Crowds packed ten deep along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile greet the Queen’s coffin after its six-hour journey from Balmoral.
Thousands lined the streets of the Scottish capital in an emotion-filled show of respect as Her Majesty was taken to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Along the city’s famous thoroughfare, phones were lifted in the air, signalling the approach of the Queen’s hearse, followed by respectful applause as it passed slowly by.
Most of those who stood patiently in silence would have only caught a fleeting glimpse, but the memory will stay with them forever. Mourners started arriving from mid morning to claim their place along the route.
And hundreds queued in silence to lay flowers in the gardens of the palace, where the Queen’s coffin stayed overnight.
Along the garden walls were placed candles, condolence cards and photographs of the late monarch.
Coins, from pennies to pounds, were lined up, all with the Queen’s image facing forward.
Gifts included a knitted doll in the Queen’s image, children’s toys and a collection of Paddington Bears.
One wellwisher had left the book, Paddington at the Rainbow’s End, with a message saying: “One last story Ma’am”. Ula Golaszewska, 17, sat in the garden with her young cousin Julia Parazska, two, and Julia’s mum Edyta, in quiet contemplation as scent from thousands of flowers filled the air.
Ula, from Glasgow, said: “It is beautiful. It is really pretty. The pictures that some of the kids have drawn are really emotional.
“I saw one picture of Prince Philip and the Queen, it was really sweet.”
Her aunt Edyta added: “She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother.
“She has been here for all our lives. It is going to feel so different.”
Sarah Hattam, 48, from Gateshead, said: “I feel quite emotional being here.
My grandma died aged 92 this year and it still quite raw. So I can understand why people get so emotional. I don’t really know what to expect from the day but I wanted to be here.”
Rachel Cotton, 27, from Teesside, had travelled with her mum Carole, 57, and boyfriend, Alfie, 35.
Rachel said: “I wanted to be part of it. It is a once in a lifetime thing. I am very fond of the Queen.
“It is so nice to see all the personal messages. You expect it to be busy and look lovely but it surpasses that when you see it in person.”
Bridget Bonthrone, 86, was on holiday in the Outer Hebrides with her daughter Catriona Smith, 53, when they heard the news of the Queen’s death.
And they returned their capital city with a special tribute to the Queen, which they placed among the floral tributes at Holyroodhouse.
Bridget said: “We picked a large bunch of heather and brought it all the way over from South Uist.
"We saw this huge hillside of heather and my daughter said ‘we will go and gather a bunch for the Queen’.”
She added: “I felt as though the carpet had been taken from under our feet when I heard the news. It is an awful loss because she has been with us all our lives.”
Jill Ferguson, 42, from Edinburgh, said: “She was an incredible lady and I just wanted to pay tribute to her and show my support to the Royal Family. She gave us 70 years of her life.
“And she reminds me of my grandmother. She died five years ago and she was a big Royalist so I am partly here for her.”
Averil Herriot had arrived with a camping chair to reserve her place on the Royal Mile.
With lentil soup and bread, she settled in for the day and chatted to those around her.
Averil, from nearby Dalkeith, said: “When I saw the Queen last Tuesday meeting Liz Truss, with her sparkly eyes and lovely smile, to hear two days later she was dead, it was a shock.
“I’ve never done anything like this before but I wanted to come, I felt I needed to be here to pay my respects.”
Sitting alongside her was Megan Elliott, 19, from Cumnock, Ayrshire, who arrived with her father Gordon, 52, four hours before the cortege was due.
Megan, who is studying in Edinburgh, added: “It is a very historic moment and I wanted to be here. It is nice to chat to people who you don’t know and ask them questions about why they are here.
“It is a good atmosphere, people are chatting but it is very quiet and sombre as well.”
Becca Reed, 27, waited with her husband David, 32, and two year old daughter Phoebe, for a glimpse of the hearse as it made its way slowly down the hill towards the palace.
She said: “All the next monarchs are going to be Kings so this is history.
"We are not huge royalists but she is one of the longest-serving monarchs and I do respect what she has done.”
David added: “It is something we can tell our daughter about in the future. She won’t remember being here but we can tell her.
"It is a moment of history and we wanted to be here.”
