I queued all night to see Queen’s coffin and shared a tent with strangers – even the rain couldn’t dampen our spirits | The Sun
STOICALLY taking their spot along the banks of the River Thames, thousands of mourners wait to close a chapter in history.
Soaked feet, freezing toes and classically abysmal British weather can't keep away these patriotic Brits paying their last respects to the Queen.
On Tuesday night I joined the steadily growing line of mourners and slowly transformed into a drowned rat as the heavens opened.
Linda Wright, from Thanet, said: "It's the end of a chapter in our lives, there no way I would miss it.
"It's hard to imagine not having a queen."
Dutiful mourners unfolded their chairs and prepared themselves for a final goodbye more than 24 hours before Queen Elizabeth II returned to London for the final time.
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Under the glare of the world's press, staunch fans braved the elements to secure their place in queues estimated to reach more than four miles long.
As the rain poured, I frantically tried to put up my tent to have a dry spot to sit for the night.
Cold mourners watched my struggles, but were soon lining up to have a moment to dry off.
However, be advised – police have since warned well-wishers against tents and requested they are taken down.
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In a show of unity strangers shared their food, brollies and tents as they tried to shelter from the lashing rain.
I took in a 12-year-old, from Nottingham, and his older sister for the night while their mum kept vigil outside under a brolly.
In typical British fashion, the cold droplets didn't let up throughout the night and lasted until mid-morning.
By 8.30pm everyone was desperate for hot food, leading one generous journalist to order pizzas – their drop-off point was Lambeth Palace.
Some joining the queue in the early hours had made the journey from Scotland in the hopes of seeing the coffin for a second time.
Gary Wells, 34, from Essex, had already done a 800-mile round trip to visit Her Majesty lying in state in Holyrood House.
"How many people will be able to say they've paid their respects to the Queen twice?" he told The Sun.
"She dedicated her life to this country. Coming to pay my respects is the least I can do.
"It was incredibly moving in Edinburgh to file past the coffin in silence and see the guards stood at each corner."
When he was 15, Gary wanted to queue to see the Queen Mother lying in state but wasn't allowed by his parents – fuelling his determination to see Queen Elizabeth II.
As I started to settle into my canvas home for the night, a quiet chorus of God Save The Queen drifted down the embankment and steadily got louder.
While the mournful chorus came to a close, several Sikh volunteers started setting up a table which was laden with biscuits and hot drinks.
Determined to honour the Queen, homeless charity Nishkam SWAT turned out to serve tea, coffee and biscuits to the mourners overnight.
Volunteer Satta Padnam said: "They say HM stands for Her Majesty but to to me it stands for humble monarch – because that's what she was.
"She's the only Queen I've ever known. She gave the charity an award a few years ago so we wanted to do our bit to help people say goodbye.
"We'll be here ever night to do our bit. She was an amazing woman and the people camping out are a testament to that."
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I finally settled in for the night with my new tent companions and attempted to get a few precious hours as the outside brigade chatted.
As rain hammered down, I managed a few hours in the early hours. By the time I emerged from my pop up home the queue was wondering further down the embankment.
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