Lancashire man among hundreds in queue along River Thames for Her Majesty The Queen’s Lying in State

Lee Harkness, 51, a clinical psychologist from Lancashire, travelled down on Tuesday night with his daughter Chloe, 11, and his sister Louisa Harkness-Hudson, 55.

Mr Harkness said: "I'm not really a royalist, but having seen the (lying in state) in Edinburgh, it looked like a really nice way to pay my respects to someone who has dedicated themselves to this country."

Mrs Harkness-Hudson said: "I thought 'we'll regret it if we don't go' - you only get one chance to do this, so we didn't want to miss it."

Chloe, on her first visit to London, said she had come along because she "wanted to witness a part of history".

Thousands of people are lining the streets around Buckingham Palace ahead of a procession this afternoon that will take the Queen's coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, accompanied by King Charles III and his sons Princes William and Harry.

Up to 400,000 people are expected to brave a 12-hour wait to see Her Majesty The Queen’s Lying in State.

The doors of the Hall will not open until 5pm on Wednesday, but by 8am the line already stretched between Lambeth Bridge and Westminster Bridge.

The Government was so worried about the numbers that it sent out lengthy guidance about what can be carried into the hall, bathroom facilities for queuers, and the risk of having to wait through the night.

It is thought the queue might reach four miles up the Thames to Southwark Park in Bermondsey before the public are admitted to the lying in state.

But the overwhelming sentiment among those waiting was a need to pay their respects, with many saying they had never really considered themselves royalists.

Those wishing to attend the Queen's lying in state are advised to visit the Government's website for advice on where to go, the length of the wait and what they can carry before they travel.