Brits give heartfelt reasons for queuing 14 hours to view the Queen’s coffin

Brits have shared the logistics of queuing overnight to view the Queen’s coffin and their heartfelt reasons for doing so.

The huge queue in London to see the Queen lying in state has received attention worldwide, partly because at one point people were warned it would take at least 24 hours and partly because David Beckham made an appearance.

Brits were lined up to see Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin in Westminster Hall before she had even arrived there on Wednesday and have continued to join the wait since.

Those exiting the hall on Saturday told news.com.au after 14 hours of waiting, their feet hurt and they were ready for a sleep, but it was all worth it.

King Charles III surprised members of the public waiting in the queue on Saturday. Picture: Isabel Infantes/AFP

Lucy Foster, 45, from Wraysbury near Windsor, had join the queue at midnight with her 13-year-old son Lewis.

“It was hard, my feet really hurt but it didn’t actually feel as long as it was,” she said.

Lucy said around 4am was the hardest point, a sentiment also shared by others.

“It stopped completely for about an hour and it was cold by the river, and you would go to sit down and it would move a little bit so you’d stand up again and you didn’t quite know what was going on,” she explained.

Lewis, a scout, was surprised by the emotion that washed over him as he entered Westminster Hall on Saturday afternoon.

“I thought I would just walk past and bow my head but going around the corner, I can’t explain, it was just like everything sort of paused. I can’t explain it, I’ve just never felt it before,” the young teen said.

David Beckham waited more than 12 hours in the queue. Picture: Roger Harris/UK Parliament/AFP

As for the logistics of waiting in a queue for 14 hours, it has been described as an incredibly well organised system.

“There [are] portaloos en route, people have set up tea and coffee stands, people are giving out free bottles of water. People who have snacks with them are sharing them. It’s a real sense of community,” Amy Jenking, 26, said.

Her partner Olly Setchell, 29, added, “Everyone always says Brits love queuing and to a degree you can tell that within the line that everyone is so regimented. No one will push in front of one another because it’s the unwritten British rule.”

People queue past Tower Bridge as they wait to pay their respects. Picture: Carl Court/Getty Images

Amy and Olly made the journey to London from Brighton especially for the Queen’s lying in state and also said despite waiting 14 hours, the time had unexpectedly flown by.

They said the moment they had waited for gave them goosebumps.

“You go in and see her coffin and the crowd and you just get this overwhelming sense of emotion. I did not think I would feel the way I did,” Amy said.

Olly said despite having never met the Queen it was a “gut-wrenching feeling” being inside Westminster Hall.

“For me it was every Christmas seeing her on the TV. You just become accustomed to someone that becomes almost part of your family and losing someone you’ve not seen in real life, it almost feels like Gran has passed away,” he said.

Near the end of the queue is a zigzag shaped line with a sea of people. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Tim Brent, 58, a member of the armed forces, told news.com.au he had waited 14 hours to pay his respects to his commander-in-chief.

“It’s very emotional, very moving. The two or three seconds I stood to attention and bowed my head felt like about two or three minutes,” said Mr Brent.

Paul Newman, 54, from Buntingford, was in the accessible queue but waited more than six hours.

“It’s probably a bit of a cliche now because everyone says it (but) she has been a constant for all our lives,” he said.

“I’ve never been down to London on any state occasion so I thought ‘this is it, this is the last time you can participate an event the Queen is involved in’, so I had to pay my respects and recognise the work she’s put in for the country over the last 70 years.”

The public have been able to view the Queen’s coffin 24 hours a day since 5pm on Wednesday, local time.

The lying in state ends on Monday morning, the day of the state funeral, but the queue is expected to be closed on Sunday morning.

Originally published as Brits give heartfelt reasons for queuing 14 hours to view the Queen’s coffin