Thousands of people have taken their spots in the queue for the Queen’s lying in state as the public prepares to pay its last respects. The line has the capacity to stretch back 10 miles, with no guarantee that everyone who joins it will get to file past the late monarch’s coffin in Westminster Hall.
Nevertheless, people are turning out in droves for the opportunity to say a personal farewell ahead of the Queen’s funeral on Monday. Doors are set to open at 5pm on Wednesday, but by 2pm the line already stretched far past Westminster Bridge and beyond County Hall.
To help avoid disappointment, it is understood that entry to the back of the queue may be closed early, although it is too early to estimate when that moment might come. Numbers will be monitored towards the end of the lying in state period, which must be completed by 6.30am on September 19, to ensure as near as possible that those already waiting are able complete their visit.
