The queue to get to the Queen’s coffin took some mourners more than nine hours to complete, but many said the long wait was worth it.
At one point during Queen Elizabeth II’s first full day lying in state at Westminster Hall, volunteers along the route, which hugs the south bank of the River Thames, said there could be around 10- Another 12 hours to go from Tower Bridge.
Mourners said there was an “awesome” serenity that awaited them at Westminster Hall, where “you could hear a pin drop” in the silence.
The queue is currently 3.6 miles long, stretching back to Tower Bridge, with an estimated waiting time of over 9 hours.
Nurse Melanie Pickman, 50, left her home in Swansea at 11am to join the back of the queue just before 3pm.
The mother-of-three said: “My children think I’m crazy for coming to London to queue for what some say could be 30 hours.
“I thought about it last night and made the decision to come early this morning. I just thought I had to come.
“We will never see him again. He served our country for so long. We owe him our respect.
“Look at all these people who have lined up, she’s made them happy.
“She may be the queen, but she’s also somebody’s mother, aunt and grandmother. I think she’s a part of us, too. We’ve been lucky to have her.”