There was complete silence among the thousands of mourners on the Mall except for the sound of an elderly woman sobbing gently leaning on a barrier.
But then, suddenly, as the horse drawn carriage carrying the coffin passed one man cried: “God Save the Queen”.
Another immediately responded with a passionate shout of “God Save The King.”
But perhaps the most moving moment came as the procession slipped out of sight when a huge spontaneous wave of applause gently rippled through the crowd from Horseguards Parade right down the Mall.
It reminded many of the emotional clapping at the funeral of William and Harry’s mother Princess Diana back in 1997.
It was an extraordinary day in London yesterday as the Queen left Buckingham Palace for the very last time honoured with the very finest of British pomp and pageantry.
For all the latest updates on the Queen's lying-in-state see our live blog
Some people brought deckchairs to claim their place in the front row.
At the very spot, as the Mall turns into Horseguard Road, where a gunman shot at the Queen in 1981, a military veteran stood with his medals pinned on his chest.
Matthew Danbury, 44, a merchandiser from Bewdley, Worcs said:
“I wanted to come to pay my respects. It’s a real moment in our nation’s history.
“The Queen has left Buckingham Palace for the very last time.
“It’s been an extraordinary day and I cannot believe the huge crowds.”
Many filmed as King Charles, the Princess Royal and the Duke of York followed their mother’s coffin in rhythmic footsteps.
But most were struck by the bravery William and Harry as they made the same heart wrenching journey they took almost 25 years ago to the day behind their Diana’s coffin.
Retired carpenter William Johnston, 80, from Waltham Forest, said: “I remember the funeral for Diana, they were just boys then but William and Harry look so grown up now.”
He added: “I was just a boy of seven or eight when King George died and we were called into the assembly hall at school. The headmaster told us that he had passed.
“I watched the Queen’s Coronation on a black and white television at my aunt’s house in Walthamstow, there weren’t many TVs around then.
“So I’ve grown up with this Queen. She’s part of my life.”
Frenchman Jean-Marc Ajoux, 39, took two days off work and travelled from east France, near the Swiss border, to pay his respects.
He waited for six hours, wrapped in a French flag, for a chance to see the Queen “one last time”.
He told the Mirror he wanted to let Brits know: “I’m French and I’m here for you.”
He added: “I love history and for me Queen Elizabeth II is part of history.
I wanted to be here to see her one last time.
“I can say to my son I was here and I saw her.
“I was able to throw a flower to her. It was very emotional to be here in the heart of the British nation. You can feel the emotion - you can see people crying.”
Angie Goodwill-Leatt, 62, a gardener, travelled more than 200 miles from her home in York to pay her respects.
She said: “The Queen has been the only constant in our lives for so long. I wanted to be here to show that I respected that.”
Meanwhile pals Lesley Bundle, 51, and Karen Binyon, 57, set off from their homes in Enfield, north London, at 5am to get front row positions.
They waited seven HOURS to catch a glimpse of the Queen’s coffin.
Lesley said: “It was worth waiting here for so long. It’s a moment of history. She’s dedicated her entire life to serving us and she was an amazing woman.”
Karen said: “The Queen was there for William and Harry and she’s played a really important role in their lives.
“I was on The Mall for Diana’s funeral and it was amazing to see William and Harry walking behind the Queen’s coffin. They’re amazing.”
Paddy Bleakley, 54, from Shaftesbury, Dorset, proudly wore his medals from his 38 years of service in the Army.
He said: “I joined the Army when I was 16 and retired from service in April, the Queen has been my Commander-in-Chief for all that time.
“I’ve met her on a couple of occasions which was fantastic and in 2020 I had the honour of receiving an MBE on the Queen’s birthday.
“Coming today is my way of saying thank you for all of her years of service. I was devastated when I found out that she had died, I had tears in my eyes.”
Nigeria-born charity worker Bose Panama, 62, from Crouch Hill, said: “The Queen was a monarch of remarkable strength.
“It was very poignant to see William and Harry there because of the differences that have existed.
“We saw them come together as brothers and walking together side-by-side showing the strength that they can put their differences aside.”
Teresa Brouder-Khazanchi, 67, and her sister, Beverley Gould, 58, wore head-to-toe Union Jacks, a crown and waved flags as they watched the coffin pass.
They lost their father, George, at the age of 97 last year, 20 years after their mother, Eileen, died, aged 77.
Retired jeweller Teresa, from Wembley, said simply: “We wanted to come and pay our respects in memory of our own parents. It’s a special moment.”
