King Charles and Prince William have made an unannounced appearance to greet those waiting to view the Queen in the state.
They praised people who had waited all night, with the Prince of Wales telling a young girl, “You’re halfway there.”
William also expressed how much the long line meant to his family.
Referring to the night’s chilly temperatures, the King told one, “I hope you didn’t get too cold.”
God Save the King, God Save the Prince of Wales, and hip hop hooray was heard as the pair moved through the line.
The current wait time is approximately 16.5 hours, and the line stretches five miles along the Thames River to Southwark Park.
One woman in the line informed the Prince of Wales that she had been waiting in line for 13 hours. He responded: “Thirteen and a half hours? You look quite fine after thirteen hours.”
Those waiting in Lambeth, south London, assured the couple that the wait was “worth it,” but William expressed regret for the lengthy wait.
The prince remarked to one individual in line that their sneakers were an excellent choice of footwear for the line.
After meeting Prince William, several individuals shed tears, and one woman told him, “You’ll be a magnificent king one day.”
King Charles departed approximately twenty minutes after his arrival and was driven back to Buckingham Palace, but his son remained longer to speak with additional individuals.
The Prince of Wales, the Duke of Sussex, and their cousins will stand guard around the Queen’s coffin on Saturday evening, a day after their parents held their vigil at the Palace of Westminster.
The King has permitted Prince Harry to wear a military uniform.
During the vigil, Harry will stand at the coffin’s foot, while William will stand at its head. Their cousin’s Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Lady Louisa Windsor, and Viscount Severn will join them.
Saturday is the third full day that the Queen’s casket will lay in state at Westminster Hall, where she will remain until the funeral on Monday morning.
Anyone wishing to pay their respects has until Monday at 06:30 BST, when the viewing concludes; her funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey at 11:00.
She will be interred alongside the Duke of Edinburgh in the Royal Vault of St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle following the funeral.
Police apprehended a guy who left the line of mourners inside Westminster Hall and approached the coffin late on Friday night. He was arrested and taken into detention under the Public Order Act.
