Emotions, aches and steely determination in the great British queue to pay tribute to a beloved Queen

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Weary legs, aching backs and a steely determination to complete the most British of tasks for the Queen. Thousands of mourners are now filing past Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin during her lying in state at the Palace of Westminster.

For so many Brits, it’s a final chance to say goodbye to the monarch who reigned for 70 years. It’s an experience leaving mourners overwhelmed by emotion as they leave the palace - met by a scrum of reporters from the world’s broadcasters.

The moment itself lasts just a few minutes, as mourners approach the Queen’s coffin, surrounded by 10 entirely still guards - so unmoved they appear unreal at first glance. As they walk past on either side, a bow or curtesy is given by mourners as a final thank you to her majesty.

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Yet the journey to get there is a long one - which is only set to get longer as thousands more join the miles-long line to see the Queen. It was maybe a lapse in judgement and rationality when I agreed to join the thousands mourning her on the first day of lying-in-state.

Even when my editor mentioned a possible 12-hour wait, I thought I’d take the chance. I’ve queued before. How hard can it be?

Yet as the piercing alarm sounded at 4.40am today like a dagger through my ears, it dawned on me the enormity of the queue to come - and the significance of the day. I trudged to Manchester Piccadilly donning my black tie and geared up for it.

I arrived in London at around 8.20am, scoffed a sausage and egg muffin and navigated the migraine on a page that is the tube map. The Queen’s lying in state would only begin at 5pm, but the plan was to get the best place I could in the queue as early as possible, to