Hundreds of thousands of mourners flocked to royal residences yesterday to pay tribute to the late Queen.
Crowds queued patiently for more than two hours to pass the gates of Buckingham Palace in Central London. Transport in the city was packed as people were drawn to the scene of so many state occasions.
For many, the last time they had walked The Mall was to wildly celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June.
This time, they gathered in sombre, respectful silence. In St James’s Park, scores of children could be seen carrying flowers and Paddington bear toys to leave for the late monarch, recalling the Queen’s video with the fictional bear in June.
Mourners also paused to read poignant messages left among the piles of blooms in nearby Green Park, some simply saying: “We will miss you” and “Thank you for your service”.
Susan Mitchell, 72, who travelled from Letchworth in Herts, told the Mirror: “I am stunned at the number of people here. It just shows how we all feel about her.
“It took 90 minutes to reach Buckingham Palace from Green Park. But how could you not come?” Crowds cheered as King Charles arrived at the Palace at lunchtime. Kieran and Sarah Feetham helped sons Leo, eight, and five-year-old Bruce hold up a poster they had made for the occasion.
Seven-year-old Elizabeth Leigh-Hollands, from Tonbridge, Kent, said: “I followed the Queen since I found out that we had the same name. We came for the Jubilee as well.
“She was really special to me and I always looked up to her because we had the same name.”
Her mum Esther, 43, added: “We just felt we need to pay our respects. We wanted to be a part of history.”
Simon Thomas, 54, travelled from Reading to pay his respects. He said: “This is a moment in our history. I just felt I needed to be part of that and show out appreciation for the Queen’s service over her 70 years.
“I can’t believe how many people are here. It’s far more than I had expected. If it’s going to be like this for her funeral next Monday then it is going to be quite something.”
His wife Jacqui, 52, added: “She was just such an inspiration to all generations.”
It was a similar scene in Windsor, where thousands of people thronged the streets around Her Majesty’s Berkshire residence.
Crowds filed patiently up the Long Walk to lay a sea of flowers next to the castle gates.
Dillon Jerome, 38, from Bow, East London, arrived with his four-year-old daughter, Faye. He said: “She may not remember this when she’s older but this is a moment in history. I wanted her to be able to say that she had been here.”
Builder Simon Pickup, 47, from Ruislip, West London, said: “She was our greatest-ever monarch, I had to come and pay my respects.”
And royal fan Julie Moat, 44, brought her four-year-old twins, Sarah and Alice, to lay flowers at the Long Walk.
She said: “It’s heartbreaking and I wanted the girls to know the profound effect the Queen had on our lives.”
Ned Hart, 43, from Egham, Surrey, said: “I’ve been here every day and have laid flowers each time.
“It’s nice to see the pile of tributes building up. I hope the whole area is covered by the time of the funeral.
“The number of children and young people I’ve seen here is also heart-warming. The next generation will not forget our great Queen.” Many mourners at the castle were looking to the future, singing God Save the King as they waved Union Jack flags.
Back in London, there were so many flowers at Green Park that well-wishers mucked in to help palace gardeners remove some of the wrappers so the flowers can eventually be composted.
Royal Parks staff have now requested that people not leave Paddingtons and sandwiches, teddy bears, balloons, or lit candles as tributes.
“In the interests of sustainability, we ask visitors to only lay organic or compostable material,” the charity said.
More Paddington toys and teapots were dotted among the flowers at the Queen’s residence at Sandringham, in Norfolk. Teaching assistant Dolores McKenna, 58, from King’s Lynn, said: “The Queen is part of our heritage and was such a lovely woman.”
At Hillsborough Castle, in Northern Ireland, many youngsters placed their bouquets at the scene.
Thousands of people also gathered at Cardiff Castle to hear Charles be proclaimed King in Wales.
Many sporting events held a two-minute silence. Jockey Frankie Dettori was pictured gazing at the heavens during the silence before the first race at Doncaster.
