Former England captain David Beckham was spotted among those queuing to pay their respects to the Queen.
The 47-year-old ex-footballer was among those waiting to see the monarch lying-in-state, with many travelling from far and wide to join. The queue had got long enough that further people were stopped from joining, with waits of hours expected.
Beckham was spotted in the background, wearing a black hat, as crowds of people flocked to London - many in the early hours of the morning - to stand and wait. Some even found themselves waiting for more than 24 full hours to get to the front.
Beckham had joined the queue at 2am, and the star appears not to have been given any special treatment or queue-jumping abilities. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star has a home in Miami, where he is one of the owners of Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, but he and his wife Victoria also own a multi-million-pound property in London.
"I feel a bit sorry for him, but he’s taking it very well," one Twitter user said after sharing a photo of Beckham in the queue. "At least they are making them queue somewhat," another commented, in an apparent reference to the sports star joining the general public in line.
The Queen died at Balmoral last week at the age of 96. Tributes have been coming in from across the UK and beyond, including at sporting events, and the number of people in line to pay respects to the monarch has prompted drastic measures.
"A special moment I'll always remember is receiving my OBE," Beckham told ITV. " I took my grandparents with me, who were the ones who brought me up to be a huge Royalist and a fan of the royal family.
"To step up, I have my wife there as well, to get my honour and to speak to Her Majesty. To ask a question. I was so lucky to have a few moments like that in my life.
"To be around Her Majesty. We can all see the love that is being shown how special she was and the legacy that she leaves behind.
"It's a sad day but it's a day for us to remember the incredible legacy that she's left."
Beckham was later spotted on a live stream at he visited the Queen's lying-in-state. He was seen wiping tears from his eyes as he, along with many other members of the public, paid his respects.
The retired pro received his OBE in 2003 for services to football. In a long career, he won over 100 caps for the England national team and played football in several countries including England, Spain and the United States.
While some joined the queue days before an opportunity arose to visit the lying-in-state at Westminster Abbey, Beckham joined a little later. He had hoped that arriving in the middle of the night might make the wait a little shorter, but he - like many others - spent a number of hours waiting.
The ex-footballer confirmed he had arrived in the early hours. "I thought by coming at 2am it was going to be a little bit quieter. I was wrong. Everybody had that in mind," he added.
"The people here are all ages. There was an 84-year-old lady walking around. There was a 90-year-old gentleman walking around. Everybody wants to be here to be a part of this experience and celebrate what Her Majesty has done for us."
A statement from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on Friday read: "Southwark Park has reached capacity. Entry will be paused for at least 6 hours. We are sorry for any inconvenience.
"Please do not attempt to join the queue until it reopens. Check back for further updates."
A number of football matches around the country were postponed last weekend, with the Premier League, EFL and other competitions making statements confirming the news. Matches were played in England in midweek, though, including Champions League fixtures involving Chelsea and Liverpool and a full programme of games in the Championship.
However, as preparations continue for the Queen's funeral on Monday, some other fixtures have been postponed due to concerns about the availability of police in major UK cities. Arsenal's Europa League game against PSV Eindhoven has already been rearranged for October, while two Premier League matches - Chelsea v Liverpool and Manchester United v Leeds United - were postponed after the funeral date was confirmed
