Thousands of people have gathered outside Buckingham Palace to pay their respects to the Queen. Mourners continued to bring bouquets of flowers, candles, notes, and other tributes to lay at the palace gates.
The mood at the central London royal residence was sombre, and despite the large number of mourners present, the area was quiet with people walking slowly and speaking in hushed tones. A stream of people have crossed a bridge over the River Dee to lay flowers for the Queen at Balmoral Castle.
Thousands of bouquets have now been left at the gates of her beloved Scottish home, starting soon after her death was announced on Thursday. One card left with the flowers said: “Ma’am thank you for your dedication and years of service.
“There will always be a special place in heaven for you.”
Another featured a child’s drawing of the late monarch, with the message: “I miss you Queen.” Hundreds of well-wishers are outside Windsor Castle paying tributes to the Queen.
Flowers are continuing to pile up outside the gates, with various notes and letters thanking the Queen for her service attached.
People of all ages are paying tribute and a local Rotary Club is giving children free flowers to lay down. A huge floral tribute has been created in London’s Green Park as a stream of mourners wanting to pay their respects to the Queen lay bouquets on the grass and around the trees. The park borders Buckingham Palace.
Melanie Knight, 54, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent was struggling to hold back tears as she paid her respects to the Queen outside Buckingham Palace on Saturday morning.
She said: “I’m really emotional. We just needed to be here. She’s the one constant that’s always been and it’s really strange.
“I went up in my attic yesterday specifically to find Brownie memorabilia from when I was a Brownie because I remembered I pledged my allegiance to serve the Queen and God and I’ve never ever thought about it until yesterday, but I went and photocopied the Brownie prayer and a photo of when I saw the Queen at the Essex country fair and posted it on Instagram.”
She added: “It’s so surreal. This just seems such a big thing.”
Ms Knight said she was concerned about the future of the royal family, saying: “It’s scary because you’re worried about what will happen to the monarchy. Fundamentally this is what the United Kingdom is – the monarchy – and there are people who want to destroy it.
“This is our history and it should be our future.”
Louise, 63, and Andrew Falconer, 62, have travelled from Watford to Windsor Castle to pay their respects to the late Queen.
Mrs Falconer said: “You realise it has actually happened when you see all this.”
Mr Falconer added: “Initially I was shocked with how sudden it was. She was on her feet and two days later, she’s gone.”
They said they were proud of the King after his first televised address on Friday evening.
Mrs Falconer said: “I think he did very well. I’m very proud of him, with how he must be feeling.”
Mr Falconer added: “Considering he hasn’t got time to grieve or mourn at the moment, the poor man, busy as he is, sorting things out, he did well.”
Andy Bow, 57, from Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, went to Buckingham Palace on Saturday.
The armed forces veteran said: “I’m just completely bereft really. I served the Queen while I was in the Army for 14 years. She just means so much to me, she’s everything.
“She’s the mother of our nation I think. I, along with the vast majority of everybody here, are a little bit lost and not sure what’s going to happen so I just felt I had to come down and pay my respects for the last time.”
Mina Parmar-shah, 34, from Harrow, north west London, brought flowers to lay outside the palace gates.
She said: “I’ve followed the royal family my whole life so when the Queen died it was quite upsetting really, so I needed to come down and pay my respects.
“As a woman, she ruled for 70 years and that’s a huge thing to have, especially because when she became Queen it was more of a man’s world so that’s a huge part of what she represents to me.
“I have always respected the Queen and had a love for the royal family.”
Louise and Andrew Falconer, 63 and 62, from Watford, believe the King will be a different monarch from his mother.
Mr Falconer said: “He’ll have different attitudes, different ideas.
Mrs Falconer added: “I think he’ll be a bit more modern. He might have to watch what he says sometimes.
“It’ll be interesting. We’re a modern society.”
