This is the moment former England captain David Beckham finally got a chance to pay his respects to the Queen after queueing with thousands of others for 13 hours.
The football star began queueing at 2am on Friday and looked emotional as he finally made it inside Westminster Hall around 13 hours later to view the monarch's coffin. He said he attended the Queen's lying in state to celebrate her life and legacy, and remembered his late grandparents, saying if they had been alive they would have been there.
Speaking after the viewing, Beckham, 47, a keen royalist, told press: "It is emotional for everybody involved." He further added: " Her Majesty was someone special and will be missed just by everyone."
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Beckham was made an OBE in 2003 and received the honour for his services to football, and over the years has been involved in the Queen's Young Leader Award, which was established in 2014. He said it had been an honour to be involved, adding: "Anytime throughout my career I've been asked to do anything regarding the royal family, her majesty, the princes, our King now, I have always been very willing to do that.
"I grew up in a family that were royalists. Today I think back to my grandparents because if my grandparents were alive they would have been here, so it's nice to be here to celebrate with everybody the life of her majesty and her legacy that she leaves."
Beckham confirmed he had arrived in the early hours on Friday. "I thought by coming at 2am it was going to be a little bit quieter. I was wrong. Everybody had that in mind," he added.
Following the death of the Queen last week, aged 96, sporting and other events were postponed as a mark of respect. Former midfielder Beckham said when asked about matches being cancelled: "There should always be respect paid to our Queen in the country in this time of mourning but speaking as an ex-football player and an ex-England captain I know what it meant for us to step out on that field to represent our Queen and our country and the three lions.
"And when we are out there it gives us the opportunity to celebrate in a way that only football can and only football fans can."
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