Youf there is one thing British people excel at, it’s standing in a line. They did so in an effort to be able to offer their last respects to Queen Elizabeth II. Her coffin will remain in place at the Palace of Westminster, central London, until Monday morning, Sept. 19, when she will be cremated.
TIME spoke to many people along the River Thames. It is only a twenty-minute walk from the parliament building. spanning several miles. Some people saw it as a way to remember the one monarch they’ve ever loved. It was a chance to see British history in action.
The last time someone in Britain lay in state, a ceremonial tradition in which a closed coffin is placed in public view for mourners to pay their respects, was for Queen Elizabeth II’s mother, the Queen Mother, in 2002. The last time Britain mourned a sovereign was in 1952 after the death of Queen Elizabeth II’s father, King George VI.
In London, on September 14, 2022 in London the Queen Elizabeth II coffin is laid to repose in Westminster Hall for The Lying in State.
Dan Kitwood–Getty Images
“It’s a moment in history,” says Jane, 65, who had been waiting in line since 11 a.m., six hours before the public viewing of the Queen’s coffin began. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. So we keep queueing.”
Unlike many of the somber ceremonies that have taken place in the aftermath of the Queen’s death, the atmosphere among those waiting in line was, in some ways, a more festive affair. Many made “queue friends” with those standing beside them, while others broke out board games and snacks to help pass the time. “People are just happy to be here and happy to share this moment in history,” says Sadie Hamilton, a 21-year-old history student who joined the line at 11 a.m. with a bouquet of flowers in hand. After several days of mourning Queen Elizabeth II’s death, this felt “more so [like] a celebration of her life.”
Learn more What To Know About Queen Elizabeth II’s Lying in State
“This is so British it’s unbelievable,” Nigel Farage, the right-wing British politician and arch-Brexiteer, marveled between TV appearances.
Still, there are many for whom the last several days have been difficult—not just on an emotional level, but one a spiritual one, too. In addition to being the country’s head of state, Queen Elizabeth II was also the spiritual head of the Anglican Church, a role that now falls to her son, King Charles III. Among the volunteers scattered across the queueing route was a group sporting reflective vests with the words “faith team” printed across their backs. Harrie Cedar, a Jewish chaplain at Guy’s and St Thomas Hospital in London, tells TIME that she and her fellow faith advisers were there to help those for whom this event was a more difficult and lonely affair. “Most of the people seem to be in a very good mood,” says Cedar. “But we’ve had a few that haven’t been. And some people don’t realize they’re about to walk into a place where a coffin is.”
People queued up to see the Lying in-state Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster, before the facility is opened to the public. There are more than 1,000,000 expected people who will queue up to view the Lying in State of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Palace.
Hesther Ng–SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
British authorities are bracing for as many as 1 million people to visit Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin over the next four days—the majority of whom, it’s safely assumed, are fans of Britain’s constitutional monarchy. Not everyone who stood in line was an avowed monarchist. Many simply respected Elizabeth II’s long reign. “I was a big fan of the Queen—not necessarily as a monarch, but as a person,” says Patrick Whelan, a 20-year-old from Hampshire, in Southwest England. As he and his brother saw it, she gave 70 years of her life to the country’s service. “I think we can find some hours in our own day to come and pay our respects in return,” says Connor Whelen, 23.
But for Elizabeth Munsah, 50, who emigrated to Britain from Ghana more than 20 years ago, waiting to view the Queen’s coffin was about paying tribute to what she represented. “She is a special lady, uncontroversial—I can say nothing wrong about her,” says Mensah, who canceled her shift at work to join the line at the first available opportunity. “We have a King now. “The King will be passed on to another King. So I don’t know when we’ll have a Queen again. This makes her special.”
Continue reading: The Future of British Monarchy is More Uncertain than Ever
Of course, not everyone views the monarchy as positively in Britain. Some have even been arrested for protesting events marking Queen Elizabeth II’s death. For many Britons she was more than a monarchy institution. Her presence was constant throughout their lives. She served as a beacon of stability for them and a refuge from national turmoil. In her death, Britons have come together in ways they haven’t done in years.
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