The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth will unite people from across the globe, the official in charge of the huge ceremonial event says, as mourners from all walks of life queued for hours to file past the late monarch's coffin.
Presidents, prime ministers and royalty from around the world will gather on Monday for the funeral for Elizabeth, Queen for 70 years whose global stature was almost without equal.
She will be finally laid to rest at a chapel at her Windsor Castle home alongside her husband of 73 years Prince Philip, who died last year, ending 10 days of national mourning.
The body of the late Queen Elizabeth is now lying in state in London's ancient Westminster Hall, where tens of thousands are waiting patiently in line to pay their final respects to the United Kingdom's longest-reigning monarch.
"These events are taking place against the backdrop of an outpouring of grief, affection and gratitude for people in the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and across the world," said the Earl Marshal, Edward Fitzalan-Howard, the Duke of Norfolk, England's most senior peer who is in charge of state occasions.
"The Queen held a unique and timeless position in all our lives. It is our aim and belief that the state funeral and events of the next few days will unite people across the globe," he told reporters.
As he spoke, the queue to see the Queen's coffin stretched more than 6.5km along the south bank of the River Thames, past such landmarks as Tower Bridge, crossing Lambeth Bridge as it neared Westminster Hall.
Officials expect about 750,000 people to view the coffin before the lying in state ends at 6.30am on Monday.
Charles, who has returned to his Highgrove home in southwest England after a hectic schedule of events since Elizabeth's death age 96 last Thursday, and his three siblings, Princess Anne and Princes Andrew and Edward, will themselves hold a silent vigil alongside the catafalque on Friday evening.
Some of those queuing to see the coffin had travelled from abroad, dropping off bags at nearby hotels to join those moving slowly through Westminster Hall.
There were former soldiers with military medals and babies being carried by their parents.
For the first time, palace officials also provided details of the funeral, likely to be one of the grandest ceremonies ever seen in the UK capital, involving thousands from the military and with details overseen by the monarch before her death.
"It was her majesty the Queen that went through the plans and made sure they were alright and the King is implementing those plans," a spokesman for Charles said.
After the lying in state ends early on Monday morning, the coffin will be carried onto the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy where 142 naval service personnel will pull it to Westminster Abbey, the same church where Elizabeth was crowned in 1953, for the funeral.
The service will begin at 11am (8pm AEST) and last for about an hour.
At its conclusion the Last Post will sound and there will be a two minute silence to be observed across the UK.
The body will then be taken on the gun carriage in a large procession, with Charles and members of the royal family walking behind, from the Abbey to the Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner.
Guns will fire and parliament's Big Ben bell will toll every minute.
The state hearse will then convey the coffin to Windsor Castle where there will be a further solemn procession before a service at Windsor Castle's St George's Chapel.
In a later private ceremony, Elizabeth will be buried with Philip at the King George VI Memorial Chapel where her parents and sister Princess Margaret were also laid to rest.
Buckingham Palace said it would not provide a list of those who will attend the funeral but royalty, presidents and other world leaders are expected to be there, although certain countries including Russia, Afghanistan and Syria were not extended invitations.
Charles will hold an official state event on Sunday to meet the dignitaries who are attending.
© RAW 2022