibly closely to make a judgement on final capacity. We have always said we will need to close the queue well in advance of the Lying-in-State ending.’

As of 5am, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) online tracker said the estimated queuing time was at least 12 hours – far shorter than the peak of more than 25 hours that was seen in the early hours of yesterday morning.

At 8pm, the country will observe a one-minute silence to remember the Queen, with people invited to mark the occasion privately at home, on their doorstep or street, or at community events and vigils. It will come shortly after the Queen Consort pays a televised tribute to the late monarch, recalling her ‘wonderful blue eyes’ and saying: ‘I will always remember her smile.’

Members of the public stand in the queue in the early hours of the morning, near Tower Bridge

Mourners camp in the queue while members of the Scouts hand out blankets

People queue with blankets overnight in the Victoria Tower Gardens South to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II

https://youtube.com/watch?v=cJxDwDzAwEs%3Frel%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26start%3D0%26hl%3Den-US

Members of the public stand in the queue in the early hours of the morning, opposite the skyscrapers of the City of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II

Members of the public stand in the queue in the early hours of the morning, near Tower Bridge

Mourners camp in the queue while members of the Scouts hand out blankets

Queen’s lying in state: What you need to know

The Queen is lying in state in London ahead of her funeral. Here is some of the information mourners need to know.

– What exactly is meant by the term ‘lying in state’?

Lying in state is usually reserved for sovereigns, current or past queen consorts, and sometimes former prime ministers.

During the formal occasion, the closed coffin is placed on view, as thousands of people queue to file past and pay their respects.

The coffin will be adorned with the Imperial State Crown, the Orb and the Sceptre.

– When and where will the Queen lie in state?

The late monarch’s lying in state in Westminster Hall opened to the public at 5pm yesterday and it will be open 24 hours a day until it closes at 6.30am on Monday, September 19 – the day of the Queen’s funeral.

– Where is Westminster Hall?

Westminster Hall, which dates back to 1099, is in the Palace of Westminster and is the oldest building on the parliamentary estate.

It forms part of the Westminster Unesco World Heritage Site and the UK Parliament website refers to its ‘great size’, the ‘magnificence’ of its roof, and its central role in British history.

The building has been the site of key events, such as the trial of Charles I, coronation banquets, and addresses by world leaders.

– Is there a big queue?

Yes. Government guidance says there will be a queue which is expected to be very long, predicted to be in the tens of thousands.

As it stands the queue is about 14 hours long.

People will need to stand for ‘many hours, possibly overnight’, with very little opportunity to sit down as the queue will be continuously moving.

People are not allowed to camp and a wristband system is being used to manage the queue, with those waiting in line given a coloured and numbered one, specific to each person, allowing them to leave for a short period.

‘Your wristband also allows you to leave the queue for a short period to use a toilet or get refreshments, then return to your place in the queue,’ according to the official guidance.

– What is the queue route?

Members of the public can join the line on the Albert Embankment, which runs behind the London Eye onto the Southbank before following the river past landmarks such as the National Theatre, the Tate Modern and HMS Belfast, reaching ‘maximum capacity’ at Southwark Park.

– Is there assistance for people who cannot queue for long periods of time?

The main queue has step-free access with a separate accessible route also planned to run from Tate Britain where timed entry slots will be issued for a queue going along Millbank to the Palace of Westminster.

Guide dogs will be allowed inside Westminster Hall, with sign language interpreters also on hand.

Venues including the Southbank Centre, the National Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe will open for longer hours to accommodate those queuing. The British Film Institute on the Southbank will do the same while providing an outdoor screen with archive footage of the Queen.

Camilla, in pre-recorded words on the BBC, will speak of how Queen Elizabeth II was a ‘solitary woman’ in a male-dominated world. She will add: ‘I can’t remember anyone except the Queen being there.’

There will also be a service of reflection near Falkirk, Scotland at 7.30pm. It will see 96 lanterns, one for each year of the late monarch’s life, lowered into the pool of reflection at the foot of the Queen Elizabeth II Canal, before wreaths are placed into the water.

Claire Smart, 47, who had come to the capital from Teesside, said she had travelled to ‘pay my respects and to apologise for all the times as a little girl I rolled my eyes having to listen to the Queen’.

She went on: ‘I always wanted to curtsy in front of the Queen when she was alive, and sort of felt it was important to come and do it now.’

Tatie Kirst, 38, of Canada Water in south-east London, a project manager who had just joined the queue in Southwark Park, said: ‘Well, it’s a journey right? I think I’m prepared, I brought my good coat, I have a stool if I need to sit, I’m getting food and water, and we’re going to walk the way. I think there is always a question, Is it worth it? Can I make it? And hopefully, yes. I wanted to be part of this, pay my respect to the Queen.’

Shiv Pandian, 58, from Raynes Park, south-west London, said his 30 years working as a urologist for the NHS had prepared him for a long wait.

‘There’s lots of places to eat and toilets and things; you’re used to working long hours at the NHS,’ he said, laughing. ‘The Queen has served us for 70 years. I’ve served along with her for 30 years. I’ve seen three jubilees of hers, and I want to say goodbye.’

He added: ‘I got out at Waterloo and followed the queue backwards, and then at one point I was guided here to Southwark Park. Then it said reassuringly, it’s 14 hours from the entrance here, so I’m hoping by midnight today I’ll have seen the Queen.’

Paula Priest, 53, from Wolverhampton, said she was happy to wait ‘as long as it takes’ to reach Westminster Hall. ‘We’re here for the duration now, definitely.’

Those who braved the trip despite Government warnings were pleasantly surprised by the pace of the queue. Later on Saturday morning the tracker had stopped telling mourners not to travel, and the wait had dropped to 16 hours.

There was constant movement through Southwark Park until the Thames path along Bermondsey Wall East where the queue became more stationary.

Bright pink wristbands, which state they do not guarantee entry to Westminster Hall, continue to be handed out. Those waiting described the experience as well-organised, with friendly staff and officers on hand to assist.

This morning, new Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley was seen patrolling the queue for the Queen’s lying in state near Lambeth Palace in south London. He greeted mourners, including several who were wearing blankets after waiting in line for hours through the early morning, and walked from the east towards Lambeth Bridge.

Alfie, 11, from Lancashire, wore his Scouts uniform complete with Platinum Jubilee badge, to join the queue for the lying in state.

His grandmother, Karen Todd, said: ‘Alfie really wanted to pay his respects to the Queen, and he wanted to come in his Scout uniform to honour her.

‘And we came because it’s a momentous occasion and a moment in history. They’ll always remember this for the rest of their lives, so we’ve only got this one opportunity.’

The family left home at 11.45pm on Friday, and Ms Todd said she ‘had to sleep in a car park for an hour and a half’ before getting on a bus to reach the queue.

Upon checking the queue tracker, Ms Todd said: ‘We were going to come this evening, but we came earlier because we didn’t want to miss it.’ She added: ‘It’s been okay. Clear roads. It’s well organised. Just hoping my legs and feet stay strong.’

The family brought thermals and plenty of snacks for the wait.

Sachet Pariyar had travelled from Basingstoke with his father, who had served in the Queen’s Gurkha regiment, to attend the lying in state.

He said: ‘My dad served in the British Army before and the Queen’s Gurkha regiment, and my grandfather as well. So, we feel like we have that connection with the Queen and we wanted to come and pay respects.’

He added that he had been checking the queue’s live tracker and had seen it might take 24 hours, adding he was ‘a bit worried’ about the wait, but ‘thought if we can get the wristband, then we will give it a try’.

Linda Partridge, 71, and Simon Hopkins, 59, travelled down from the West Midlands for the lying in state, despite warnings that the queue was closed, because they felt ‘that need to come down’.

Ms Partridge, who had left home at 3am, said: ‘Even though they said it was closed I felt that need to come down. If we’ve got here and then they turned away, then fine. I would have just felt I needed to come and then be told I couldn’t go’.

Mourners wrap up in blankets handed out by the Scouts overnight

Mourners camp in the queue while members of the Scouts hand out blankets

A satellite image shows queues of people waiting to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth following her death

A satellite image shows queues of people in central London waiting to pay their respects

This Morning bosses have denied show hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield had ‘VIP access’ and filed ‘past the Queen lying in state’ as they filmed a segment for the programme at Westminster Hall in London on Friday.

The presenters cut sombre figures as they dressed in black and visited the Queen’s coffin to film for the upcoming episode which is due to air on Tuesday, the day after the late monarch’s state funeral.

With reports the five-mile long queue had been closed for six hours on Friday, boosting the wait time to ‘at least 14 hours’, the TV duo were said to have joined a separate queue and were taken into a press gallery.

On Saturday evening, ITV bosses bosses posted a statement on Instagram which denied the pair had received special treatment: ‘Hello everyone, we would like to clarify something,’ it read.

‘We asked Phillip and Holly to be part of a film for this Tuesday’s programme.

‘They did not jump the queue, have VIP access or file past the Queen lying in state – but instead were there in a professional capacity as part of the world’s media to report on the event.’

Mr Hopkins added: ‘There was a sense of perhaps ‘best not travel’ but just to make the journey and just to check it out, and you know, if it ended in disappointment, and then so be it.’

He likened the experience to a ‘pilgrimage’, which he said, ‘is a bit strange, because that kind of goes against my grain. I’ve been kind of drawn into it.’

James Birchall, 33, a trainee physiotherapist who travelled from Liverpool to pay his respects, was also queuing.

He said: ‘Now I just feel normal and unemotional but as I get closer and closer (to the Queen’s coffin) I think I’ll start to become more emotional and maybe five minutes before I go in I’ll probably, even though I don’t look like the type of person, I’ll probably start crying. I absolutely loved the Queen, she was great, she had been there all my life, I have always had respect for her. She was great for our country, always did her duty right until she died.

‘When she died I was overcome with emotion and I thought, I have got to come to London to see it.’

On the thousands of people queuing, he added: ‘I’m absolutely amazed because there is so many people, young and old – I did not think young people would come, necessarily, because they are not really in tune with monarchy, but there’s so many young people here to pay their respects which I think is awesome.’

Also queuing was Vlasta Picker, 73, of Bedford, who said: ‘I came here in 1977 on the Silver Jubilee. Growing up in central Europe, monarchy was a thing of the past, history.

‘I was really quite mesmerised, it was massive in 1977 and I have admired her ever since because she was a wonderful person, unique. To serve all her life until the end, it’s something, isn’t it? Unprecedented. And that’s why I want to be here.’

Figures from the London Ambulance Service (LAS) show that 435 members of the public were treated along the route of the queue to see the Queen lying in state and surrounding areas over the past two days.

Some 291 people along the route of the queue and nearby in London were given medical assistance on Wednesday, with 17 needing hospital treatment, the LAS said. A further 144 people were treated on Thursday, with 25 people being taken to hospital.

The LAS said the majority of incidents attended were faints and collapses, resulting in head injuries.

It came as David Beckham made it inside Westminster Hall at about 3.30pm on Friday after joining the queue at 2am.

Meanwhile some people tried to cash in by selling used wristbands for up to £350 on eBay. Those joining the queue receive wristbands to mark their place – so they can leave for a drink, or to go to the toilet, and then return.

MPs can jump the queue and bring in up to four guests, to the anger of those being forced to wait. Among those visiting yesterday were Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg and Shadow Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner.

This Morning hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby cut sombre figures as they were seen at Westminster Hall. MailOnline was told the TV duo joined a separate queue for press and were taken into a press gallery.

Ex-England captain Beckham was spotted queueing at about 12.30pm on Friday, after joining the line at 2am to wait with everyone else.

His representative confirmed to MailOnline that he had queued with the public, and said those around him initially did not take pictures of the 47-year-old star because there was an air of ‘mutual respect’.

As Beckham approached Westminster Hall, he told Sky News: ‘This day was always going to be a difficult day. Our thoughts are with the family, it’s very special to hear all of the stories from people here. The most special moment for me was to receive my OBE. I took my grandparents with me who were huge royalists. I was so lucky that I was able to have a few moments like that in my life to be around Her Majesty. It’s a sad day, but a day to remember.’

Beckham added that it ‘meant so much’ to sing the National Anthem before England matches.

Tower Bridge looms in the background as mourners queue to see the Queen lying-in-state yesterday

Mourners queueing in Southwark Park as they wait to see the Queen lying-in-state yesterday

David Beckham wipes his eye while waiting to see the Queen’s coffin at Westminster Hall in London

Former England footballer David Beckham waits to see the Queen’s coffin at Westminster Hall in London

He told ITV News: ‘I thought by coming at 2am it was going to be a little bit quieter, but I was wrong, everybody had that in mind. But the people here, all ages, there was an 84-year-old lady walking around, a 90-year-old gentleman walking around. Everybody wants to be here to be part of this experience and to celebrate what Her Majesty has done for us.’

Images shared on Twitter showed many people trying to capture a picture of Beckham as he waited at the front of the line.

Twitter user Jules Birkby from Leeds said Beckham was ‘just a few lines behind us in the snake’, writing: ‘The Queue is now full of people trying to photograph David Beckham and forgetting to actually move onwards. It’s madness! I feel a bit sorry for him, but he’s taking it very well. It’s made me almost forget that we’ve been in The Queue almost TWELVE HOURS though.’

Princes Andrew, Harry and Princess Beatrice could lose ‘stand-in status’ if King Charles gets way to make counsellors only working members of the Royal family

Princes Andrew, Harry and Princess Beatrice could lose their ‘stand-in status’ if King Charles makes counsellors working members of the Royal family.

The Duke of York, Duke of Sussex and Princess Beatrice may not be able to stand in for the King if he proceeds with plans to amend the law so that counsellors of state are all working royals.

The monarch’s spouse and the four adults next in line can take the role of counsellors of state for official business as part of the 1937 Regency Act.

During Queen Elizabeth’s reign, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke of Sussex and the Duke of York took on these roles.

With Camilla now Queen Consort, she can be included in this role, alongside Princess Beatrice – who has moved up the line of succession.

However with Princes Andrew, Harry and Princess Beatrice all non-working royals, it is understood that the King is looking to change the law.

He may bring his siblings Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, and Prince Edward, the Earl of Sussex, forward to become official stand-ins, The Telegraph reported.

This would mean that the role of counsellor of state is no longer based on the line of succession.

As a result, Prince William, heir to the throne, may need to be formally given this role instead of relying on the traditional pattern.

A fellow mourner said: ‘He was chatting happily to people around him about the times he met the Queen. I think we were all stunned to see him here given how famous he is. He had his cap pulled down so I think he was trying to keep a low profile.

‘I didn’t recognise him straight away but he was a lovely bloke, happy to talk. Clearly he was in the queue for some time, perhaps since the early hours like myself. He was obviously keen to pay his respects to the Queen and felt he should join the rest of us rather than use the VIP line which goes down much quicker.’

While some questioned whether Beckham had actually been queuing up, one woman tweeted: ‘My friend’s mum says he joined the queue at about 2am. He’s bought the people around him donuts! The guys a ledge.’

One of those who was waiting in the holding line was Terrence Houlahan, 56, who had ridden his Penny Farthing bike down to the park in Bermondsey from his home in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, some 40 miles north.

Mr Houlahan, who is originally from New York but has lived in the UK for 20 years, said: ‘It took me three hours to get here. In fact, a little longer as I first went to London Bridge by mistake thinking the queue started there.

‘So I’ve ridden all the way just to stand in line for 15 to 20 hours pushing my Penny Farthing along before cycling back another three hours in the dark. It sounds crazy but I wanted to be here and honour the Queen as well as show my support for the new King, Charles III. Charles has to put on a public show now in his new role and that must be busting him up inside. Most of us get to grieve privately. This is as much to show him solidarity as it is to pay tribute to the Queen.’

Mr Houlahan said he was going to leave his Penny Farthing outside Westminster Hall before heading inside. He said: ‘I don’t need to chain it up or anything because hardly anyone knows how to ride it.

‘But I race these bikes so I guess it’s also a good bit of training whilst also taking in a really important, historic moment. Something that is way bigger than myself or any individual.’

Moses Martinez, meanwhile, flew into London Heathrow Airport from Nicaragua this morning especially to join the queue of mourners.

The 32-year-old booked his flight as soon as heard news of the Queen’s death and has spent nearly £2,000 on flights and a hotel in London.

Mr Martinez, who lives in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, said: ‘I had to be here in London. I’ve never been here before, never been to the UK before.

‘But when I heard the Queen had died and seeing thousands of British people queue to see her lie in state, I knew now was the time that I had to go.

‘I flew in at 7am this morning after a 12-hour flight, dropped my bags in the hotel and came straight to this queue. I know I could be in line for as many as 20 hours but I don’t care, I don’t need sleep, I just want to pay my respects. She meant so much to me, ever since I was a small boy. She was a symbol of Britain. I’ve paid a lot of money and it’s a lot of travelling but for me it’s worth all of it. People are very friendly and polite. It’s a once in a lifetime experience, I thought to myself ‘it’s now or never’ as I won’t ever be able to do this again. I’m so glad I made the journey.’

Shannon Baird, 28, hopped on a flight from Dublin just to join the queue and will return straight after seeing the Queen’s coffin.

She lives in Pennsylvania in the US but is spending a few months in Ireland and said: ‘Once I’m done, I’m back on a flight at 9pm tomorrow. This is a moment in history and I had to be a part of it. I know it’s going to be tough but I’m prepared for it. She’s an iconic figure.’

Prince William and Princess Kate ‘consider taking nine-year-old George to the Queen’s funeral’ after senior Palace aides urged the move saying the second-in-line to the throne’s presence would send a powerful symbolic message and reassure the nation

Senior palace advisers have asked the Prince and Princess of Wales to consider allowing Prince George to attend the State funeral of the Queen tomorrow because of the powerful symbolic message it would send.

At the tender age of nine, and having just overcome the daunting prospect of starting a new school, George is now the second in line to the throne.

With this in mind, aides have suggested it would be good for the public to see the young Prince – who affectionately called the Queen ‘Gan Gan’ – and is the future of the Monarchy.

One insider said: ‘Courtiers are keen for Prince George to be at the funeral in some capacity, if only to reassure the nation of the order of succession.’

Another palace source added: ‘It’s currently under discussion. No decision has been made yet.’

The children of the Prince and Princess of Wales have yet to be seen in public since the Queen’s death was announced on Thursday September 8.

Two of the late Queen’s other great-grandchildren, Mia and Lena Tindall, were at Westminster Hall on Friday for her lying-in-state. They were in the gallery with their parents Zara and Mike Tindall as their grandmother, Princess Anne, took her place alongside her three brothers for a silent vigil beside the Queen’s coffin.

There was no sign of George, Charlotte or Louis at last night’s vigil by the Queen’s grandchildren – and the Prince of Wales might have good reason to consider whether courtiers’ suggestions to involve a nine-year-old in tomorrow’s funeral are wise.

William spoke movingly last week about how walking behind his grandmother’s coffin as it left Buckingham Palace for the last time on Wednesday had evoked poignant memories of his mother Princess Diana’s funeral 25 years ago.

William and Harry, then 15 and 12, found their grief thrust into the public gaze when they followed Diana’s coffin along the same route down the Mall and Whitehall. It became one of the defining images of the day and left a lasting impact.

Barrie Scott, 72, from East Moseley, said: ‘We’ve been in this secondary queue for 45 minutes so it’s a bit frustrating that we haven’t even joined the proper line yet.

‘But hopefully we’ll be through soon. It is moving still, people are being let through, we’ve not been turned away or anything like that.

‘I know it’s going to be a long, long day but then the Queen was on the throne for 70 years showing such service and dedication.

‘Compared to that, 15 or even 20 hours or however long it takes doesn’t seem too bad to say thank you and pay my respects.’

Karen Hare, 59, from Upminster, Essex, said: ‘We’ve been joking that we’re queuing up for the queue! As if that isn’t already long enough! ‘I’m annoyed at my husband because I wanted to leave the house at 3am and he talked me out of it only to change his mind at 9am.

‘If it wasn’t for him we’d be in the main queue by now. It’s not ideal but there’s thousands and thousands of people who want to pay their respects. That’s what the Queen means to people, she felt like part of your family.

‘I felt I had to come down today, I felt a sense of service to thank her for all the fantastic things she did for the country. We’ll never get this opportunity again and I knew if I didn’t come, I’d have regretted it all my life.’

Mourners said there was ‘breathtaking’ serenity awaiting them in Westminster Hall where ‘you could hear a pin drop’ in the silence.

But security jobsworths had a field day as they took hand sanitiser and boiled sweets from elderly mourners queuing.

Stewards in hi-vis were accused of being overzealous as they cracked down on what could and could not be brought into Westminster Hall. Mourners also described brazen pushing-in towards the back of the line as young people took advantage of spaces left by slow elderly people in the queue.

Officials have enforced airport-style security as the public enter the Palace of Westminster. One mourner was forced to hand over a single Werther’s Original, lipstick and hand sanitiser, while others told of various items being confiscated.

It comes as it emerged that the Queen’s grandchildren will stand guard around her coffin in London today.

Notably, the Duke of Sussex will join his brother the Prince of Wales in wearing uniform around the coffin in Westminster Hall, ahead of the Queen’s state funeral on Monday.

Harry, who saw action on the front line during two tours of duty in Afghanistan, has previously been denied the chance to wear his military uniform as he publicly mourns, because he is no longer a working royal. But royal sources say the King has decided his youngest son can wear uniform for the vigil, saying he will stand at the foot of the coffin, with William at the head.

Despite being a former Army officer, he has been in civilian dress for official events, including walking behind his grandmother’s coffin on Wednesday when it was carried to Westminster Hall for lying in state.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Liz Truss is to have an audience with King Charles III before attending his reception for visiting heads of state at Buckingham Palace. The King and Queen Consort will host world leaders and official overseas guests at the palace, in what the King’s spokesman described as an ‘official state event’.

The Prime Minister will also meet Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and Polish president Andrzej Duda in Downing Street.

It comes as world leaders travel to the UK ahead of Monday’s funeral service.

The DCMS has said the historic occasion will be shown on giant screens in various locations across the UK – from London’s Hyde Park to Coleraine Town Hall in Northern Ireland.

Around 125 cinemas will also be screening the event – along with Sky News, ITV and the BBC for people watching from home.

Last night, the Queen’s eight grandchildren together staged a heart-rending evening vigil around their beloved Granny’s coffin. The Prince of Wales, at the head of the coffin, with his brother the Duke of Sussex at the foot, both in the Blues and Royals No 1 uniform, stood with their heads bowed in her honour in sombre silence in the vast Westminster Hall. Future king William was flanked at the corners by his cousins Zara Tindall and Peter Philips.

Harry was between Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, with 18-year-old Lady Louise Windsor and Viscount Severn – the Queen’s youngest grandchild who is just 14 – at the middle on either side of the coffin.

The grandchildren, invited by the King, had wanted to pay their respects as their parents had done the evening before.

William and the King also went on a walkabout in the afternoon to greet mourners in the queue for the lying in state, after Charles was given a tour of the Metropolitan Police Service Special Operations Room.

Hundreds of people in line at Lambeth, south London, cheered and applauded, with William and Charles shaking scores of hands and the prince discussing how long people had waited and whether they were able to keep warm.

At Westminster Abbey, final preparations are being put in place ready for the funeral on Monday.

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