When Ibrahim Sumra left Southampton on Saturday he was hoping to join the accessible queue - but with that now shut permanently, he is toughing out the longer version with his family to be able to pay his respects to the Queen.

Having survived two bouts of cancer, Ibrahim underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery in February after some of the treatment damaged his arteries.

He’s doing better now - but he’s still not in full health and can only walk up to one and a half miles a day, he says.

Now Mr Sumra is preparing to walk further than that - the queue is several miles long and it is currently taking about 14 hours to get to Westminster Hall.

“It’s going to be a challenge but we'll have some pauses and breaks and hopefully there will be people along the way to help us,” he says.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has condemned Britain's decision not to invite Russian officials to attend the Queen's funeral on Monday.

"We see this British attempt to use the national tragedy, which has touched the hearts of millions of people around the world, for geopolitical purposes to settle scores with our country... as deeply immoral," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

Diplomatic relations between the UK and Russia have all but collapsed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin had already said the Russian leader was "not considering" attending the funeral.

Representatives from Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Belarus and Myanmar have not been invited either.

Who will - and who won't - attend

One o'clock in the morning is way past bedtime for most eight-year-olds, but for Myriam, it was the end to a day she won't soon forget.

She had queued up with her mum since 10:00 in the morning - and told the BBC's Mark Lobel what it was like to walk along the carpet that led to the Queen's coffin, and to see the crown on top of it.

Her mother, Monia Pallud, said it was an important teaching moment for her daughter - to pay respect to a very "powerful" woman.

But perhaps the thing that Myriam will remember most is when she got to meet the Queen's guards.

"I got to touch his furry hat. It was so fluffy," she said.

While Myriam was very impressed with the guards and Westminster Hall in general, she was less enthused about the 13-hour wait.

Asked if she had enjoyed the queue, she replied simply: "No."

Lebo Diseko and Catherine Byaruhanga

Image source, Chris Parkinson/BBC

At a community radio station in Johannesburg's bustling Hillbrow neighbourhood, MJ Mojalefa is hosting a phone-in following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

The 22-year-old DJ wants his large youth audience to share their thoughts on the legacy of the British empire, which once included South Africa.

"We were colonised by the British and [the Queen] never changed the nature of that relationship," one caller says. "People have moved on, and the past is in the past," says another.

As for MJ Mojafela, he wants an apology from the new King Charles III: "Most people are saying the Queen didn't apologise - and that is what they wanted from her."

South Africa became a republic in 1961. By then the enforced racial segregation of apartheid had been law for 13 years, nine of them with Queen Elizabeth II as monarch.

Read more about the reaction across Africa here

People are bringing plenty of food and drink as they prepare for long hours in the queue to see the Queen's lying-in-state - but they're not allowed to take it into the Palace of Westminster.

When they get to Victoria Tower Gardens, all unconsumed food is confiscated - but instead of being thrown away, the non-perishable and unopened packages are are being donated to a good cause.

The Felix Project, a London-based charity, says it has received hundreds of kilos of food - mostly snacks like crisps, chocolate and biscuits - and will distribute it to the thousands of community groups it works with across the capital.

"This food is a hugely unique donation and will help hundreds of people who are struggling to afford to eat," says charity chief executive Charlotte Hill.

"We are honoured to be here to play a small part in this hugely poignant event and to know that an extra layer of good is being done here."

Image source, PA Media

Read more about the Queen's lying-in-state here

Chelsea Bailey
Reporting in Washington

Image source, Reuters

For students of the US's relationship with the monarchy, few weeks in history could compare with this one.

The US flag has been lowered to half-staff, flowers and tributes have been left outside the UK Embassy, and news channels have carried wall-to-wall coverage of the death of a monarch few Americans have ever met: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

So why is it that despite launching an entire revolution to cast off British rule, some Americans still nurse an enduring fascination with the Crown? Is it purely down to a love of pomp and a weakness for the British accent?

"I frequently refer to the British royal family as the longest-running reality show on the planet," said Kristen Meinzer, co-host of Newsweek's The Royal Report podcast.

"We kicked them out of here - and proudly so - but like a lot of people, we break up but sometimes we still want to keep an eye on what they're up to."

Read more about America's Royal obsession here.

It has been a busy day for members of the Royal Family.

Fresh from meeting crowds along Albert Embankment and emergency services at New Scotland Yard, King Charles III met with military chiefs of staff at Buckingham Palace.

The King - along with the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Queen Consort and the Earl of Wessex - also spoke with dignitaries at the Palace during a lunch held for governors-general of the Commonwealth nations.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, Reuters

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed that she will meet the King, Prince of Wales and Prime Minister before the Queen's funeral, and that she will attend the Queen's lying in state at Westminster Hall.

Speaking from the UK, where she has arrived ahead of the funeral, Arden said: "I'll simply share the sorrow that New Zealand has and pass on our deepest condolences."

"At the end of the day, although this is a period of transition for him, he has also lost his beloved mother. For us and New Zealand, that's first and foremost."

She also confirmed she will meet with Liz Truss.

She said she will also likely discuss Ukraine and the UK's free trade agreement with New Zealand, although "within the context of the week of mourning."

A man has been charged with a public order offence after allegedly approaching the Queen’s coffin in Westminster Hall.

The incident happened at around 22:00 BST on Friday.

“Muhammad Khan, 28, of Barleycorn Way, Tower Hamlets, was charged on Saturday, September 17, with an offence under Section 4A of the Public Order Act; behaviour intending to cause alarm, harassment or distress,” a Metropolitan Police statement reads.

"He will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday, September 19."

He is the second person in the queue to be charged with committing an offence.

Image source, ANDY RAIN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Transport for London (TfL) has issued a statement warning people to plan ahead if they’re coming to London for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.

The company says it is prepared for “unprecedented travel demand” in London, saying the funeral “is set to be one of the biggest events the capital has ever witnessed”.

It urges people to use its travel app TfL Go and to regularly check for updates throughout their visit, in case of short-notice Tube or train station closures, bus diversions or roads shutting.

“We’re doing everything we can, working extremely closely with our partners to help keep London moving and I urge all our customers to check before they travel and before making their return journey,” London’s transport commissioner Andy Byford says.

Image source, Reuters

The Queen Consort, Camilla, has recorded a televised tribute for the late Queen Elizabeth II, praising her for carving "her own role" in a male-dominated world.

"She's been part of our lives forever. I'm 75 now and I can't remember anyone except the Queen being there," she will say, adding that the Queen came to power in a world without female presidents or prime minister. "It must have been so difficult for her being a solitary woman."

She will also remember her "wonderful blue eyes" and "unforgettable" smile.

The BBC will air the remarks on Sunday, shortly before a national minute's silence scheduled for 20:00 BST.

You can read more about the Queen Consort's remarks here.

Image source, EPA

The UK Parliament has now confirmed that Chinese leaders will be invited to attend the Queen's lying-in-state in Westminster Hall.

China's ambassador to the UK is barred from the UK Parliament over Chinese sanctions on five MPs and two peers.

That ban will stay in place but will not be extended to other officials. China's President Xi Jinping is on the guest list for the funeral ceremony but is not thought likely to attend.

You can read more about it here.

According to convention, all countries with which the UK has diplomatic relations should be invited to state funerals.

The Saudi Arabian Crown Prince and de facto ruler Mohammed Bin Salman is amongst those leaders invited to the funeral - sparking a huge outcry from human rights groups.

Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Russia and Belarus have not been invited - while Iran, North Korea and Nicaragua have been asked to only send a senior diplomat.

In its latest update, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has tweeted that the estimated queuing time in the line to see the Queen lying in state is down to 14 hours, from 17 hours in the previous post.

The tweet includes a link to a tracker on YouTube, external, which allows people thinking of joining the queue to see where the start is.

As things stand the start of the queue is in Southwark Park. You can follow the latest updates from the DCMS on their Twitter page, external.

Queen Elizabeth II was in for a shock when she stopped at the home of an American woman during a 1991 visit to a housing project in Washington DC.

There, shocked officials looked on as Alice Frazier greeted her majesty with a hug and an offer of potato salad and deviled eggs - a gesture the Queen took with a smile.

"It took her by a little surprise," former Washington mayor Sharon Pratt recalled. "She understood the authenticity and the warmth and the spirit with which it was done."

Image source, Keith Still

As we report an increase in the estimated wait time for those in the lying-in-state queue, the crowd science expert that helped review plans for it has said he could not brave a long wait time himself.

Prof Keith Still, from Burton-in-Kendal, Cumbria, has provided advice and reviewed plans for not only the queue, but also the Queen's journey from Balmoral through Aberdeen.

He does not think he could have stood for that length of time himself, not with arthritic hips.

"At 63, I can walk my dog for about 4km [2.5 miles] and that's it, I'm knackered for the rest of the day," he says.

The queue is decades in the planning, according to Prof Still. Read all about the preparation here.

The estimated waiting time for those joining the queue to see the Queen's lying-in-state is now at least 17 hours, the culture department says.

The expected wait time has fluctuated throughout the day.

This morning, the estimated wait time was about 24 hours, before later dropping down to 16 and a half hours and then to 13.

The queue is where thousands of people wait in line overnight along the banks of the River Thames to see the Queen as she lies in state in Westminster Hall.

The maximum length the queue can be is 10 miles (16km) - with 6.9 miles from Westminster to Southwark, and a three-mile "zig-zag" snaking queue in Southwark Park.

The queue is expected to close long before the Queen's lying in state ends at 06:30 BST on Monday, with officials currently gauging the best time to shut it.

For updates, the government has published a live queue tracker for people to follow on YouTube, external.

Image source, Reuters

US President Joe Biden has arrived in the UK ahead of the Queen's funeral on Monday.

The presidential plane Air Force One touched down at London Stansted airport just before 22:00 BST with Mr Biden and his wife Dr Jill Biden, the First Lady, on board.

On Sunday the US president is expected to pay his respects to Queen Elizabeth II and sign her Official Condolence Book, before attending a reception hosted by King Charles III.

Image source, EPA

With many people across the UK set to watch the Queen's funeral on Monday - around London, where it's taking place, and beyond - various public spaces have set up large screens to show the historic occasion.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has said it will be shown in venues such as cathedrals and town halls, everywhere from Exeter to Northern Ireland. Some of those include:

• Hyde Park, London
• Cathedral Square, Sheffield
• Centenary Square, Birmingham
• Bitts Park, Carlisle, Cumbria
• Holyrood Park, Edinburgh
• Coleraine Town Hall, County Derry, Northern Ireland
• Bedford Corn Exchange, Bedfordshire
• Centenary Square, Birmingham
• Bradford Cathedral, West Yorkshire
• University Square, Coventry
• Northernhay Gardens, Exeter, Devon
• Sandy Park at Exeter City Football Club, Devon
• Millennium Square, Leeds
• Manchester Cathedral
• Old Eldon Square, Newcastle

Around 125 cinemas across the UK will also be screening the funeral - along with the BBC and other broadcasters for people watching from home.

Here's a detailed plan of the funeral, including what time the coffin will be moved to Westminster Abbey and when guests are due to arrive.

Why the state funeral will be an event beyond comparepublished at 21:43 British Summer Time 17 September 2022

21:43 BST 17 September 2022

Laura Kuenssberg
Presenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg

Two thousand guests, 500 foreign dignitaries, 4,000 service personnel and potentially billions of people watching around the world.

Monday's state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II will be, in the 21st Century, an event beyond compare.

Primarily, of course, the events are a hugely important commemoration of the Queen's death - a global tribute to the woman who was one of the most recognisable world leaders for so long.

Yet perhaps some of the leaders flying in to pay their respects will have half an eye on what it means for them.

As one diplomat told me: "This is the funeral of the century. Every world leader will want to see and be seen. Those that will not be here and not be seen will lose the greatest photo op of our times."

Read more of Laura's piece here