The Prince of Wales, meeting hundreds of members of the public queuing for Westminster Hall, described how his grandmother “never believed” the outpouring of love he had shown her since her death. The Prince, who joined his father the King for a surprise ride in Lambeth, said seeing the number of people who wanted to pay their respects was “quite emotional”. “He would never believe all this,” he told his grandmother’s well-wishers. “It seems to bring everyone together and bring them all together.” Saying she hoped people made “friends for life” while waiting in the queue, which had been moving almost continuously for 12 hours at that point, she added: “It means so much that you’re here, it really does.” The Queen Consort will also pay tribute on Sunday to her late mother-in-law, describing her “unforgettable” smile and “beautiful blue eyes” that “lit up her whole face”. In pre-recorded words to be broadcast on the BBC shortly before the national minute’s silence at 8pm, she said: ‘It must have been so difficult for her being a single woman. “There were no female prime ministers or presidents. She was the only one, so I think she carved out her own role.”
