British newspapers continued their blanket coverage of "the long goodbye" to Her Majesty on Thursday, leading on her lying in state in Westminster Hall.

Several papers chose photos of Princes William and Harry, amid speculation about tensions in their relationship over the past few years.

The Times notes that the King was united with his sons - it was the first time all three were pictured together since the Queen died last week.

The Daily Star's front page informs readers that McDonald's will be closed on the day of the Queen's funeral.

Read more:

Newspaper headlines: 'Nation says farewell' amid 'the long goodbye'

Image source, Daily Mail

Jeremy Gahagan
Reporting from Westminster

Image source, EPA

I joined the back of the queue near Southwark Bridge at 21:00 local time on Wednesday and it progressed surprisingly well at first.

Once we passed the Tate Modern, however, the pace slowed.

But the mood was respectful and calm and people started striking up conversations with strangers as the hustle and bustle of late-night London life continued around us.

By 23:15 we passed the National Theatre and beneath Hungerford Bridge with the rattle of trains overhead.

I meet Jenny, who has come from Islington and says she’s in the queue to "bear witness to a momentous moment in history".

She says the Queen is the same age as her mother and it’s almost as if you’re "saying farewell to that whole generation of people, who have seen everything".

As we approach Westminster Bridge, the queue stops, but we’re told we’re now just a couple of hours away from Westminster Hall.

By 01:30 on Thursday we've crossed Westminster Bridge and the mood is more reflective.

Some flights in and out of Heathrow Airport were disrupted this afternoon in order to ensure silence over central London during the procession transporting the Queen's coffin to Westminster Hall.

The airport says there will be further changes to schedules on Monday, the day of the Queen's funeral and that it will provide more details in the coming days.

This follows airspace restrictions announced by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) last Friday.

Non-standard aircraft, including drones flying below 2,500ft (760m), are banned from flying over central London until after the funeral on 19 September.

In a tweet, the Metropolitan Police confirmed it would "take enforcement action against anyone using a drone without permission".

There will be an additional central London and Windsor restriction issued in due course, the CAA said.

Sean Dilley
Reporting from Westminster

Katherine came from Montreal, Canada, to see the Queen lie in state. She estimates the trip has cost her about $8,000 (£5,270).

“When I was young as a child, I saw a film regarding two children running away to see the coronation and that stayed with me,” she said.

Katherine added that she has always "respected and valued the Queen".

"I did not have the opportunity to see her coronation, but I felt it was time to pay respects and in the back of my mind I knew her age and I thought I would come when she passed away.

"When she passed away suddenly, we had to make the decision and first I thought this was crazy and in the end we decided to make the trip," she said.

Sophie Williams
Reporting from Westminster

Large crowds gathered in Whitehall, a place familiar to the Royal Family because of the annual Remembrance Sunday ceremony held there.

Anticipation was high before the procession arrived. Absolute silence fell as it drew close.

People near the front of the crowd had spent hours waiting. Many said they just wanted to pay their respects in their own way to a monarch they had known all their lives.

"She's a special lady who has really helped the country," said Lee, who travelled from Leeds on Wednesday morning. "It felt special and well worth the journey to be here."

As the crowd dispersed, a number of people carrying flowers began heading towards Green Park to lay their own tributes to the Queen.

Mark Lobel
Reporting from Westminster

Debbie and Ilanit from Israel saw someone faint in front of them whilst in the priority-access queue. Once up, they were given a wheelchair.

Debbie says standing for two hours isn’t ideal. But the wait, they say, was worth it.

They forgot all about it once they entered Westminster Hall and noticed, above all else, the silence. It was a heady mix of emotion and pageantry.

Watching tears flow alongside the majestic sight of the Imperial State Crown. They also saw the coffin enter Buckingham Palace as they waited for a bus there yesterday.

They are glad their trip to Japan was cancelled and they chose what has now become a historic trip to the UK instead.

The queue to see the Queen lying in state is currently 2.4 miles long - but Linda Bealey, who joined the line near London Bridge at 16:00, says it has moved along really quickly.

"It’s been very sporadic," she says. "It wasn’t like this for the Queen Mother's. I’ve brought food that I thought I needed and now I don’t."

Yvonne Heuang is also surprised by how fast the queue is moving.

"Suddenly we were waiting by the London Eye and then it started moving very quickly," she says.

Sienna Wip and Bernadette Ng started waiting at 14:30 and said they were impressed with the organisation and security.

They went to get food along the South Bank and security helped them return to their place in the queue, they said.

If you're thinking of travelling to Westminster Hall, you can find out what you need to know here.

Image source, PA Media

McDonald's is the latest to announce it will close all 1,300 UK restaurants on Monday 19 September, as a mark of respect to Queen Elizabeth II on the day of her funeral.

Its restaurants will all be shut until 17:00 BST on the day.

Other fast food chains are taking different approaches. Domino's told the BBC its stores will open at 12:00 BST on Monday, after the ceremony has finished, slightly later than their usual 11:00 opening time.

Many other major businesses have already said they will be shut in the UK on Monday.

Sophie Williams
Reporting from Westminster

Among those at Whitehall for the procession earlier today were William Keshishyan and Elin Mikaelian who have flown from Los Angeles specifically to see the ceremonies over the next few days.

William says they are fans of the Queen and wanted to "watch a piece of history in front of our eyes".

"I think it’s the greatest celebration of life anyone could have," he adds.

Elin says she felt emotional watching the procession.

"People always say the Queen was the world’s grandma," she says.

Pointing out her T-shirt, which shows a picture of the Queen working as a mechanic during World War Two, she says she admired the monarch's ability to "break boundaries".

"She’s a model of intelligence, how she carried herself," she said.

Image source, PA Media

• This afternoon, a procession took the Queen's coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall. It was accompanied by King Charles, his sons William and Harry, and other members of the Royal Family
• A short service followed, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, which was attended by senior politicians including Prime Minister Liz Truss and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer
• Later in the afternoon, the hall was opened to the public. Several thousands people joined the queue to pay their respects to the late monarch, which on Wednesday evening stretched 2.4 miles (3.8km) to London Bridge
• The government warned that people could face long waits to get into Westminster Hall - but this has not deterred the mourners, many of whom spoke of their emotion at being part of such a momentous event
• Funeral preparations are continuing at pace. The governments of Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Russia, Belarus and Myanmar have not been invited

Sarah McDermott & Kirstie Brewer

Image source, Reuters

On top of the Queen's coffin sits the Imperial State Crown, perhaps the most familiar item in the Crown Jewels.

The crown sparkles with nearly 3,000 stones - including 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, and five rubies.

Made in the 1937 for the coronation of the Queen's father, King George VI, it was designed to be lighter, and to fit better, than the crown it replaced - which dated back to Queen Victoria.

But nevertheless, the Imperial State Crown still weighs in at a hefty 2.3lbs (1.06kg).

In 2018, the Queen joked how heavy the crown felt to wear during the annual State Opening of Parliament.

"You can't look down to read the speech, you have to take the speech up, because if you did your neck would break," she said.

"There are some disadvantages to crowns, but otherwise they're quite important things."

Read more about it here.

Daniel Sandford
Home Affairs Correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The most complex security operation London has ever seen is under way.

The queue of people waiting to pay their last respects, snaking its way from Lambeth Bridge along the South Bank, is the most vulnerable point.

As a first line of defence against the terrorist threat, the police are asking the public to be their own eyes and ears, to look out for each other, stay vigilant, trust their instincts and report anything that does not feel right.

Some 1,500 military personnel have also been deployed since Tuesday night among them Gurkhas and Paratroopers, Royal Navy Police and Royal Military Police, and RAF personnel in their blue-grey uniforms. A military Wildcat helicopter has made several flights over Westminster.

Behind the scenes, the security service MI5 is watching for any changes of behaviour by "subjects of interest", people suspected of involvement in violent extremism and terrorism.

Armed police officers with binoculars have already been visible on rooftops in Westminster.

Watching the queue are police specialists trained to identify people preparing a terrorist act.

The Met want to stress that while the event is unprecedented, much of the policing will be familiar to its officers.

Read more: Police take to rooftops and manholes ahead of funeral

Image source, PA Media

In Glasgow emotional tributes have been paid to Queen Elizabeth II ahead of Rangers' Champions League clash with Napoli.

Before the teams walked out, a Union Jack could be seen flying at half-mast above Ibrox Stadium.

Then, as the players emerged from the tunnel, fans unveiled a tifo display of cards showing the Union Flag with an image of the Queen's head.

Ibrox then fell quiet as fans and players observed a minute of silence ahead of kick-off.

Rangers also played God Save the King, despite the fact that Uefa had said no anthems should be played ahead of matches.

A minute's silence was also observed ahead of Manchester City's Champions League tie with Borussia Dortmund and in west London at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea hosted Austrian side RB Salzburg.

Damian Grammaticas
reporting from Westminster

The queue to see the Queen lying in state is now about 2.4 miles long and stretches all the way round the southern bank of the Thames to Southwark Bridge.

You can see the full queuing route below:

For those wanting to pay their respects virtually, there is a dedicated livestream showing the scene as the Queen lies in state, which you can view by tapping play at the top of this page.

Image source, getty

US President Joe Biden spoke to King Charles III today, expressing his condolences and sharing the "great admiration of the American people" for the Queen.

A statement from the White House said: "The president recalled fondly the Queen's kindness and hospitality, including when she hosted him and the First Lady at Windsor Castle last June."

The Queen's "dignity and constancy deepened the enduring friendship and special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom", the statement said, adding that Biden wanted "to continue a close relationship with the King".

The US president is set to attend the Queen's state funeral in London on Monday.

Katy Austin
Transport Correspondent

This evening a limited number of trains will start to run overnight on some routes to and from London to help get mourners home.

Great Western Railway will have extra services between London Paddington and Reading, while Southeastern will lay on additional trains between Charing Cross and Tunbridge Wells.

Not all rail firms will put on more trains, so people are advised to check before they travel.

Avanti West Coast has added a few more daily train services to its current severely reduced timetable.

Marie Jackson
Reporting from Westminster

Teresa and Roy Lee, and their 26-year-old daughter Serena, left Westminster Hall slightly overwhelmed and brimming with pride.

Roy, from Grantham in Lincolnshire, said the whole experience had been unbelievable and so dignified.

“The Queen has united people, friendships have been made. It’s a pity the world is not like this all the while,” he added.

“Entering the hall was overwhelming", said Teresa. “It gave me such a feeling of pride - that she was the Queen of our country and she served us so amazingly. I felt proud to be British.”

“It made the hairs stand up on the back of your neck,” said Roy. For Serena that moment of seeing the coffin had been surreal.

Asked what was going through his mind as he stood beside the coffin, Roy said: “I was saying a little thank you. I’m not sure if that was the right thing but we did it in gratitude.”

For Teresa, she wished the Queen would rest in eternal peace and silently told her: “You’ve done your job.”

You can read more on their experiences here

From 17:00 BST, members of the public have been filing into Parliament's Westminster Hall to view the Queen's closed coffin.

It is resting on a raised platform, known as a catafalque, beneath the 11th Century hall's medieval timber roof.

Earlier, the coffin made its way through the heart of London borne on an open gun carriage of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, drawn by seven black horses.

Read more about the symbolism and ceremony around the day's events here.