Temperatures in London dropped to 5C (41F) overnight but thousands of people still braved the cold to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II.
By 4am, the waiting time for those wishing to file past the late monarch’s coffin had risen t 24 hours and the queue was “near total capacity”, the government’s live tracker was warning.
It urged people not to travel to join the back of the queue, in Southwark Park, and to check back for further details. Our live page has the latest. Some of those who made it into Westminster Hall on Friday evening arrived in time to see the Queen’s children standing in vigil beside their mother’s coffin.
King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew stood, heads bowed in silence, for about 10 minutes, before leaving to polite applause.
Prior to the vigil, Prince Edward said they had been “overwhelmed by the tide of emotion that has engulfed us and the sheer number of people who have gone out of their way to express their own love, admiration and respect”.
International media continue to marvel at the orderliness of the queue but it has not been entirely without incident. Police have charged a man, 19, over the sexual assault of two women while queuing.
And late last night, a man was arrested after he approached the Queen’s coffin. However, the vast majority of those who have stood in line – including former England football captain David Beckham – have spoken of the pleasure of the shared experience.
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