US President Joe Biden paid his respects at Queen Elizabeth II's coffin as thousands of police, hundreds of British troops and an army of officials made final preparations for the queen's state funeral -- a spectacular display of national mourning that will also be the biggest gathering of world leaders for years.
Biden and first lady Jill Biden were among thousands of mourners -- from locals and tourists to royals and world leaders -- to pay their respects at Westminster Hall, where the queen is lying in state.
The president made the sign of the cross and put his hand to his heart as he stood quietly near the casket in the ornate 900-year-old hall with his wife and US Ambassador Jane Hartley.
Biden then signed the official condolence book and attended a reception Sunday at Buckingham Palace hosted by King Charles III. He is one of 500 world leaders and royals invited to the Queen's state funeral on Monday at Westminster Abbey, along with hundreds of British charity workers.
Biden called Queen Elizabeth II "decent" and "honourable" and "all about service" as he signed the condolence book, saying his heart went out to the royal family.
As the dignitaries poured in, the clock was ticking down for those seeking a place in the longest queue many have ever seen to file past the queen's coffin.
Family by family, thousands of people kept joining the line around the clock, braving chilly overnight temperatures and waits of up to 17 hours in a queue that stretched for over eight kilometres.
The queen's eight grandchildren, led by heir to the throne Prince William, circled the coffin and stood with their heads bowed during a silent vigil on Saturday evening.
Among the foreign leaders in London was New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who told the BBC she was humbled to represent her nation at the funeral and to witness the national outpouring of grief and respect for the late queen.
"The thing that I will take away from this period is just the beauty of the public's response, the kindness that you see from members of the public, the patience, the camaraderie. That has been, for me, the most moving tribute of all, has been the public response of the British people," she said.
People across the UK will also pause on Sunday evening for a nationwide minute of silence to remember the queen, who died September 8 at 96 after 70 years on the throne.
Monday has been declared a public holiday, and the funeral will be broadcast to a huge television audience worldwide and screened to crowds in parks and public spaces across the country.
Police officers from around the country will be on duty as part of the biggest one-day policing operation in London's history.
Crowds also gathered Sunday near Windsor Castle, where the queen will be laid to rest at a private family ceremony on Monday evening.
Camilla, the queen consort, paid tribute to her mother-in-law in a video message, saying the monarch "carved her own role" as a "solitary woman" on a world stage dominated by men.
"I will always remember her smile. That smile is unforgettable," said Camilla, who is married to Charles.
Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska, was also among mourners paying respects to the queen's coffin. British royal officials said Zelenska met with Catherine, the Princess of Wales, at Buckingham Palace on Sunday afternoon. They did not release further details.
The lying-in-state continues until early Monday morning, when the queen's coffin will be moved on a gun carriage pulled by 142 Royal Navy sailors to nearby Westminster Abbey for the funeral, the finale of 10 days of national mourning for Britain's longest-reigning monarch.
After the service at the abbey, the late queen's coffin will be transported through the historic heart of London on the state gun carriage. It will then be taken in a hearse to Windsor, where the queen will be interred alongside her late husband, Prince Philip, who died last year at 99.
© AP 2022