London without the Queen is like Paddington without Marmalade - one doesn’t feel right without the other.
There is visible shock and sadness among people as they try to navigate the capital without Her Majesty. For the majority of them, it is unknown territory. They do not know a life without her.
From the moment you step off the Tube, the immense love for Queen Elizabeth II is clear to see. Her picture appears in the windows of shops and cafes and a large screen on the riverside near BFI Southbank Cinema is rolling footage of her.
Patriotism also appears to be stronger than ever in the city.
People are walking the streets in Union Jack coloured hats, jumpers, dresses and ties. Many of them have large flags draped around their shoulders. They are sending out the message that they are proud to be British.
Mourners have arrived in London from across the globe to see the Queen lying-in-state at the Palace of Westminster. They are prepared to wait the best part of a day for the opportunity to say a final farewell.
Many are prepared for the lengthy wait - some have brought camping chairs and others have packed picnics. For those who haven't, organisations have been handing out bottles of water and complimentary cups of tea and coffee.
Dozens of security guards are keeping the queue in check and St John Ambulance and London Fire Brigade are both on hand to offer support. The queue stretches all the way down the bank of the River Thames to Southwark Park.
Despite the sad occasion, there is a feeling of togetherness. People have spent hours with those next to them in the queue, sharing stories and making new friendships.
On Westminster Bridge, Gordon Raeburn was playing the National Anthem on the bagpipes. The 30-year-old busker, who is from Huntly in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, but now lives in London, said it was his way of paying tribute to the Queen.
He said: "It's the National Anthem, it's something that people really connect with at the moment. People seem to appreciate it. The Queen is for all of the UK and the bagpipes are as well. It's a coming together."
People of all ages, from babies to the elderly, lined up so they could pass the Queen's coffin and pay their respects. Parents took children, who will be too young to remember the event, to see the UK's longest-serving monarch.
Vicky Oliver, 28, was lining up near the National Covid Memorial Wall on the river bank with her baby boy Archie. The part-time waitress, from Harlow, Essex, said: "It's the Queen - she's been there all my life! I want to be able to say to Archie 'You went to see the Queen'."
Those who managed to reach Westminster Hall, after hours of queueing, bowed, curtsied and made use of their hand to make a cross shape as they filed past the Queen's coffin. A large number of them were overcome with emotion when they exited the building.
Joyce Ball, from Meriden, Warwickshire, pulled on her best clothes for the occasion. The 67-year-old was dressed all in black and wore a matching hat. The retired carer said she bowed when she came face-to-face with her coffin.
She said: "We were absolutely taken aback. It was surreal and it was almost magical. We felt relaxed and at peace with her. She made people feel like they were the only one in the room and that's how we felt with her.
"She looked perfection for 70 years so I tried my best today. I thought I can wear these heels for one day!"
Jane Devlin, 55, from Bushey, Hertfordshire, decided to wear her Union Jack dress to see the Queen lying-in-state with her 20-year-old son Harrison Cox. She said: "I got my black dress out and I thought no I'm going to wear my Jubilee dress. This is the dress I bought for the Jubilee, we had a big party.
"I bowed, I did a sign of the cross and I did a little, tiny prayer. It was incredible, I felt very proud. I just feel grateful for everything that she's done for us."
It was obvious that even those who were not queuing to see Her Majesty lying-in-state were also affected by her death.
On Westminster Bridge, Pat Ekwueme Mason proudly showed off a picture of when she met the Queen in Lewisham in 1996. The 70-year-old, who is from Nigeria but now lives in London, said: "I told her 'You are very pretty'. She was a lovely woman. I cried when she died."
Ahead of the procession, in which the Queen was moved from Buckingham Palace to Westminster on Wednesday, police were forced to close roads surrounding the route and put up 8ft green gates as the area was full. People were told by officers to watch on TV.
However this did not stop people from gathering near Westminster Bridge to listen to Big Ben chime. Some were so desperate to catch a glimpse of what was going on they were climbing up lampposts and on top of statues.
People from Britain and beyond are desperate to be part of this unique moment in history.
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