'Don't cry now, you'll start me' - emotional Prince William comforts mourner as he visits Sandringham

The Prince and Princess of Wales greeted mourners at Sandringham House, with William detailing how difficult yesterday's procession had been. 

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, hugged one young royalist as she viewed tributes left in Manchester city centre.

Details of the late Queen's funeral have also emerged with NHS doctors and nurses playing a central role, while the Canadian ‘Mounties’ will lead Queen Elizabeth II to her final resting place. 

The King will host world leaders and foreign royals at Buckingham Palace on the eve of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral at an official state reception on a scale unprecedented in living memory, writes our royal correspondent Victoria Ward.

Presidents and prime ministers from across the globe will arrive in London throughout the weekend ready to pay their respects to the late monarch.

Every country with whom Britain has diplomatic relations, bar a handful including Russia and Belarus, has been invited to send a representative. Kings and queens from the Netherlands, Norway and Spain will be among the many royals in attendance.

On Sunday, they will rub shoulders at a grand reception at Buckingham Palace, where they will be formally welcomed by the new King.

Some, such as Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s prime minister, will have travelled for more than 24 hours to be there.

You can read Victoria's piece in full here.

The British Government will invite Donald Trump to a memorial service in honour of Queen Elizabeth II in Washington DC after the former US president was left off the guest list for the late monarch's funeral service, reports Rozina Sabur.

Mr Trump, 76, and all four other living ex-presidents have been given the option to attend the service of thanksgiving at Washington's National Cathedral on Wednesday. Former heads of state are not invited to the official funeral in London on Monday.

An invitation seen by The Telegraph describes the event as "a Service of Thanksgiving for the Life of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II". 

The invitations to high-level officials will be sent out in the name of the UK ambassador to Washington, Dame Karen Pierce, and her husband Sir Charles Roxburgh, a former Treasury official, on Thursday.

You can read Rozina's report in full here.

The lying-in-state queue continues to grow in south London as it is now inching towards the 5-mile long mark.

Those joining at the very rear will find themselves now on the edge of Southwark Park, and can expect to be standing in line for more than eight-and-a-half hours.

King Charles has spoken to world leaders including Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who expressed condolences for the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth, a spokesman for the new monarch has said.

Charles also spoke to the presidents of Germany, Greece and Italy and Rwanda, the spokesman added.

Moscow has criticised the decision not to invite Russia to Queen Elizabeth II's funeral, as relations between the two countries have been at a breaking point since the Ukraine offensive began.

"We see this British attempt to use the national tragedy, which has touched the hearts of millions of people around the world, for geopolitical purposes to settle scores with our country... as deeply immoral," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement

"This is particularly blasphemous towards Elizabeth II's memory."

A protest against the monarchy is to take place on Friday during King Charles III's first visit to Wales since ascending the throne.

The silent demonstration will begin from 1pm at Cardiff Castle, organisers have said.

The castle is one of three locations Charles will visit during his day-long tour of the capital, and where he will meet charitable organisations and faith leaders after having a private audience with First Minister Mark Drakeford.

Campaigners say they want the Welsh public to consider whether a future without the monarchy is possible.

They have called on the Welsh Government and Cardiff Council to ask South Wales Police to respect their democratic right to protest, following the arrests and threats of action against people holding signs saying 'Not my King' in other cities.

Activist and former Senedd Member for Plaid Cymru Bethan Sayed said: "As soon as King Charles III decided to announce that Prince William should become Prince of Wales, so soon after the death of the Queen, many of us felt compelled to respond.

"We must discuss the future of Wales, and what we want that to look like."

"It is about fairness, equality, and the Wales we want to shape for future generations."

After a short lull where the queue began to shrink, more mourners have joined the ranks.

It now extends for 4.6 miles as the back inches closer to Southwark park. 

Interestingly, despite its increasing length, the speed of the queue is actually decreasing, with those at the back facing a mere 8 hour wait to get to the front.

Those currently joining the back can expect to pay their respects around 2am.

Hundreds of Ugandans attended a memorial service Thursday in honor of Queen Elizabeth II, a somber ceremony that underscored affection for the departed British monarch in this East African country.

Speakers in the Anglican cathedral in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, included Foreign Affairs Minister Jeje Odongo, who paid tribute to the queen as an "endearing" leader.

"She wasn't the Queen of England alone," she said. "She was the Queen of all of us in the Commonwealth."

Uganda is one of the 56 member states of the Commonwealth, a group of mostly former British colonies that now includes others, such as Rwanda, that were not part of the British Empire.

Elizabeth II is fondly remembered among Ugandans, who recall her attendance in Kampala of the 2007 Commonwealth summit.

"It was a great occasion for Uganda," Eunice Okullo, a political activist who was among those attending Thursday's memorial service, said of the queen's visit 15 years ago. "She ate Ugandan foods - that's what they told us."

London hotel prices are continuing to soar as the Queen's funeral nears, analysis by the PA news agency found.

The cheapest room at Park Plaza County Hall - one of the closest hotels to Westminster Abbey - on Sunday night costs £999 compared with £268 seven days later.

Rooms at Novotel Waterloo cost £500 on Sunday and £241 a week later.

Many hotels near Westminster Abbey owned by lower-priced chains such as Premier Inn and Travelodge are fully booked for Sunday night.

Premier Inn has no rooms left at several of its properties, including County Hall, Waterloo (Westminster Bridge) and Leicester Square.

The nearest location with availability is Victoria, where a room costs £169 on Sunday, compared with £111 a week later.

The closest available Travelodge hotel is Waterloo.

A one-night stay on Sunday is priced at £160, while someone visiting on September 25 will pay just £63.

Sixty per cent of Australians want to retain the monarchy rather than become a republic with an elected president, a survey released this week found, writes Nick Squires.

The figure was up by five per cent compared to polls in 2012.

The rise in support was attributed to an outpouring of sympathy after the death of the Queen as well as general distrust of politicians and the attitude: "If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it."

Political turmoil in the US, under the presidency of Donald Trump, also put people off the idea of ditching the monarchy in favour of having a president.

“They don’t want to go to a republic because they don’t want to end up like America. They don’t trust the politicians and ‘if it’s not broke, don’t fix it’ - that sort of attitude is very strong,” Julian McCrann, from the market research firm Roy Morgan, said.

The survey was conducted just a few days after the accession of King Charles III to the throne.

British Airways has cancelled one in seven flights on Monday to ensure the skies above London are quiet during Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, reports our Chief Business Correspondent Oliver Gill.

Some 100 short-haul services have been axed following detailed discussions with Heathrow airport. The national flag carrier typically operates around 700 flights a day from Britain’s busiest airport.

Passengers affected will be contacted and offered the opportunity to rebook their flight with BA or another airline, or opt for a refund.

The BA cancellations are part of a wider operation to ensure events are not overshadowed by planes flying over the capital.

You can read Oliver's report in full here.

The Portuguese government has declared three days of national mourning to honour the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The mourning period will span September 18-20, covering the day of her funeral on Monday September 19.

"Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland profoundly marked the second half of the 20th century and the first quarter of the 21st century," the Council of Ministers said in a statement.  

"Thus, in this moment of prolonged and deep mourning in our oldest ally, the Government understands to declare national mourning on the 18th, 19th and 20th of September 2022."

"The decree of three days of national mourning is a “just tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II," the statement added.

MPs are expected to return to the Commons on Thursday next week after the Queen's mourning period, a parliamentary business paper shows.

They will then be asked to sit a day longer before going into their conference break so Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng can set out his mini-budget on September 23.

The note says MPs will consider a motion proposing the Commons returns from the conference recess early, on October 11.

Huw Edwards, Kirsty Young and David Dimbleby are among the presenters who will anchor the BBC's TV coverage of the Queen's funeral, the broadcaster has announced.

Their special programming covering the historic day on September 19 will air from 8am until 5pm on BBC One and iPlayer, with BSL signed coverage on BBC Two.

The coverage will follow key events including the funeral service at Westminster Abbey, the procession escorting the late monarch through London to Wellington Arch and then on to Windsor Castle, and the committal service at St George's Chapel.

Edwards and Fergal Keane will be reporting from London while Young and Dimbleby will be stationed in Windsor.

For radio audiences, a special programme presented by Martha Kearney will capture the key events in London and Windsor.

Justin Trudeau said the Queen "embraced her role" as Canada's monarch and had felt at home in the country - particularly enjoying being able to speak her impeccable French.

"Her conversations with me were always candid, we talked about anything and everything, she gave her best advice on a range of issues, she was always curious, engaged and thoughtful," he said.

Canadians "feel like they have lost a family member who grew up alongside us".

The Canadian Prime Minister said: "The Queen had a profound appreciation for our culture.

"In 1964, she said that she was happy to know that there existed in our Commonwealth a place where it was expected of her that she would speak officially in French.

"It's a language that she loved a lot and that she spoke impeccably well."

The crowd of visitors to Buckingham Palace has been steadily growing throughout Thursday.

Mourners have been taking photos in front of the gates - which are empty of flowers, with visitors instructed to instead place floral tributes in nearby Green Park.

As well as mourners and tourists, the crowd also includes several pets who have accompanied their owners on their journeys into central London.

Molly, a German Shepherd who was brought from south-west London by her owner Phillie Lynch, is one such furry visitor to the Palace.

Ms Lynch, 66, said she brought Molly while she pays her respects to the Queen because "I don't like to be away from her for too long".

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has led tributes to the Queen in a special session of the House of Commons in Ottawa, saying she was "the only sovereign that most of us have ever known" and "her sudden absence has struck us all palpably and profoundly".

Mr Trudeau, whose father was also a Canadian prime minister, said he first met the Queen when he was a child.

"I was extraordinarily fortunate to have known Her Majesty throughout my life. The first time I met her was in 1977 when I was just a little boy.

"When I would meet with her as Prime Minister almost four decades later in 2015, I joked that the last time that we had met she had been taller than me - she responded with a quip about my making her feel old.

"Her sense of humour was one of her many great qualities and one of the many reasons why she was one of my favourite people in the world."

Will Bolton is outside Westminster Hall for us, for some alternative queue news.

Dedicated mourners have already begun setting up camp outside Westminster Hall in preparation for when the Queen's coffin is moved on Monday. 

Mary-Jane Willows, 68, from Cornwall and her friend Angie Hart, 51, from Canada, arrived on Thursday afternoon ready to spend the next four nights camped out on the streets of London.

Mrs Hart admitted she had booked a five star hotel room as backup that was currently lying empty while she sat in a child's fold up chair in Parliament Square.  "I had to bring a small chair because it fitted in my luggage easier. At least it has princesses on it," she said. 

The pair, who first met at the Platinum Jubilee, have plenty of "fruit and cereal bars" to get through the next three days but would rely on the help of friendly strangers for coffee and hot drinks. 

Mrs Willows said: "We had to decide between doing this or going in and seeing the Queen's coffin. Hopefully this way we will see her going past and feel the atmosphere a bit more. We will be here the entire time. By day five you might not want to stand too close to us though." 

The pair brought with them two bivvy bags, supplied by Mrs Willow's son who is in the armed forces, as sleeping bags and tents are not allowed.

Mrs Willow continued: "The hardest part is not washing, although Angie does have a hotel room sitting spare that's the crazy part. It's plush, that's all you have to say. It's a lot of stars, the most stars you can get." 

A police officer warned them they may well be moved on overnight but the pair were undeterred. Mrs Willow said she inherited her love of the royal family from her mother a long royalist. "Coming down here, being here for so long, it is closure for us," she said.

A 72-year-old man from West Bromwich who uses a walking stick said it was “horrible” trying to keep up with able bodied queuers.

He said he would have joined the accessible queue if he had been aware of it.

He said: “It wasn’t publicised. I certainly haven’t heard of it myself.

“I don’t use the internet. It’s not really good enough. They could have probably put I in the paper because I certainly read the papers all the while and I haven’t heard anything.

“It would probably have been an better idea if they did.”

Speaking past the half way point of the queue, he explained bottlenecks meant some sections had queuers walking at a sustained fast pace.

“We are all in the same boat, we are all sad,” he said.

“On the embankment it was a mad rush to catch up with the others and that was a bit horrible to be honest.

“It was just continual fast paced walking.”

Among the many mourners at Buckingham Palace are tourists who happened to be in London on holiday.

Twins Nicole and Nathalie Nojszewski arrived in London from Canada on the day the Queen died last week.

Nicole, 23, said: "We wanted to come to Buckingham Palace to pay our respects. She was such a dignified lady.

"A lot of people still looked up to her with Canada being in the Commonwealth."

Cheryl Discher, 73, on holiday from Austin in Texas, US, also took the opportunity to visit Buckingham Palace.

Ms Discher said: "I just happened to be here in this time of history.

"So, I think it's fitting and right that I pay respect for the Queen who has led her country for 70 years."

It might only be marginal, but the queue appears to be slowly shrinking. 

An hour ago it was 4.4 miles long.

But now it is 4.2 miles long. 

It still stretches all the way to Bermondsey Beach along the Thames, and will take you roughly 9 hours and 27 minutes to get to the front.

Heathrow Airport has announced it will stop all flights for 15 minutes before the two-minute national silence on Monday, until 15 minutes after it has finished.

Flights will also be grounded during the arrival of the funeral cortege and procession at Windsor Castle, and diverted around the castle to minimise noise during the private family service on Monday night.

Around 15% of Heathrow's schedule for Monday will be disrupted.

A Heathrow spokesman said: "Heathrow, Nats (the air traffic control provider) and airlines are supporting the ceremonial aspects for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral at Westminster Abbey and the committal service at Windsor Castle on Monday September 19 2022.

"As a mark of respect, operations to and from the airport will be subject to appropriate changes in order to avoid noise disruption at certain locations at specific times on Monday."

Nearly 200 key workers and volunteers recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours list have been invited to attend the Queen's state funeral, Downing Street has said.

The group of people who received honours in June are to join royals and world leaders in Westminster Abbey - the historic church which can hold about 2,000 people - at 11am on Monday.

The Prime Minister's official spokesperson said: "I can confirm that among the guests who have been invited to attend will be almost 200 people who were recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours this year, that was in June.

"These individuals drawn from across the UK were recognised for their extraordinary contributions in areas including the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, people who volunteered in their communities, charity workers and those who work in healthcare, education and the wider public sector".

The UK chief commissioner of the Scouts said the mood among the crowds waiting to pay their respects was "friendly and poignant".

Carl Hankinson, who is among volunteers to monitor the queue to Westminster Hall, said Scouts had been "on their feet 12 hours" a day to help ensure the smooth running of admissions.

He said there was "no expectation" among Scouts that they would later be allowed to skip the queue to pay their own respects, but that they were "very keen" to be able to visit the coffin.

Mr Hankinson said: "(The crowd atmosphere) is poignant, very quiet and respectful - some people are tired, of course, but, generally, a great atmosphere."

The Scout, who once met the Queen at a garden party, said: "She was fantastic in every way - she was interested in Scouts, she was conversational, very encouraging and very supportive of young people."

The Princess of Wales told mourners the Royal family were “sticking together”, writes Eleanor Steafel from Sandringham.

Jill Clinton, 63, said: “Catherine said to me that as a family - and I did wonder what she meant by this - that they’re all sticking together and sharing each other’s grief and helping each other cope.”

Katie Ward, 42, said the Princess said she and her husband were keen to ensure the children had as "normal" a week as possible amid the frenzy. 

"They said they're trying to make sure the children remain as normal in their lives with school and things as possible."

The back of queue now stretches back to Bermondsey. 

It is currently around 4.4 miles long. 

Jane Wells, who had come to lay flowers, revealed William had admitted following his The Queen’s coffin had reminded him of his mum’s funeral.

She said: “He told us yesterday (Weds) had been particularly difficult and following the coffin had reminded him of his mother’s funeral, of Diana.

“He said it had been very difficult.”

Another crowd member told the emotional Prince she was close to tears, to which he replied: “Don’t cry now - you’ll start me.”

The British public are showing a "great response" by queueing in large numbers to pay their respects to the Queen, Downing Street has said.

Prime Minister Liz Truss's spokesperson said: "The people of the United Kingdom are demonstrating not only respect for each other in queuing in such a responsible way and showing sort of a great response to this situation."

He said there are "large numbers of people on hand to help" and that it is "great to see everyone pitching in".

Ms Truss has no plans to visit Westminster Hall for the lying in state again, after witnessing it on Wednesday, the official said. She also has no plans to speak to people in the queue.

Organised tours of the Royal Courts of Justice complex in central London have been halted during the period of national morning, a spokesman for HM Courts & Tribunals Service said on Thursday.

A sign announcing the move has been posted at the entrance to the complex.

After the service the Queen's coffin will be returned to the gun carriage by the bearer party and a procession will travel to Wellington Arch at Hyde Park.

The King and the royal party will take up their same places behind the coffin as when they escorted it to the Abbey, while the Queen Consort and Princess of Wales will travel to the site by car as will the Duchess of Sussex and Countess of Wessex.

The route will be lined by the Armed Forces from Westminster Abbey to the top of Constitution Hill at the Commonwealth Memorial Gates.

The Procession is formed of seven groups, each supported by a service band. Mounties from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police will lead, immediately followed by representatives of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, NHS, along with detachments from the Armed Forces of the Commonwealth.

At Wellington Arch the royal family will watch as the Queen's coffin is transferred to the new state hearse, whose details the Queen approved, before it begins its journey to Windsor Castle.

The Prime Minister will meet a small proportion of world leaders attending London for the Queen's funeral.

It is understood those meetings will be held between the country mansion of Chevening House and Downing Street over the weekend.

The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman said on Thursday that Downing Street could not yet confirm which world leaders Liz Truss will be meeting.

The Queen's coffin will be carried during the procession to Westminster Abbey on a 123-year-old gun carriage towed by 98 Royal Navy sailors in a tradition dating back to the funeral of Queen Victoria.

On the day of Victoria's funeral in 1901, her coffin was to be carried on the gun carriage through the streets of Windsor but in the bitter cold of that February day, the horses which were going to pull it panicked and reared up, threatening to topple the coffin off the carriage.

Captain Prince Louis of Battenberg - the future First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy - intervened and suggested to the new monarch, Edward VII, that the senior service should step in.

Once this was agreed, the horses were unharnessed and improvised ropes were attached to the gun carriage, which weighs 3,000kg (2.5 tonnes), and the team of sailors was brought in to ensure the coffin was carried safely for the rest of the route.

The procession will arrive at the west gate of Westminster Abbey at 10.52am when the bearer party will lift the coffin from the gun carriage and carry it into the Abbey for the state funeral service, the Earl Marshal said.

The service will begin at 11am and will be conducted by the Dean of Westminster.

The Prime Minister and the Secretary General of the Commonwealth will read Lessons, while the Archbishop of York, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and the Free Churches Moderator will say prayers.

The sermon will be given by the Archbishop of Canterbury who will also give the commendation, while the Dean will pronounce the blessing.

At around 11.55am the Last Post will sound, followed by two minutes of silence to be observed in the Abbey and throughout the UK.

Reveille, the national anthem and a lament played by the Queen's piper will bring the state funeral service to an end at around 12 noon.

The bearer party will then lift the coffin from the catafalque and will move in procession through the Great West Door returning to the State Gun Carriage positioned outside the West Gate.

The coffin will be followed by the King and the Queen Consort, the Prince and Princess of Wales and members of the royal family who will walk in the procession to Wellington Arch.

A woman being pushed in a wheelchair was unaware she could have joined the accessible queue but said: “We don’t want to, I just want to join the queue", writes Berny Torre.

The young woman pushing her on the way to join the miles-long standard queue said they weren’t aware there was a shorter one for people with mobility issues.

The King will once again lead his family in marching behind the Queen's coffin when it is moved, at 10.44am on Monday, from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey for the Queen's funeral service.

As with the walk from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall yesterday (below), he will walk with the Princess Royal, Duke of York and Earl of Wessex and behind the quartet will be the Queen's grandsons Peter Phillips, Duke of Sussex and the Prince of Wales.

They will be followed by the late monarch's son-in-law Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke of Gloucester, the Queen's cousin, and her nephew the Earl of Snowdon.

The Queen's coffin will be carried during the procession on a 123-year-old gun carriage towed by 98 Royal Navy sailors in a tradition dating back to the funeral of Queen Victoria.

The Procession will be led by a massed Pipes & Drums of Scottish and Irish Regiments, the Brigade of Gurkhas, and the Royal Air Force - numbering 200 musicians.

At 8am the doors of Westminster Abbey will open for the congregation to begin taking their seats.

Heads of state and overseas government representatives, including foreign royal families, governors general and Realm prime ministers, will gather at the Royal Hospital Chelsea and "travel under collective arrangements" to the Abbey, the Earl Marshal said.

He added that other representatives of the Realms and the Commonwealth, the Orders of Chivalry including recipients of the Victoria Cross and George Cross, Government, Parliament, devolved Parliaments and Assemblies, the Church, and Her Majesty's Patronages will form the congregation, along with further representatives from law, emergency services, public servants and professions, and public representatives.

Members of the Royal family who are not processing from Westminster Hall will have arrived at the abbey and been escorted to their seats in the South Lantern.

The Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk, who is in overall charge of the ceremonial arrangements including the Queen's funeral, said: "The events of recent days are a reminder of the strength of our Constitution, a system of government, which in so many ways is the envy of the world.

"The Queen held a unique and timeless position in all our lives. This has been felt more keenly over the past few days as the world comes to terms with her demise.

"Her Majesty's passing has left many people across many continents with a profound sense of loss.

"The respect, admiration and affection in which the Queen was held, make our task both humbling and daunting. An honour and a great responsibility.

"It is our aim and belief that the state funeral and events of the next few days will unite people across the globe and resonate with people of all faiths, whilst fulfilling Her Majesty and her family's wishes to pay a fitting tribute to an extraordinary reign."

The Queen will be buried with the Duke of Edinburgh in King George VI's chapel in Windsor Castle in a private service at 7.30pm on Monday.

The King, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex will mount a 15-minute vigil around the Queen’s coffin as it lies in state at 7.30pm on Friday.

National Health Service staff will be given the honour of walking in front of Queen Elizabeth’s coffin as it begins its journey to Windsor after her funeral on Monday.

Doctors and nurses will form part of the procession as the coffin is taken on a gun carriage from Westminster Abbey to the Wellington Arch, in recognition of their work during the pandemic and beyond.

As fresh details of the funeral arrangements were released, Buckingham Palace also confirmed that the late Queen’s four children - the King, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex - will mount a family vigil over her coffin at 7.30pm on Friday in Westminster Hall.

• Read the full story here.

Two members of Liz Truss's Cabinet stood vigil at the Queen's coffin as she lies in state in Westminster Hall.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace stood solemnly in dark uniforms on Thursday at the raised platform on which the coffin rests.

Both men are members of the Royal Company of Archers, which functions as the sovereign's bodyguard in Scotland.

The unit also watched over the coffin while it was in St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh earlier in the week.After the Queen's death at Balmoral in Scotland, Mr Wallace said she had "dedicated her life to serving her nation".

Speaking about the Queen after her death was announced, Mr Jack said: "Her long reign was defined by hard work and dedicated public service, earning her the respect and devotion of her citizens."

The Queen's coffin is being guarded in Westminster Hall at all hours by units from the Sovereign's Bodyguard, the Household Division or Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London.

Broadcasters Tom Bradby and Julie Etchingham will host ITV's coverage of the Queen's funeral, the broadcaster has announced.

Their special programming will start at 9.30am and will cover the funeral service at Westminster Abbey and the mile-long military procession escorting the late monarch through London.

They will also track the Queen's final journey to Windsor and the committal service at St George's Chapel.

Evening News presenter Mary Nightingale will lead the reporting from Westminster Abbey, while Royal Editor Chris Ship will be in London and Windsor.

A group of MPs and peers sanctioned by China have expressed serious concerns about the Chinese Government being invited to the Queen's funeral.

Senior Tory MPs Tim Loughton and Sir Iain Duncan Smith wrote this week to the Commons Speaker and Lord Speaker, calling it "extraordinary" that Chinese representatives should have received an invitation.

The letter, also signed by crossbench peer Lord Alton and Labour peer Baroness Kennedy, says: "We are greatly concerned to hear that the Government of China has been invited to attend the state

funeral next week, despite other countries Russia, Belarus and Myanmar being excluded.

"Given that the United Kingdom Parliament has voted to recognise the genocide committed by the Chinese Government against the Uyghur people it is extraordinary that the architects of that genocide should be treated in any more favourable way than those countries who have been barred."

The Chinese Government is reportedly considering sending a delegation to the funeral on Monday in Westminster Abbey but is is unclear whether President Xi Jinping will attend.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are in Sandringham, greeting members of the public.

One visitor to Buckingham Palace was Kim Hamm, a 60-year-old American, who was last in London at the time of Diana, Princess of Wales' death in 1997.

She said the coincidence was "very, very strange", with her latest trip to the UK being booked over two years ago.

Ms Hamm, who lives in Kentucky, added that central London "definitely felt different" from the time of Diana's death: "People are quieter - it seemed like there was much more of an emotional outpouring for Diana, but this seems more subdued."

She added that she had also noticed "a much bigger presence of people" throughout the capital following the Queen's death.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Alister Jack, the Scottish Secretary, have just started their vigil over the late Queen's coffin, writes Simon Johnson.

Both UK Cabinet ministers are members of the Royal Company of Archers, the sovereign's bodyguard in Scotland, which also watched over the coffin while it lay this week in St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh.

They have just arrived in uniform to stand vigil in 20-minute stints until 6pm.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has performed a blessing on a 10-year-old girl who was queuing to see the Queen lying in state.

Eva Garcia, who was near the front of the line with her father, Juan Garcia, told PA the moment was "very special" to her.

Mr Garcia, 41, added: "We are Anglicans, my daughter has been baptised, and I was texting my wife outside the grounds saying that we were about to meet the Archbishop of Canterbury, one of the five holy sees, and she said, ask him for a blessing.

"Eva is our oldest and it was really amazing.

"To have a leader of the church pray for your child in that way, I was very emotional."

The family, originally from the US, moved to London two weeks ago.

Transport for London (TfL) said nearly 115,000 more Tube journeys were made to or from eight stations in the centre of the capital on Wednesday compared with the same day last week.

A total of 696,468 entries and exits were recorded at Charing Cross, Green Park, Hyde Park Corner, London Bridge, Piccadilly Circus, St James's Park, Victoria and Westminster stations on Wednesday.

That was up 20% on the total of 581,740 during the previous Tuesday.

The public have been invited to plant a tree for the late Queen after the King extended The Queen's Green Canopy (QGC) initiative.

The nationwide scheme created to mark the Platinum Jubilee, the QGC was due to conclude in December - the end of the Jubilee year.

However, as the official tree planting season in the United Kingdom is from October to March, the initiative will now be extended to include this full tree planting season, beginning in October 2022 and concluding in March 2023. 

• Read the full story here. 

A service at London Central Mosque sang the national anthem, God Save The King, in what organisers said was a first in a UK mosque since the Queen's death.

Organisers of the gathering to honour the life of the Queen and mark the accession of King Charles III, held in London's Regent's Park mosque, said it was the first time since the Queen's death that God Save The King has been sung in a UK mosque.

Our Political Editor Ben Riley-Smith has been to see the Queen lying in state. Here is his take.

The scene in Westminster Hall this morning was one of solemn silence, broken only by the shuffling of feet, on the first full day of Queen Elizabeth II's lying in state.

Many of those who entered at the top of the stone staircase, looking down into the cavernous space, the oldest part of Parliament, had been queuing along the Thames since before dawn.

The people in two lines approached the late Queen's coffin, which lies in the middle of the Hall raised above eye level by the catafalque, before invariably pausing once they reached that spot. 

Gazing up at the jewelled crown that sits on the coffin, at the eight Royal guards standing watch with heads bowed, at the ancient wooden beams beyond in the 1000-year-old hall, each mourner took a moment of contemplation. 

One woman with graying hair and a dark coat bowed before placing her right hand flat above her heart. Others made the sign of the cross or geneflected. Some clasped their hands, or held another's. 

Two bearded policemen in uniform, one with a black helmet tucked under an arm, faced the coffin and bowed deeply one after the other. 

There were children, huddled close to parents as they walked through in silence. There were veterans, some with medals pinned to lapels. Occasionally someone would raise a salute before walking on. 

Eyes were misted with tears. Some struggled to remain composed, biting a wobbling lip. Others dabbed away tears or wept quietly and freely.

There were no phones raised to photograph the occasion, in accordance with the rules. Instead, just a few minutes shared with the only Monarch many will have ever known. 

Moving along the carpeted pathway, the mourners approached the Hall's eastern exit. Some paused, turning back for a final look at the late Queen, before leaving into the morning light. 

If you're at the back of the queue right now, you can expect to reach the Queen's coffin in seven hours and 52 minutes' time. 

It's taking people roughly two hours and 15 minutes per mile at the moment. 

As of 11.15am, the queue was 3.5miles long.

JD Wetherspoon has said its central London, railway station and airport pubs will all remain open on Monday as the Queen's funeral takes place.

The pub giant said the majority of its venues will be shut for the funeral service, only opening for the day from about 1pm after the funeral takes place.

It is the latest hospitality company to confirm its opening plans for Monday September 19, which will be a public bank holiday.

A spokesman for the company said: "Pub company Wetherspoon is opening its pubs in central London, rail stations and airports and all of its hotels (hotels will be open for resident guests only) during normal trading hours from 8am until midnight on Monday September 19.

"The majority of its pubs will open later than usual, after the state funeral, at approximately 1pm and will remain open during normal trading hours after that."

Father Peter Walters and Pauline Allan, from Yorkshire, joined the queue at 1.20am to pay respects at Westminster Hall.

"There was a wonderful atmosphere, people were talking to one another quietly, sharing with one another, and there was even some laughter," Father Walters, a priest working in Colombia, said.

It was "immensely" worth the wait, he said, with the final experience "very personal" and different from viewing the coffin on the TV.

"The atmosphere in there was one of of absolute silence, great reverence, great respect and great reflection. It was really a very memorable experience.

"Everyone had the chance to pause - despite the queues, there was no great sense of rush."

"We had a good five minutes from entering to leaving, it was so slow and dignified," Ms Allan added.

Bernadette Christie, 68, flew into the UK on Wednesday from Canada and plans to camp outside on The Mall for a full week, leaving two days after the Queen's funeral takes place on Monday.

Ms Christie said she booked a flight to London from the Canadian province of Alberta two minutes after the Queen's death was announced last week.

She added: "Thirty-six hours of no sleep and here I am. It's crazy but it's worth it.

"The weather is similar to Alberta, everything is cold and damp."

Ms Christie said that she wanted to show her respect to the Queen by camping outside Buckingham Palace in the colours of the Canadian flag: "She was the only leader on the planet that everybody knew, she was a grandmother to all of us."

The Archbishop of Canterbury has described the Queen as "someone whose wisdom was remarkable" and said he was not at all surprised by the scale of the turnout for her lying in state.

While walking to meet mourners in the queue through The Victoria Tower Gardens in central London, Justin Welby added that he was feeling "hopeful" for the future.

Speaking about the Queen, the Archbishop told the PA news agency: "She was someone you could trust totally, completely and absolutely, whose wisdom was remarkable, whose experience - I was the seventh Archbishop of Canterbury who she would have known - who really understood things and who prayed."

When asked whether the turnout for the Queen's funeral might be even greater than the crowds seen for Pope John Paul II, he said: "It will be what it will be. We'll see."

On what the Queen's death means for the future of the nation, the archbishop said: "It means we will move seamlessly to another person who will demonstrate service for the country, and see their role not as over everyone, but to serve the country and the constitution."

The queue has now reached 3.1 miles long, as of 10am. 

It stretches beyond London Bridge, and the nearest landmark to the end of the queue is now HMS Belfast.

Our reporter Will Bolton is walking the queue for us.

Two friends who first met at Prince Louis’s Christening four years ago queued throughout the night to pay their respects at Westminster Hall.

Leah Mauder and Lindy Diaper were both tearful as they described seeing the late Queen lying at rest. Ms Mauder had flown from her home town of Halle in Germany for the funeral.

The 21-year-old said: “I love England so much I would live here if I could. I have just always admired the Royal Family and especially the Queen. She was an amazing woman. She was my role model and as soon as I heard the news I knew I would fly out. I was only able to get a flight for yesterday. I’m glad I came I but it was very emotional.

“Everyone in the queue was so kind and looked after each other.”

The pair first met at St James’s Palace for Prince Louis’ christening in 2018 where they got chatting and have been friends ever since.

They joined the queue at around 2am and waited for seven hours. 

Ms Diaper, 54, a reflexologist from Suffolk, also queued for the Queen mother’s funeral 20 years ago.

She said: We are very dedicated. there is whole a group of us from all the place that meet for the trooping of the colour. We are such royalists. We all met at various royal events over the years.

“The whole image of everyone having their heads bowed and her coffin there. It was completely silent. It was incredible. I didn’t expect it to have such a powerful effect. Seeing the coffin was so real and so final.”

Amy Harris, 34, described the atmosphere in Westminster Hall as "breathtaking".

Ms Harris, who travelled to London from Birmingham to join the queue at around 1am, said: "When you're able to go in and have a moment to look at it and reflect...

"The serenity of it - to be able to pay your respects in such a serene place, it's very peaceful."

James Cross, 65, who met Ms Harris in the queue, said: "It's just like the only person that's there is you.

"You walk in and you could hear a pin drop."

Three well-wishers who befriended each other during their eight-hour overnight wait to visit the Queen's coffin are going for a pint after finally making it to Westminster Hall.

Amy Harris, 34, and Matthew Edwards, 35, met James Cross, 65, after travelling to London from Birmingham to join the queue at around 1am.

They described a sense of "camaraderie" among the crowd, with people sharing snacks and drinks and "having a laugh".

Ms Harris said: "We were asking for directions and (James) said 'Follow me to the back of the queue'."

Mr Cross said: "Everyone in the queue was very friendly, chatting and having a laugh. It was really quite lovely."

Mr Edwards said: "Everyone was offering biscuits, drinks", adding that the trio are now planning to have a drink together to quench their thirst after the long wait.

French President Emmanuel Macron has said he will attend the Queen's funeral on Monday, and that he offered condolences to King Charles on the death of his mother in a phone call on Wednesday night.

In a series of tweets, French President Emmanuel Macron said: "In a phone conversation with His Majesty King Charles III last night, I expressed France's condolences on the death of his mother, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. I will attend the funeral in London on Monday.

"The ties between France and the United Kingdom are unbreakable. We will continue to strengthen them, following the path laid by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II."

If you're heading to see the Queen lying in state today, here's the Government's live tracker of the queue: 

More from Berny Torre.

Noting that Queen Elizabeth II had met with Boris Johnson and officially made Liz Truss PM 48 hours before she died, Bose added: “What a remarkable extraordinary woman, that tells you what service is.

“She was relentless in duty and dedication and she’s not just a monarch, not just a mother, not just a grandmother, she was an exceptional, extraordinary human being.

“We have so much to learn not only in the UK but the international community.”

Asked what kept her going while she waited in the queue, she said: “What kept me going was her strength of character, her responsibility, her devotion and commitment.

“When I was leaving my house I didn’t realise I was emotional but I cried there on the train station. I calmed down but going through and seeing the coffin gives you closure.

“You don’t believe it until you see it, so it gives you closure. It was cathartic, overpowering and overwhelming.

“(seeing her coffin) was emotional, heartbreaking but it means closure that she’s actually gone, she’s  actually left us, we will never see this in our lifetime.”

More from Berny Torre in the queue.

Bose Panama, 62, of Seven Kings, Essex, former lawyer and housing officer, spent some 30 hours queuing for the procession and to see the late queen lying in state in Westminster Hall.

She burst into tears as she got on the train to London but said seeing the coffin gave her closure, adding her efforts “pales into insignificance” compared to the monarch’s 70 years of service.

She said: “I got here at 6.45 yesterday morning, but that was for the procession.

“When it finished I went to join the other queue.

“I’m not exhausted because if you think of what her majesty has done for us - she’s given us 70 years of service, 70 years of legacy, 70 years of responsibility.

“She defined and epitomised ‘what is service’. She does pales whatever we do into insignificance.

“I felt my 30 hours to put in back to back pales in insignificance to 70 years of service.”

Rehearsals for procession of Her Majesty's coffin from Westminster Hall to Wellington Arch took place before sunrise on Thursday.

•  Read the full story here. 

When, earlier this week, the New York Times commissioned a piece criticising King Charles III, did anyone on that paper object? Did anyone demur: “Well his mother only died five days ago…”

Americans are overwhelmingly uncynical people, and their admiration for King Charles will surely accelerate now.

Read Celia Walden's full article here.

Parbatee and Bobby Manoo, originally from Trinidad and Tobago, said they had come to pay their respects to the Queen after her "long years of service not just to Britain but all of the Commonwealth".

Mr Parbatoo, 53, said: "We have a long history with the monarch. When I was a young chap, the Queen and Prince Philip visited in the early '80s and she passed just in front of our house, so we saw her probably twice or three times."

Mrs Parbatee, 48, said: "I think she has always been a constant and steady in her duty, responsibilities and how she has respected people."

When Sam Wilson's team at Stoke Fruit Farm planted more than a million cornflowers for the Platinum Jubilee celebration, they never thought that at the end of the harvest season the arrangement would still hold such significance. 

The flowers formed a Union Flag in the shape of a heart to mark the late Queen's 70 years on the throne. 

But now the farm on Hayling Island near Portsmouth has become an unlikely and poignant tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. 

Mr Wilson, who plays rugby for nearby Havant RFC, told The Telegraph: "We planted them in a heart shape with red, white and blue flowers not realising it would be a very sad end to a summer.

"As winter sets in, the flowers are beginning to fade, which makes us remember what we have is not here forever."

The farm has become incredibly popular in recent years owing to its summer sunflower fields, as people flock to the south coast to capture photographs in amongst the flowers. 

Annabel Squires, 44, gorilla keeper at Howletts zoo, of Canterbury, said: “I’m actually feeling fine. I think there’s a kind of buzz, it’s being part of history.

“My mum went to see Winston Churchill’s and she said she went in the early hours. She was really pleased that I went.

“The queue was quite orderly and calm. There were no mad drunks running around. Everyone was being very British and staying in the queue.”

Our reporter Berny Torre is in the queue for us.

Catherine Deans, 44, charity managing director, of Buckden, Cambridgeshire, said: “We started at 11.30 last night. It was very moving, very special.

“It was breathtaking, it literally took your breath away.

“You turn a corner at the steps and suddenly you just see the whole picture and I think it just strikes you, the size of the hall, the size of the coffin.

“It makes it real, it brings it home, that she’s gone.”

She added: “It was really spontaneous at nine o’clock, we were ‘should we do it?’. Honestly we thought we’d be done by three but it doesn’t matter.

(The queue) It’s been really subdued.

“We made a lot of friends. It’s been really respectful. I think it was the tone of the night time.”

King's Counsel will take part in a wreath-laying following the death of the Queen.

Senior barristers, now known as KCs instead of QCs after the proclamation of the King, have been invited to dress in robes and court mourning attire, and gather outside the Old Bailey before walking to Gray's Inn Chapel for the ceremony.

Anne, accompanied by her husband, Sir Tim Laurence, will visit Glasgow City Chambers to meet representatives of organisations of which the Queen was patron.

Edward and Sophie will travel to Manchester, where they will light a candle in memory of the Queen at the city's cathedral.

They will also view the floral tributes in St Ann's Square and view the book of condolence at Manchester's Central Library.

William and Kate will travel to Sandringham to view floral tributes left at the estate by members of the public.

Thousands of people have visited the Norfolk estate to pay their respects, with tributes having piled up by the Norwich Gates to Sandringham House since news of the Queen's death was announced last Thursday.

The King will have a private day of reflection on Thursday and is not expected to attend any public events.

He is expected to remain at his Highgrove House in Gloucestershire.

In the detailed planning for the aftermath of the Queen's death - known as "London Bridge" - a day was set aside at this point for the new monarch to have some time away from public duties.

The period will allow Charles to pause, but it is understood he will be working in preparation for his new role and will already be receiving his red boxes of state papers.

The lying in state continues its 24-hour access for members of the public.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to continue queuing before walking past the coffin, which sits raised on a catafalque and is draped in the Royal Standard, with the Orb and Sceptre placed on top.

It continues to be guarded at all hours by units from the Sovereign's Bodyguard, the Household Division or Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London.

Metropolitan Police officers, volunteers and stewards are managing the queue, while toilets and water fountains have been provided at various points along the route.

A wristband system is being used to manage the queue, with those waiting in line given a coloured and numbered wristband.

Thursday is D-Day +6, or D+6, in the plans marking the Queen's death.

Over the next couple of posts, we'll bring you a timeline of events expected to take place over the next 24 hours.

Labour MP Chris Bryant said the accession of the King feels like "an enormous changing of the seasons".

He said the reception of the Queen's coffin in Westminster Hall on Wednesday was "really moving".

On the King's appearance in Parliament on Monday, he said: "It's very strange, isn't it? I instinctively always call him, still, Prince Charles. Your mind has to make an accommodation to it.

"It feels, I think, like an enormous changing of the seasons."

Reflecting on the Queen's reign, he said: "One thing I referred to in my tribute to Her Majesty was one of the things that has changed dramatically in her lifetime - under her reign, is the way gay couples are seen and the fact that I was able to enter a civil partnership.

"So being able to see that enormous change, I think... some people have referred to her as the rock on which modern Britain was founded. I understand what they mean. It's not how I saw it. I saw her more as a sturdy oak that knew how to bend in the wind. And I think that's a really important principle for monarchy - being able to bend in the wind to accommodate the world as it changes."

Under Waterloo Bridge, the British Film Institute has set up a big screen showing clips from documentaries about the Queen's life to those waiting in the queue.

The queue itself is moving at around 0.5 miles per hour.

The queue to view the Queen's lying in state has shortened overnight, reaching Blackfriars Bridge.

However, a steady stream of people continue to join the line along London's South Bank as the day begins.

At 7am, the queue was approximately two miles long.

The Duchess of Sussex will not attend a celebratory US women's event, at which she is set to be honoured, out of respect for the late Queen.

Meghan was selected alongside other high-profile women, including Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey and Malala, as part of US outlet Variety's Power of Women event.

The honourees will feature on the cover of the publication's Power of Women special edition, with an event taking place on Wednesday September 28.

"Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, was chosen as one of one of this year's stellar honorees," Variety said.

"The Duchess' cover will be postponed to a later date, out of respect for the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

"Similarly, she will not attend the Power of Women event in Los Angeles later this month."

For six long days, they have carried their grief with dignity. It is now time for us, a nation in mourning, to take over, writes Royal Editor Hannah Furness.

Members of the Royal family, who less than a week ago learned of the death of their mother, grandmother and great-grandmother in Balmoral, have passed her coffin from their care to the public, as the greatest lying in state in living memory begins.

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II - which had been accompanied by her daughter from Scotland to Buckingham Palace, where her wider family gathered around - was moved to Westminster Hall on Wednesday.

Read the full story here

The BBC on Thursday suspended its live stream of the Queen's lying in state in Westminster Hall after a guard appeared to faint and fall as he watched over her coffin.

The footage, shared on social media, shows the uniformed guard stumble to his right twice, before regaining his balance.

Moments later, the guard falls forward from the red podium onto the floor, after which a number of officials and police officers rush to his aid.

Read the full story here

• Members of the Royal family have passed Queen Elizabeth's coffin from their care to the public, as the greatest lying in state in living memory begins
• From Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, crowds gathered to show just how much Her Majesty meant to them
• Royalty, politicians and military attended Westminster Hall for the lying in state and ceremonial duties before doors opened to the nation
• Reunited with the royals publicly for the first time since she suggested her mere existence had "upset the hierarchy", the Duchess of Sussex paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II by wearing jewellery given to her by the late monarch
• Gordon Brown and the Scottish Secretary are deeply unhappy at the BBC for “politicising” its coverage of Queen Elizabeth’s death in Scotland by introducing unrelated speculation about independence
• Queen Elizabeth II’s personal aides, some of whom had served her for decades, received letters warning them of redundancy within days of her death, The Telegraph understands
• Every recipient of the Victoria Cross and George Cross still alive has been invited to attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral on Monday