Waiting time in queue to pay respects to Queen Elizabeth II stretches to 19 hours

As Queen Elizabeth II Lies in State at the Westminster Hall, mourners waiting to pay their respects to the late monarch had to wait for over 19 hours to get to the front of the line.

Entrance to the queue to pay tribute to the Queen was initially paused for “at least” six hours as it reached capacity, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DMCS) said.

Now, entrance to the queue has resumed, with expected waiting times at one point hitting 24 hours.

Queuing times were lasting as long as a full day and overnight temperatures will be cold, the government’s official queue tracker has warned.

Later into Friday evening, the queue wait time had reduced to just over 19 hours.

The queue to reach the Queen’s coffin was almost five miles long when it was paused on Friday morning, tailing back from Westminster all the way to Southwark Park.

A crowd formed around the entrance as people begged to be let in.

“That has always been part of our planning and that is to make sure as many people as possible in the queue can enter the Palace of Westminster.”