Former footballer David Beckham was among the thousands of people who queued for hours to pay their respects to the Queen.
The 47-year-old ex-England captain joined the long queue at 2am on Friday morning to see the late monarch lying-in-state, and he was still there at 2pm. He was spotted in the background, wearing a flat cap, as crowds of people flocked to London to stand and wait.
The star said it was "special to be here". Speaking about paying tribute to the Queen on the football pitch, he told ITV News: "Every time that we stood there when we wore those Three Lion shirts and I had my armband and we sang God Save Our Queen, that was something that meant so much to us. Every time that we did it, it was something special.
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"So this day was always going to be difficult, and it's difficult for the nation, it's difficult for everyone around the world, because I think everyone is feeling it, and our thoughts are with the family and obviously with everybody here today. Because it's special to be here, to celebrate, and to hear the different stories that people have to say."
When asked whether he had any anecdotes about his experiences with the Queen, he told ITV News: "Probably the most special moment for me was when I received my OBE. To receive my OBE, I took my grandparents with me, who were the ones that really brought me up to be a huge royalist and a fan of the royal family, and obviously I had my wife there as well.
"To step up, to get my honour, but then also Her Majesty, to ask questions, to talk, I was so lucky that I was able to have a few moments like that in my life, to be around Her Majesty. Because we can all see with the love that has been shown, how special she is and how special she was and the legacy that she leaves behind. It's a sad day, but it's a day for us to remember the incredible legacy that she's left."
Beckham confirmed he had arrived in the early hours. "I thought by coming at 2am it was going to be a little bit quieter. I was wrong. Everybody had that in mind," he added.
"The people here are all ages. There was an 84-year-old lady walking around. There was a 90-year-old gentleman walking around. Everybody wants to be here to be a part of this experience and celebrate what Her Majesty has done for us."
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