Queen Elizabeth II: West Midlands mourners queue to pay last respects

Natalie Lloyd from Great Barr said she was prepared to queue through the night to see the lying-in-state

People from across the West Midlands have joined thousands of others queuing in London to pay their respects to the Queen lying-in-state.

Some praised the "friendly camaraderie" among the crowds, which became an atmosphere of "serenity" and "reflection" once inside Westminster Hall.

"It was phenomenal, overwhelming, emotional," said Natalie Lloyd, from Great Barr.

"It felt like it was just you and her."

Ms Lloyd, who joined the line at 07:15 BST and waited six hours to pay her respects, said she had been prepared to queue all night.

"It was beautiful and so very sad. I was overcome and I did shed a few tears," she added.

Queues are up to four and a half miles long, according to a government tracker, with some people reporting waiting for up to 11 hours.

Emily Allen from Birmingham queued for six hours overnight with sons Freddie and James to see the lying-in-state

Emily Allen from Birmingham travelled to London by train with sons Freddie and James on Wednesday and reached the front of the line at around 03:15, after six hours of queuing.

"It really is a part of history and I think, particularly for the boys, there really is just no better way for them to learn about it than actually experiencing it," she said.

Grace Brown, from Myddle, in Shropshire, said she had decided to go to London on the "spur of the moment" and arrived in the queue at 02:00.

"It took us seven hours to get to Westminster Hall to file past the coffin," she said.

"You just see the momentousness of the occasion. The crown jewels are just there on top of the coffin, sparking in the light. It's just wonderful."

Grace Brown, who travelled from Shropshire, was interviewed by the BBC while waiting in the queue

Louise Hall, from Stratford-upon-Avon, got the first train from Banbury at 05:15 and joined the queue a couple of hours later.

"I've met three lovely women - we're calling ourselves 'the ladies-in-waiting' and we met on the train," she said.

"We didn't know each other at all, now we're best of friends.

"I've just had my 70th birthday, so I was born a few months after the Queen came to the throne and I just felt I wanted to pay my respects you know and just say thank you for a life well lived."

Matthew Edwards, 35, James Across, 65, and Amy Harris, 34, paid their respects at Westminster Hall on Thursday

Amy Harris and Matthew Edwards struck up a friendship with James Cross while waiting in the line after travelling down by train from Birmingham at 01:00.

The atmosphere in Westminster Hall was "breathtaking," Ms Harris said. "When you're able to go in and have a moment to look at it and reflect, the serenity of it - to be able to pay your respects in such a serene place, it's very peaceful."

"It's just like the only person that's there is you," Mr Cross said. "You walk in and you could hear a pin drop."

Mr Edwards said the three were planning to have a pint together after the long wait.

Mourners have been queuing through the night along the southern bank of the River Thames

Justin Hawthorne from Heath Hayes told BBC WM he was feeling extremely tired after queuing for more than eight hours overnight.

"As the sun came up over the top of the Palace of Westminster, we stood waiting to enter. I don't think it has really sunk in yet," he said.

"It was an amazing experience and it was something I'll never forget.

"The second you walk round that corner and you see what you've come to see, it's spine-tingling really. It's so emotive.

"I can always say now that I was there and I got to say thanks."

Justin Hawthorne, who travelled to London after work and queued for hours overnight, said it was an emotional experience

Simon Woolgrove from Oswestry, meanwhile, drove to London around 01:00 on Wednesday to get a front-row spot on The Mall for the ceremonial procession taking the coffin to Westminster Hall.

"It was almost an otherworldly experience. I was completely unprepared for what it was like," he said.

"As soon as you could start to see the heads of soldiers coming around the memorial outside [Buckingham Palace], the crowd went absolutely silent.

"The sun had come out just a few minutes beforehand, creating like a dappled light across The Mall and it was glinting off the body armour. There were a lot of people wiping their eyes."

The lying-in-state will continue until 06:30 on Monday, the day of the Queen's funeral.

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