David Beckham joins thousands queuing for over 12 hours to view the Queen Lying in State

David Beckham has joined thousands of mourners queuing to see the Queen lying in state in London.

Fans excitedly shared their images of the football star on social media as he waited for more than 10 hours to pay his respects in the queue to Westminster Hall.

"I was so lucky I was able to have a few moments in my life to be around Her Majesty," he told ITV News.

"A sad day but it's a day to remember the incredible legacy she left."

Dressed in a sombre black suit, navy coat and matching flat cap, the 47-year-old occasionally posed for selfies with fans.

"I grew up in a household of royalists and I was brought up that way," he explained.

The former England footballer said that he was there representing his late grandparents.

"I know that they would have wanted to be here, so I'm here on their behalf, and on behalf of my family," he said.

Discussing his interactions with the Queen throughout his career, the star said "it meant so much" to him and his England teammates whenever they sang "God Save Our Queen" at matches.

"Every time we stood there and we wore those Three Lion shirts and... we sang God Save our Queen, that was something that meant so much to us. It was something special."

"Probably the most special moment for me was receiving my OBE," he said. "I took my grandparents with me who were the ones that brought me up to be a huge royalist."

"I was so lucky to have a few moments like that in my life."

"This day was always going to be difficult," he added. "It's difficult for everyone around the world because I think everyone is feeling it."

The star began queuing at 2am when he thought it would be quieter but joked, "I was wrong, everybody had that in mind."

"Everybody wants to be here, to be part of this experience and celebrate what Her Majesty has done for us" he explained.

Earlier, queue member Jules Birkby had tweeted: “The Queue is now full of people trying to photograph David Beckham and forgetting to actually move onwards.

“It’s madness! I feel a bit sorry for him, but he’s taking it very well.

“It’s made me almost forget that we’ve been in The Queue almost TWELVE HOURS though.”

Among other celebrities spotted in the queue was TV presenter Susanna Reid.

The Good Morning Britain anchor, 51, attended the historic event on Thursday with her mother Sue, and said she had “experienced a moment in history”.

Detailing her experience on Twitter, she said: “Evening – along with my lovely mum and her very good friend, I have just experienced a moment in history – witnessing the Queen lying in state in Westminster Hall. At once majestic and peaceful.”

Her posts also shared tips for others in the queue, saying: “If you are planning to queue here are our tips. We joined at 1.23pm near Butlers Wharf and entered Westminster Hall at 8.43pm – 7 hours 20 mins. Wear the comfiest shoes you own. Go with someone if you can, although everyone in the queue was friendly.

“Don’t carry too much in a bag – water is freely available and there are lots of cafes along the route. Also plenty of toilets. I put my phone on low battery mode and it lasted the entire time.

“The first part of the queue is for wristbands. Ours were given out at Tower Bridge about an hour after we began queuing. There is no queue jumping – people waited patiently for wristbands and once you have one you can leave the queue for snacks/loo stops & slip back in.”

Reality TV star Sharon Osbourne was also seen among the thousands of mourners on Wednesday.

'It was wonderful to have her': Sharon Osbourne joins queues watching the Queen's coffin procession

Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby were also spotted at Westminster Hall as they paid their respects to the late monarch.

The presenting duo, who have been hosting special tribute editions of ITV’s This Morning to the late Queen this week, were dressed in black as they queued for the historic occasion.

On Friday, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport paused the queue to Westminster Hall for “at least six hours” after Southwark Park reached capacity, with the estimated queueing time for mourners having risen to at least 14 hours.

Some of those in the queue will witness the King, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex hold a 15-minute vigil around their mother’s coffin at around 7.30pm on Friday.

For those who are not able to attend in person, a continuous livestream of the Queen lying in state has been set up by a number of broadcasters including the BBC and ITV.

Thousands have tuned in to watch mourners file solemnly past the coffin to pay their respects.
Source: ITV News