Queen's funeral: Welsh mourners pay their respects

First Minister Mark Drakeford attended the Queen's funeral service

People across Wales have gathered together to pay their final respects to the Queen.

Some travelled to London, while others camped out over the weekend to witness the state funeral, which has taken place at Westminster Abbey.

First Minister Mark Drakeford was among those who attended the service.

The Queen's coffin is to be taken to St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle for a committal service.

Mr Drakeford said: "My thoughts are with His Majesty the King and the Royal Family as they remember her remarkable life and many years of service."

Meanwhile in communities across Wales, people gathered together in homes, churches, cinemas and community centres, with their loved-ones and neighbours to watch the funeral and pay their own respects to the Queen.

Emma Parsons-Reid, 55 from, Cardiff, invited family, friends and neighbours to her home to watch the funeral

The funeral was shown on cinema screens at Theatr Colwyn in Colwyn Bay, and the Magic Lantern Cinema in Tywyn, with cinemas in Swansea, Merthyr Tydfil, Cardiff, Cwmbran, Carmarthen and Rhyl also showing the event.

Penparcau community hub in Ceredigion also opened for older people to come together to watch the funeral.

About 55 people came to Theatr Colwyn to watch the funeral on the cinema screen

• Order of service at Westminster Abbey

Schools and businesses have closed as a mark of respect, with others providing limited opening hours, after Monday was declared a bank holiday.

Transport for Wales said rail services would operate as normal but trains to London would be "exceptionally busy" and could affect connecting services.

Lorraine Ball and Lisa Price from Caerphilly arrived at the abbey in the early hours

Margaret Ford and Sue Haycroft, from Cardiff, arrived on the Mall on Saturday morning ahead of the funeral, and said they wanted to say thank you to the Queen.

A coachload of people from Conwy also made the journey to pay their respects.

Ms Haycroft said she had slept for four hours on Saturday night as camping out in London was "cold and quite noisy".

"The area never stops," she said.

Susan Jones, from Godre'r Graig, Neath Port Talbot, slept in Paddington Station as she "just came up on the spur of the moment" and queued for 12 hours to see the Queen's lying-in-state at Westminster Hall.

"I'm not going to see an experience like this again in my lifetime," she said.

Kelly Griffin and Jessica Jones spent the night in the car after driving to London

Kelly Griffin, 40, and Jessica Jones, 33, made a last-minute decision to drive from Cardiff to London, spending the night in their car in order to get an early spot on the Mall.

Ms Griffin wanted to say a final farewell and said: "It's important to be part of the history.

"We're never going to experience anything like this again in our lifetime.

"I will miss her words of inspiration, especially during the Queen's speech on Christmas Day."

'No one wants to mourn alone'

About 40 people have come to St Mike’s Church in Aberystwyth to watch the service

About 50 people are gathered at St John the Evangelist's Church in Cardiff watching the funeral service on a big screen, while others joined together at St Mike's in Aberystwyth.

At St John the Evangelist's Church in Canton people joined together to sing hymns, with one saying: "No one wants to mourn alone. We need to be together".

Streets in Conwy town centre were deserted for the funeral

World leaders including US President Joe Biden were among 2,000 people at Westminster Abbey, along with people from Wales.

Cardiff and Vale College pupil Andrew Millar, 16, said he felt "immense gratitude" for being selected by his fellow Welsh Youth Parliament members to attend the funeral.

Emma Lewis, 41, from Swansea, who set up a charity to help young people in care, will also be among the invited guests.

Sharon and Mark Beresford from Flintshire took a bus to London for the Queen's funeral

There are also representatives from Wales' Young Farmers Clubs, the Race Council for Wales and Wales Council for Voluntary Action, which supports voluntary organisations.

Liberal Democrat Member of the Senedd Jane Dodds said it was a privilege to have been invited to the funeral, along with other Welsh political party leaders, including the first minister and presiding officer.

"It's going to be a very momentous event and one that I will treasure for the rest of my life," she said.

Also invited to the funeral are Andrew Millar and Emma Lewis

Lord John Morris of Aberavon said he felt privileged to be among the 800 guests at the Queen's committal service at St George's Chapel.

The former MP, secretary of state for Wales, and attorney general is a member of the Order of the Garter, the most senior royal order of chivalry.

It dates back to 1348, and includes other senior royals and dignitaries with Camilla, the Queen Consort, appointed to the order in June.

Lord Morris said: "I will be there with much more important people - prime ministers, governors, and other world leaders - but it will be a privilege to be at St George's Chapel."

He said he would be paying tribute to a monarch who "never put a foot wrong".

"She carried out her duties according to law with great zeal and at the same time she combined formality with informality, that is what I enjoyed," he said.

"She enjoyed a joke and was able to be informal. When she was formal she was very formal but she had that informality as and when required."

Julie Ellison: "We won't get the chance to go and experience this again"

Thousands of people have lined the route of the funeral processions in London and Windsor, including a coachload of people who began their journey from Abergele, Conwy county, on Sunday morning.

"For me it's just part of history, and we won't get the chance to go and experience this again," said Sharon Beresford from Mold, Flintshire.

Chris Keane and Ronnie drove down from Llangollen

Chris Keane and his daughter, Ronni 13, from Llangollen, drove down on Sunday evening.

Ronnie said the four-hour journey "was definitely worth it. The Queen did a lot for us all, and she deserves our respect."

Fellow passenger Julie Ellison said she and husband Peter, from nearby Pantymwyn, were wary of how busy it would be in London, but wanted to say goodbye to the late monarch.

"No matter what you think, she was there for the country," she said.

Lorraine Ball and Lisa Price from Caerphilly arrived opposite Westminster Abbey to take up their position at 02:00 BST on Monday, and told BBC Radio Wales it would be a day to remember.

They described the Queen as a role model for women and added that she had served with "dedication and dignity".

Among the thousands of people who lined the Mall are Myfanwy, husband Dean, and their eight-year old daughter, Eden, from the Vale of Glamorgan.

"I think it's important for Eden to know we had a female monarch on the throne for nearly 70 years", said Myfanwy.

"She did an amazing job."

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