Thousands of floral tributes to the Queen who “dedicated her whole life” to the country have been left at her Sandringham estate as the steady stream of people coming to pay their respects continues into a fifth day.
Notices outside the visitor centre at the Norfolk estate say that Sandringham has entered an official period of royal mourning following the Queen’s death on Thursday.
The signs, on A-boards, are accompanied by a black and white portrait of the Queen.
Tributes started to pile up by the Norwich Gates to Sandringham House within 30 minutes of news of the Queen’s death being announced on Thursday evening.
By Monday morning, there were thousands of bouquets of flowers, along with drawings, balloons, candles and teddy bears.
Police are managing a one-way system on roads approaching the visitor centre car park, with the gates a few hundred metres from the car park.
Estate staff in buggies are helping to shuttle people who cannot manage the walk to the gates and wooden benches have been put in place in the closed road by where tributes have been left.
Admin worker Carolyn Walker said as she viewed tributes at the estate on Monday: “She deserves it, what she’s done for our country and for our people.
“We’re going to be lost without her. No-one will ever be able to replace her.”
The 56-year-old, who lives near Downham Market in Norfolk, added: “She always had a smile on her face.
“She dedicated her whole life. I just had to come.”
Her daughter Natalie Metcalfe, 32, commenting on why she came to pay her respects, said: “How long she’s done it for, how hard she’s done it for and just what she made the country be.
“Just as one. It shows, with the flowers.”
The florist, who lives near King’s Lynn, said the tributes were “just beautiful”.
The number of tributes is such that it fills the area in front of the gates and has started to extend along a wall back towards the visitor centre.
People coming to pay their respects included pensioners making their way to the gates with the help of walkers, and children in their school uniforms.
