The culture department said the queue to pass the flag-draped coffin into Westminster Hall was taking new arrivals in Bermondsey, on the south side of the River Thames, almost to capacity in nearby Southwark Park. The wait time, which had increased throughout the day, was estimated at more than nine hours, the briefing said. The first full day of the late monarch’s stay appeared to live up to predictions that huge numbers of people would want to attend the ceremony, even if waiting times had yet to approach some of the more alarming estimates of up to 30 hours. The rain held off in London, but the wristband-wearing line – which ran west from Parliament, over Lambeth Bridge and then east along the river – gathered under almost permanently gray skies. Overnight temperatures are expected to drop to 11 degrees Celsius by early Friday morning. Those who settled into what would almost certainly be the longest queue of their lives did so with a mixture of camaraderie, determination and, of course, patience. They were aided by a so far robust infrastructure of portable toilets, 24-hour cafeterias and hundreds of volunteer marshals. “Everything is changing for the whole country, whether it’s pound coins, banknotes, stamps, passports,” said Julie Nicholson, 49, who was queuing with her 11-year-old daughter Maya, who she had picked up from school . day. “I left a message for the teachers,” Nicholson said, quickening her pace as the line slunk forward. “So hopefully we won’t have a problem.” Maya (left) and Julie Nicholson. Photo: Antonio Olmos/The Guardian The previous evening the couple had visited Buckingham Palace, which continued to draw significant crowds, and saw the floral tributes played in Green Park. Standing in line to see the Queen’s coffin was the last tribute they wanted to pay. “We’re used to sitting down every Christmas and watching the Queen’s speech,” Nicholson said. “This will never happen again.” There is a separate ticketing system for people with disabilities or other disabilities, for whom long hours on a slow-moving line would be impossible. However, many in the main queue needed stoicism, such as Carl Burton, 67, who had painkillers packed in case a back problem flared up. To a common refrain from those waiting, Burton was clear he wanted to be there, if not quite sure what mental message he hoped to convey before the casket. “Just a thank you, really, for 70 years of service,” he suggested. Carl Burton. Photo: Antonio Olmos/The Guardian Downing Street praised the patience and fortitude of those queuing. “It’s no surprise that such a large number of people want to honor Her Majesty in this way,” said Liz Truss’ official spokesman. “We have a great number of people on hand and it’s great to see everyone participating together.” Once inside, mourners made their way in a line down the stone steps at the back of Westminster Hall, the 11th-century heart of the parliamentary estate. In front of the Queen’s coffin, raised on a platform called a catafalque, and above the royal standard and crown of imperial state, the people stopped for a few seconds, generally giving a nod or a short bow. Some were visibly upset, being comforted by their partners. With carpets spread over the stone floor, in the days leading up to the Queen’s funeral on Monday, the hall will remain in near-constant silence, broken only by a loud tap of a wand every 20 minutes to mark the changing of the ceremonial guard. Each detachment of 10 men was formed mainly from the ancient regiments of Yeomen of the Guard and Gentlemen at Arms, with the Royal Company of Archers, serving as the Queen’s bodyguard in Scotland. Among those who joined the duties on Thursday were Ben Wallace, the defense secretary, and Alistair Jack, the Scottish secretary, who are members of the Royal Society of Archers. Many other MPs, peers and parliamentary staff, who did not have to join the queue, have joined in the past with their guests. For those forced to wait, the queue was an ever-changing phenomenon, with predicted wait times always uncertain, but some people who joined before dawn on Thursday made it in less than five hours. By early afternoon the line was considerably shorter than its last peak, properly starting a little further west between Blackfriars and Waterloo bridges. Standing there, Rafi Raja, a 35-year-old team leader from Bradford, said he decided to come after his friend Malkit Barge, 57, a casting director from east London, intercepted him on his way home from a trip to Tunisia. and suggested that they queue together. Malkit Bharj and Rafi Raja. Photo: Sean Smith/The Guardian The Raja recounted his special relationship with the late monarch, including the fact that the first engagement gift his mother received after arriving in England from Pakistan was a tea tray bearing the Queen’s face. He even met her, aged nine, when he visited a restaurant in Bradford. “She was a very beautiful lady, very charismatic and kind,” Raja said. “Someone told me to race, but I didn’t know how to do it. She pecked my cheek, which was nice of her. I don’t think the next generation will be as great a person as her.” Sarah Gonzalez-Cendeno. Photo: Sean Smith/The Guardian Bharj said he was watching the coverage on TV and “I felt like I had to leave – I felt a pull”. He invited Raja to stay on his sofa and join him, as the friends had not had time to see each other before the Covid pandemic. They were joined by Sara Gonzalez-Centeno, 30, originally from France. Now a London-based documentary maker, he was interviewing others in the queue for a project. “The Queen is very different from France. We cut off their heads. It’s interesting how anyone can line up for hours to pay their respects. It’s very British,” he said. Rosamund Edwards, a 54-year-old barrister from London, said she was expecting a lull in her workload and decided to attend “even if it means working extra” to catch up. He thought about arriving at 6am, but finally showed up at 10.30am, since then he had expected an eight-hour wait. Edwards said she grew up in the Caribbean and that the monarchy “was part of my consciousness for my entire childhood.” Rosamund Edwards. Photo: Sean Smith/The Guardian However, as with all things connected with royal death, while it may sometimes appear to be a common pursuit by all, not everyone was equally committed. Molly Hill, 27, who works for an accounting firm, said she had come to watch the line, rather than join it. “You can spot a tail I think. they have a certain look about them,” he said. “It’s a moment in history and it’s exciting to see how many people want to get involved and pay their respects. “But I think, at the end of the day, you just look at a coffin and I’ve seen the queen alive.”
