Great Britain Paralympic hero Tanni Grey-Thompson was in a visibly emotional state as she paid her respects to The Queen on Thursday morning at the lying-in-state.
Last Thursday, Buckingham Palace announced the tragic death of Queen Elizabeth II, revealing she died peacefully at Balmoral Castle. She passed away aged 96, ending the longest reign by any monarch in British history.
The Queen, who remained a symbol of stability amid a turbulent era in British history, died having served an incredible 70 years on the throne - and thousands of people are now paying tribute in London by attending the emotional lying-in-state.
Grey-Thompson is one such person and was seen at the front of the enormous queue in floods of tears as she paid tribute to the late monarch. She had met the Queen on several occasions thanks to her status as a sporting icon and avid politician, having been an independent cross-bench member of the House of Lords since 2010.
She is renowned for her achievements as an athlete. Grey-Thompson competed for Team GB at five Paralympic Games - winning 16 medals, including 11 golds - and represented Wales at three Commonwealth Games, while holding over 35 world records.
Born in Cardiff, the 53-year-old burst on the scene at the 1988 Seoul Games when she won bronze in the 400m. Her fifth and last Paralympics were in Athens in 2004 and Grey-Thompson collected two gold medals in the 100m and 400m.
Grey-Thompson was seen in tears after reaching the front of the queue where she could see the Queen’s closed coffin. The wait is reportedly 30 hours long, stretching from Westminster Hall to Tower Bridge and beyond, with thousands of people hoping to pay their respects.
The Queen’s funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday September 19 from 11am. The Royal Family announced she will lie-in-state in Westminster Hall for four days.
On Monday, the period will end and the coffin will be taken in procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey, where the service will begin.
