Queen funeral latest: King Charles and Prince William greet mourners in the queue - watch live
King Charles and Prince William have greeted mourners in the queue for the Queen's lying in state.
Having left Buckingham Palace in the last hour or so, the King was greeted with rapturous cheers as he arrived with his son at Lambeth Bridge.
The King asked "has he got the marmalade?" when presented with a soft toy of Paddington Bear by two women who said they were from Peru, while Prince William could be heard telling one mourner: "We're all making friends for life here".
The queue, which currently starts in Southwark Park, has a waiting time of "up to 14 hours" - down from 24 hours and then 16 hours earlier in the day.
It comes after the King led his three siblings in a moving silent vigil at the late Queen's catafalque in the Palace of Westminster last night.
Follow the latest updates below.
12:51 PM
King cheered as he climbs back into his car
The King is now leaving Lambeth Bridge after some 20 minutes spent with those who have turned out to honour his late mother.
Prince William, meanwhile, has just spoken to a child called Sophie, asking her: "Are you doing alright, Sophie, was it a little bit cold last night?"
"Yeah, a bit chilly," she replied.
"You're doing very well, you're more than halfway," the King said in response.
In response to another mourner, he said: "We're all making friends for life here."
12:47 PM
King comes face-to-face with Paddington
A lovely moment on the King's walkabout just now as he met mourners with a Paddington Bear soft toy.
"We are from Peru, we come from Peru," the women could be heard saying. "We come from Peru! It is so nice to see you."
Tapping Paddington on his nose, the King replied: "This is the bear - has he got the marmalade?"
"For later," the women shouted back, in reference to the now-iconic Platinum Jubilee sketch with the late Queen and Paddington enjoying cups of tea in the Palace.
12:40 PM
Three cheers for the King
This is the scene at Lambeth Bridge as King Charles greets the public.
A familiar sound - "three cheers for the King - hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray!" - has been echoing from the crowd, as well as shouts of "God save the King!"
12:33 PM
Remarkable scenes as King and Prince of Wales greet mourners
King Charles and Prince William are greeting mourners in the queue for the Queen's lying in state.
More to follow.
12:28 PM
There’s nothing wrong with being 'very British'
For the family involved, the time between a beloved member’s death and their funeral is a strange hiatus from normal life, writes Sophia Money-Coutts.
Lots to do while simultaneously trying to acclimatise to that person’s sudden absence. People to ring, orders of service to print, flowers to order, meals – somehow – to be prepared and swallowed as you grieve.
The past 10 days, for many of us, might have felt similar, or at least reminiscent of a discombobulating time when a much-loved parent or grandparent died. (I refuse to talk of "passing". What do you mean? The salt?)
Millions of us decided that we would lay flowers or a jar of Golden Shred in a royal park, or line up on a Scottish road, or go to church, or file past the late Queen’s coffin in Westminster Hall.
Perhaps you decided to pay your respects in a different, more private way. Each to their own, but there has been much to do and much to think about before tomorrow, when the country will gather as an enormous national family to say goodbye.
Sophia Money-Coutts: Her Majesty would want us to keep calm and carry on
12:12 PM
Accessible queue has reopened, confirms DCMS
The accessible queue for the lying in state has reopened, DCMS confirmed in a tweet a few minutes ago.
It had been shut between 9am and midday for capacity reasons.
12:04 PM
No food hell, just food heaven to meet the mood
A staple of Saturday morning television is the "food hell" and "food heaven" faced by celebrity guests on the BBC show Saturday Kitchen.
But normal service was paused this week as Richard Osman, the TV presenter and author, instead had the audience choose between two of his favourite dishes - cacio e pepe past and a ham and cheese toastie.
As proceedings started, presenter Matt Tebbutt told Mr Osman: "Now Richard, usually you know how this works, usually at the end of the show you're facing food heaven and food hell.
"But with the mood of the nation, this week we're going to let the audience decide on two of your favourite dishes."
11:52 AM
When David Beckham joins the queue: 'I thought it would be quieter at 2am – I was wrong'
No doubt David Beckham could have procured himself a VIP pass, writes Robert Mendick, our Chief Reporter.
But instead, the former England captain and multi-millionaire, did what every other ordinary well-wisher wanting to pay their respects to the late Queen had to do: He queued. And queued. And queued.
At 3.18pm and after more than 13 hours, Beckham finally reached his goal, shuffling past the Queen’s coffin in Westminster Hall where Her Majesty has been lying in state since Wednesday evening.
Beckham, agile at evading tackles in his playing days, thought he would dodge the worst of the queue, by arriving at 2am. Only to discover, alas, that tens of thousands of other mourners had had the same idea.
Former England captain slogs it out with thousands of mourners
11:28 AM
The King's audiences today
The King this morning received the First Sea Lord, Chief of the Air Staff, Chief of the General Staff, Chief of the Defence Staff, Vice Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of United Kingdom Strategic Command in the 1844 Room at Buckingham Palace.
At 1pm, he will then receive the Governors General of the Realms for a reception and lunch at the Palace, including the Governor-Generals of Australia, Canada, Grenada, New Zealand, and Saint Lucia.
At 3.45pm, the King receives Prime Ministers of the Realms - namely Justin Trudeau of Canada, Anthony Albanese of Australia, Philip Davis of the Bahamas, Andrew Holness of Jamaica, and Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand.
11:22 AM
Moment man is tackled by police after allegedly charging at the Queen's coffin
11:04 AM
Watch: How the nation mourned Elizabeth II
King Charles, his sons Princes William and Harry and other senior royals joined a solemn procession taking Queen Elizabeth's coffin as the late monarch made her final journey from Buckingham Palace on Wednesday.
Huge crowds gathered in central London to witness the queen being taken from the palace to parliament as artillery guns fired salutes and Big Ben tolled, the latest in a series of poignant ceremonies as the nation mourns the queen who died last week aged 96 after seven decades on the throne.
A short service was held in Westminster Hall, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual head of the Anglican Church, as senior politicians watched on.
In this video, The Telegraph revisits key moments in how the nation mourned Queen Elizabeth II
10:50 AM
New Met Commissioner patrols queue
As the queue continues to move quickly, with the current wait estimated at around 16 hours, Sir Mark Rowley - the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner - is among those on patrol near Lambeth Palace.
Sir Mark greeted mourners, including several who were wearing blankets after waiting in line for hours through the early morning.
10:31 AM
The court of King Charles III: Who is in and who is out?
A well-regulated royal household should ensure that the sovereign’s life, and that of his consort, functions smoothly.
But all courts include a wider circle of a monarch’s friends and acquaintances on whose experience, wisdom and expertise they have always drawn, supplementing the chief advisory role of the prime minister.
History also relates, however, that monarchs who are good judges of character – and include people of intelligence and wisdom – often end up as successful kings or queens.
Here, Simon Heffer takes a closer look at the changes in Charles's court
10:14 AM
Devotion to duty from King and country at vigil for Queen Elizabeth
They face a 24-hour wait to pay their respects, but still they keep on coming, writes Hannah Furness, the Telegraph's Royal Editor.
Undaunted, uncomplaining and dressed for duty, Queen Elizabeth II’s people vowed to do her proud in a slow, shuffling procession to see her coffin lying in state.
At one point, in scenes that would delight observers of British eccentricity, there was a queue for the queue to get in the queue.
And by the evening, at 7.45pm, the patience of a lucky few was repaid in the most spectacular fashion, as they entered Westminster Hall to find themselves joining the King and his family.
There, amidst hundreds of members of the public who happened to be walking at the same time, the King, Princess Royal, Duke of York and Earl of Wessex stood in silent tribute to their mother.
The full must-read story is here
09:58 AM
Breaking: Accessible queue for lying in state closes
The separate lying in state queue for those with access needs has closed, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has confirmed.
"The accessible queue is closed until midday today and capacity is limited," DCMS said in a tweet. "Please don't try to arrive early.
"The queue is only for people with accessibility needs, and you can only bring one carer."
09:44 AM
The true reasons why the whole world wants to come to our Queen’s funeral
In the queue in Westminster Hall on Thursday, I was immediately behind two tall, dignified Sikh gentlemen, recalls Charles Moore. At the catafalque, they stood still. Each man brought his hands together in silent prayer and then passed on.
There is a short story by Rudyard Kipling. Its narrator is a Sikh officer in India. He tells his men how he witnessed the vigil in Westminster Hall ("a certain Temple which is near the river") over the coffin of King Edward VII.
Four elderly Gurkhas kept the vigil, he relates, as well as British Guards officers. Gurkhas were in short supply in England, so the four men insisted on standing for a full hour, whereas the Grenadiers in their "tall, grief-declaring bearskins" did only half-hour shifts.
It was a point of honour for the Gurkhas to do this for a King who "knew every button and braid and hook of every uniform in all His armies".
Why Elizabeth II was the last truly imperial - and most uniting - figure
09:23 AM
Queue wait down by a third
The waiting time for the lying in state queue has fallen by a third as officials withdrew previous advice urging Britons not to travel.
In the early hours of this morning, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport posted a message on its online queue tracker, encouraging people to stay away: "The queue is near total capacity with a wait time of at least 24 hours. Please do not travel to join the queue."
But this has now been updated to signal the queue is in Southwark Park, with a waiting time of "up to 16 hours".
09:21 AM
The four crowns central to the funeral - and the coronation
When Queen Elizabeth’s coffin was taken to St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh on Monday for a 24-hour lying-in-state, it was adorned with the Crown of Scotland, the first of four crowns that will play a prominent ceremonial role in both the funeral arrangements and the Coronation of King Charles, writes Gordon Rayner.
In London, the Imperial State Crown was placed on the coffin for the late monarch's final journey from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall in Parliament, and for the historic four-day lying in state which has seen thousands of mourners queue for miles to pay their respects.
At the Coronation, the Archbishop of Canterbury will place the rarely seen St Edward’s Crown on the King’s head.
The Queen Consort will wear the newest of the four crowns, the Crown of Queen Elizabeth, which was made for the late Queen mother in 1937.
Read more: Why the monarch's headgear must now be resized
09:11 AM
Tales from the queue this morning
Sachet Pariyar, from Basingstoke
My dad served in the British Army before and the Queen's Gurkha regiment, and my grandfather as well.
So, we feel like we have that connection with the Queen and we wanted to come and pay respects.
Simon Hopkins, 59, and Linda Partridge, 71, from the West Midlands
Even though they said it was closed I felt that need to come down.
If we've got here and then they turned away, then fine. I would have just felt I needed to come and then be told I couldn't go.
It feels that we made a deal to see this through. I think we thought that we're going to get down here and we were going to be turned away. That was at the back of our minds anyway.
09:05 AM
Queen’s funeral guest list: who is invited and who is not?
Nearly 500 dignitaries from around the world are set to descend on London to pay their last respects to Queen Elizabeth II at the full state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday.
They will join members of the Royal family, prime ministers past and present, and key figures from public life in one of the largest diplomatic moments of the century.
"This is the biggest international event we have hosted in decades," a Whitehall source said.
The source compared the logistical task to organising "hundreds of state visits" within a matter of days. Normally, there might only be two or three a year.
This is who we can expect to see on Monday
08:53 AM
Pictured: The latest scenes from the queue
Morning has now broken over what has fast become the world's most famous queue.
Here are the latest stills as Britons continue to line up to pay their respects to Her Majesty:
08:46 AM
Labour MP claims idea of monarchy as symbol of duty is a 'lie'
A Labour MP has said he watched thousands of people queueing to pay tribute to the late Queen at her lying-in-state with "bemusement followed by a touch of despair" and claimed the idea of monarchy as a symbol of duty is a "lie".
Clive Lewis, a former shadow cabinet minister, has openly defied Sir Keir Starmer’s order to his party to stay silent before the Queen’s funeral on Monday, penning an article in the Guardian in which he claimed that the royal succession is "as much about coercion as consent".
Mr Lewis, the MP for Norwich South, said the monarchy was a national distraction that allowed the ruling classes to deceive people about their duty to the nation.
Mr Lewis wrote: "While republicans should respect the language of ‘duty’ and ‘sacrifice’ monarchists have so forcefully claimed that the Royal family makes on our behalf, we should not pretend that the reality is anything other than a lie."
Monarchy 'allows Truss to exploit rules', claims Labour MP
08:35 AM
Will the 'Fab Four' come together?
Where do the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex go from here? asks Camilla Tominey.
This evening, Princes William and Harry will be reunited in sorrow - and in uniform - for the grandchildren’s vigil beside Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin in Westminster Hall.
The royal brothers will stand at the head and the foot of the catafalque, joining their cousins Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn to pay their respects to the woman they lovingly called "Grannie".
Despite Harry and his wife’s decision to step back from royal life in January 2020, the late Queen always insisted that they remained "much-loved members of the family".
And even after the Sussexes' bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey 18 months ago, the late monarch was typically magnanimous, saying "recollections may vary" about the couple’s experiences of life inside The Firm.
Read more: Can the current truce lead to lasting peace?
08:27 AM
The Queue - now with its own weather forecast
Those checking the weather forecast first thing this morning will have noticed an unexpected addition.
BBC Weather's Twitter account added 'The Queue' to locations including Shap in Cumbria, Bainbridge in North Yorkshire and Benson in Oxfordshire.
"It's a chilly start out there... even a bit of frost around for some of you," it said.
Good morning!
It's a chilly start out there ...even a bit of frost around for some of you
Matt | https://t.co/DZH80OEqu3 pic.twitter.com/Hgu7suCfgv— BBC Weather (@bbcweather) September 17, 2022
08:17 AM
In pictures: This morning's funeral procession rehearsal
08:11 AM
A minute-by-minute guide to Queen Elizabeth's funeral
Queen Elizabeth II will be honoured with a full state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday, September 19.
We've put together a minute by minute guide about what will happen – and when – over the next few days.
08:02 AM
Queue wait time reaches up to 25 hours
The government last night warned people not to join the queue to see the late Queen lying in state, saying that wait times have stretched up to 25 hours.
There has yet to be an update this morning on whether they recommend people can join the line again or not.
HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN'S LYING-IN-STATE QUEUE UPDATE, 1:15AM, 17 SEP
The queue is near total capacity with a wait time of at least 25 hours
Please do not travel to join the queue
Check back for updates in the morning pic.twitter.com/3bLTgIfgHu— Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (@DCMS) September 17, 2022
07:52 AM
New National Anthem lyrics in full
The lyrics to the British national anthem changed after King Charles ascended the throne to adapt to a new, male, sovereign.
The words have reverted back to God Save the King, a version that the over-70s may still remember from when George VI was on the throne.
Read the new lyrics in full here.
07:37 AM
Another day of queuing begins
07:32 AM
Late Queen's grandchildren to hold vigil today
The Queen's grandchildren will stand guard around her coffin in London on Saturday, hours after their parents held an emotional vigil in the Palace of Westminster.
Notably, the Duke of Sussex will join his brother the Prince of Wales in wearing uniform around the coffin in Westminster Hall, ahead of the Queen's state funeral on Monday.
The late monarch's lying in state in Westminster Hall will be open 24 hours a day today.
06:52 AM
In pictures: Mourners persevere with long queue overnight
06:41 AM
The front page of your Daily Telegraph
The front page of tomorrow's Daily Telegraph:
'Devotion to duty'#TomorrowsPapersToday
Sign up for the Front Page newsletterhttps://t.co/x8AV4OoUh6 pic.twitter.com/TX61v9jI6E— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) September 16, 2022
05:51 AM
Thousands brave cold temperatures as queue grows
Wait times ballooned to more than 24 hours overnight as thousands of mourners braved cold temperatures to view the Queen's lying in state.
At 5.30am on Saturday, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport's online tracker said the expected wait time was at least 24 hours as people queued from Southwark Park in south-east London, about five miles away.
The government website read: "The accessible queue is paused and will resume at midday on 17 September.
"All entry slots up to 12pm on 17 September have been filled. More will be made available at 12pm on 17 September. Please do not attempt to join the accessible queue before this time."
Mourners already in line were urged to brace for cold weather, as temperatures dipped below 10C in the early morning.
Undeterred, a steady stream of people joined the queue on Friday evening, many wearing coats and jumpers.
05:37 AM
Chinese vice president to attend late Queen's funeral
China's Vice President Wang Qishan will attend Queen Elizabeth's funeral, Beijing's foreign ministry said on Saturday, after a diplomatic spat saw Chinese officials barred from visiting the late monarch's coffin.
"At the invitation of the UK government, President Xi Jinping's Special Representative Vice President Wang Qishan will attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II to be held in London on September 19," foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in a statement.
It comes after an official Chinese delegation was banned from attending the Queen's lying in state following an intervention by House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, according to parliamentary sources.
The snub followed China's sanctioning of several British lawmakers over their criticism of its human rights record and prompted a rebuke from Mao, who said at a press briefing on Friday that the UK "should uphold both diplomatic courtesy and gracious hospitality".
05:26 AM
Man arrested after allegedly charging at Queen's coffin
A man has been arrested after allegedly charging at Queen Elizabeth II's coffin in Westminster Hall, it has been reported.
The individual was reportedly taken to the floor by Metropolitan Police officers and arrested.
The Met told ITV: “At 22:00hrs on Friday 16 September officers from the Met's Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command detained a man in Westminster Hall following a disturbance. He was arrested for an offence under the Public Order Act and is currently in custody”.
Viewers of the BBC's live stream reported that the feed went down for 10 minutes.
05:00 AM
Duke and Duchess of Sussex ‘uninvited’ to state reception
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex appear to have been uninvited to a state reception hosted by the King and Queen at Buckingham Palace on Sunday evening, writes Royal Correspondent Victoria Ward.
The couple received an invitation to the grand event for world leaders and foreign royals earlier this week but are thought unlikely to attend after palace officials insisted it was for working members of the Royal family only.
It remained unclear on Friday night why they had received an invitation for an occasion that Royal aides insisted they were not expected to attend.
04:55 AM
Today's top stories
King Charles and his siblings have led a tribute at their mother's coffin, while members of the public brave 24-hour queues to pay their respects
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex appear to have been uninvited to a state reception hosted by the King and Queen at Buckingham Palace on Sunday evening
A man has been arrested after allegedly charging at Queen Elizabeth II's coffin in Westminster Hall, it has been reported
While this week has represented a chance for reconciliation between Princes William, Harry and their wives, a lasting peace remains elusive
After queuing for more than 13 hours, David Beckham finally reached the Queen’s coffin in Westminster Hall
Emperor Naruhito of Japan will be among hundreds of foreign dignitaries taken by bus to Westminster Abbey for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral
Ambulances have attended to hundreds of people fainting and collapsing in queues for the late Queen, the NHS has said
The King has pledged to protect the multiple faiths of a diverse Britain “no less diligently” than Christianity in his new role as head of the Church of England
