�* today �*today as are with the royal family today as they grieve on a personal level and 'oin they grieve on a personal level and join them _ they grieve on a personal level and join them in — they grieve on a personal level and join them in mourning as a nation. in her_ join them in mourning as a nation. in her final— join them in mourning as a nation. in her final speech to this chamber, the late _ in her final speech to this chamber, the late queen said, it is often said _ the late queen said, it is often said that — the late queen said, it is often said that it is people that make a place. _ said that it is people that make a place. and — said that it is people that make a place, and there are few places where — place, and there are few places where this— place, and there are few places where this is truer than in scotland. but i think we can also see that — scotland. but i think we can also see that the queen shaped modern scotland _ see that the queen shaped modern scotland during her 70 year reign, and we _ scotland during her 70 year reign, and we know that the bonds and ties to scotland, developed and strengthened by the late monarch will be _ strengthened by the late monarch will be continued by king charles iii. will be continued by king charles "l you, — will be continued by king charles iii. you, sir, became the first to accede — iii. you, sir, became the first to accede to — iii. you, sir, became the first to accede to the throne while on scottish— accede to the throne while on scottish soil in over 400 years. you have _ scottish soil in over 400 years. you have already — scottish soil in over 400 years. you have already served scotland as duke of rothesay, duke of edinburgh, lord of rothesay, duke of edinburgh, lord of the _ of rothesay, duke of edinburgh, lord of the isles, _ of rothesay, duke of edinburgh, lord of the isles, and i know that people across— of the isles, and i know that people across the _ of the isles, and i know that people across the country will show you the same _ across the country will show you the same support and devotion as they

did your— same support and devotion as they did your late mother. because today we don't _ did your late mother. because today we don'tjust did your late mother. because today we don't just commemorate did your late mother. because today we don'tjust commemorate the reign of our— we don'tjust commemorate the reign of our queen but also celebrate the life of— of our queen but also celebrate the life of a _ of our queen but also celebrate the life of a woman who many in scotland knew and _ life of a woman who many in scotland knew and loved, who dedicated her life to _ knew and loved, who dedicated her life to her— knew and loved, who dedicated her life to her country, to duty and to serving _ life to her country, to duty and to serving others. on behalf of the scottish— serving others. on behalf of the scottish conservatives i am proud to support— scottish conservatives i am proud to surrport the — scottish conservatives i am proud to support the motion of condolence today, _ support the motion of condolence today, to — support the motion of condolence today, to thank queen elizabeth ii for her— today, to thank queen elizabeth ii for her long, loyal and dignified service, — for her long, loyal and dignified service, and to offer our full suaport_ service, and to offer our full support and loyalty to our new king. may her— support and loyalty to our new king. may her late majesty queen elizabeth ii rest in _ may her late majesty queen elizabeth ii rest in glorious and eternal peace, — ii rest in glorious and eternal peace, and from all of us, sir, god save _ peace, and from all of us, sir, god save the _ peace, and from all of us, sir, god save the king. we peace, and from all of us, sir, god save the king-— peace, and from all of us, sir, god save the king. we will now go from anas sarwar- _ save the king. we will now go from anas sarwar. your _ save the king. we will now go from anas sarwar. your majesty, - save the king. we will now go from anas sarwar. your majesty, i - save the king. we will now go from anas sarwar. your majesty, i offerl anas sarwar. your ma'esty, i offer my sincerest h anas sarwar. your majesty, i offer my sincerest condolences - anas sarwar. your majesty, i offer my sincerest condolences on - anas sarwar. your majesty, i offer my sincerest condolences on the l my sincerest condolences on the passing of your beloved mother, and my thoughts remain with you, the queen consort, your sons, grandchildren and all the royal family at this time of deep sadness.

first and foremost, the queen was a mother, and i cannot imagine the intense feeling of personal loss you are experiencing. her majesty was a constant in our lives. many saw her as family. many saw theirfamily... she reminded me of my own grandmother, her walk, her demeanour, even the way she held her handbag. but she also touched generations. i returned home on thursday night to a crying six—year—old who said he was sad because he will never get to meet the queen. queen elizabeth ii was also a constant reminder of the need for kindness and compassion in our society. so often in our politics,

both today and through out history, we focus on what divides us, but from the blitz to the pandemic, the queen brought our nation together. she was the great unifier of our country. she broughtjoy at times of national pride, she brought comfort at times of national tragedy, and she brought light at our nation's darkest moments. we will never forget how her majesty the queen found the words during the pandemic to remind us all that we will meet our loved ones again — words which were more poignant than ever following the passing of her husband, prince philip, yourfather, who now rest in peace with his beloved lilibet. we know how much she loved scotland, and we loved her back. she reminded this parliament that despite our political disagreements and arguments, all of us here are in service of the scottish people, and her influence was felt far beyond these shores

come up with the people of the commonwealth and other nations united in grief at this time. our world changed beyond recognition during her reign, but her dedication to duty, her integrity, her warmth, and his service to others never wavered. in fact, and his service to others never wavered. infact, politicians and his service to others never wavered. in fact, politicians here and right around the world will look on enviously — in 70 years of service as our head of state, she always seemed to say the right thing, do the right thing, and at the right time. and i am confident, as we enter a new era, we will cherish your majesty's leadership and your wisdom, compassion, integrity and justice. timeless values passed down to you by your mother, but also gifted to us on our parliamentary... we wish you a long and happy reign. god save the king. i now: patrick harvie, co—leader of

the scottish— i now: patrick harvie, co—leader of the scottish green party. the experience — the scottish green party. the experience of _ the scottish green party. the experience of loss _ the scottish green party. tie: experience of loss is universal. it comes into all of our lives. it is a reminder that the reality of human life is not rooted in status or in title, but any connections we make, bonds of love and friendship, of family and of service to one another. people of all views can't respect this, whatever else we may disagree about, so in this moment, as we mark the death of the queen, i offer my party's sincere condolences to her son and all of his family, and to all of those whose lives she touched. but many people, the monarch stands as the symbol of a country. if this is true, then this is a moment, more than one of personal loss for those who we stand with in their grief, it is a time to reflect on the change the queen witnessed during such a long reign. when princess elizabeth of york became queen elizabeth ii, the uk was still early in its recovery from

a brutal world war and had begun laying the foundations of something extraordinary. a welfare state and eight national health service to tackle the evils of the age. nearly three decades of declining inequality followed. at the last coronation, the oath still referred to other countries as the positions of an empire, and here at home, human rights and equality were distant ideas. with racist discrimination remaining legal and people treated as criminals and outcasts because of their sexualities. now we can look back and celebrate extraordinary progressive change, even as we must continue to defend what has been achieved. there are those for whom the long reign of elizabeth ii, and indeed the institution of the monarchy, represent continuity, stability, permanence. but in truth, the tide of progress cannot be

halted. it feels slow as we live it day by day, but in time it is dramatic, so, presiding officer, as charles iii begins his reign, let us hope, indeed redouble our determination that he will have the opportunity to witness change just as transformational and more — it is still needed. i as transformational and more - it is still needed-— still needed. i now call on alex cole-hamilton, _ still needed. i now call on alex cole-hamilton, leader- still needed. i now call on alex cole-hamilton, leader of - still needed. i now call on alex cole-hamilton, leader of the l cole—hamilton, leader of the scottish— cole—hamilton, leader of the scottish liberal democrats. presiding officer, your majesty is, we do not choose the life to which we do not choose the life to which we are born, and seldom do we shape the events that define our times. we can only hope to move through life with humility and close regard for those around us, to conduct ourselves in the time that we are given with compassion, with kindness and grace. the life of her majesty queen elizabeth ii was a towering example of all of those qualities manifest in a single human being. she always kept a special place for

scotland in her heart, and she in turn found ample room in hers. her passing leaves a profound absence across our family of nations and these islands are united in our grief. her majesty came of age in the crucible of war, a period of gravest danger for our country. it fostered in her a deep commitment to reconciliation, 2—piece, and a common understanding so evident in her commitment to the commonwealth. it is why she told the listening world from cape town on the occasion of the 21st birthday broadcast that while she was away from the country of her birth, she was neverfar while she was away from the country of her birth, she was never far from home, and hence the grief we feel todayis home, and hence the grief we feel today is felt across the world. from the blitz to the pandemic, through times of tempest and times of calm, sustained as always by the duke of

edinburgh, her beloved strength and stay, she was the embodiment of constancy and forbearance in the face of remarkable change. she sat with presidents and hospital patients, key workers and veterans, she leapt from helicopters and dined with bears. she and the widespread affection that has been so visible in these days of mourning. in one christmas broadcast, her majesty's said, not all of us can do great things, but we can all do small things, but we can all do small things with great love. presiding officer, your majesties, the measure of her example inspired so many of us to fulfil the promise of those words. on behalf of the scottish liberal democrats, i express our deepest condolences to his majesty the king, to the royal family, and i affirm our allegiance to the words, god save the king. i affirm our allegiance to the words, god save the king.— god save the king. i now invite his ma'es god save the king. i now invite his majesty the _ god save the king. i now invite his majesty the king _ god save the king. i now invite his majesty the king to _ god save the king. i now invite his majesty the king to respond - god save the king. i now invite his majesty the king to respond to - god save the king. i now invite his| majesty the king to respond to the motion of condolence.—

motion of condolence. presiding officer, motion of condolence. presiding officer. first _ motion of condolence. presiding officer, first minister, _ motion of condolence. presiding officer, first minister, party - officer, first minister, party leaders and members of the scottish parliament. i know the scottish parliament and the people of scotland share with me a profound sense of grief at the death of my beloved mother. through all the years of her reign the queen found in the hills of this land and in the hearts of its people a haven and a home. my motherfelt in the hearts of its people a haven and a home. my mother felt as in the hearts of its people a haven and a home. my motherfelt as i do, the greatest admiration for the scottish people, for their magnificent achievements and their spirit. and it was the greatest comfort for her to know in turn the true affection in which she was

held. the knowledge of that deep and abiding bond must be to us the a solace as we mourn the end of a life of incomparable service. if i might para phrase the words of robert burns, my dear mother was the friend of man, the friend of truth and few hearts with hers with virtue formed and heads with knowledge formed. while still young the queen pledged herself to serve her country and her people and to maintain the principles of constitutional government. as we now mark with gratitude a promise most faithfully fulfilled, i'm determined with god's

help and with yours to follow that inspiring example. the title of duke of rothesay and the other scottish titles which i have had the honour to carry for so long, i now pass to my eldest son william, who i know will be as proud as i have been to bear the symbols of this ancient kingdom. i take up my new duties with thankfulness for all that scotland has given me, with resolve to seek always the welfare of our country and its people and with whole hearted trust in our good will and good counsel, as we take forward that task together.— that task together. thank you. thank ou, your that task together. thank you. thank you. your majesty- — that task together. thank you. thank you, your majesty. i— that task together. thank you. thank you, your majesty. i know _

that task together. thank you. thank you, your majesty. i know close - that task together. thank you. thank you, your majesty. i know close this | you, your majesty. i know close this meeting of the parliament. bagpipes play.

the piper signals the formal closing of this session of the scottish parliament, where the first minister and party leaders and members of parliament presented that motion of condolence on the death of her majesty the queen to the new king, king charles iii. he responded graciously and acknowledged the good wish and sympathy of the scottish parliament itself. a parliamentary chamber of course which is normally characterised by friction and argument and lively debate. but today a unanimous view, which was that the scottish people wanted convey their sympathy and their respect to king charles iii and note the remarkable life of service of

late queen, queen elizabeth ii. now sophie will be back at around 7.45 when the king and the duke of york and the earl of wessex and the princess royal will mount a vigil at st giles' in edinburgh, where they were stand at the coffin, leading the vigil that will continue for the next 24 hours. thank you for being us with. my thanks to all my guests today and we will leave you with some memorable images from today's very powerful. events. goodbye.

earlier in the day king charles made his first address as monarch to mp5 at westminster. she set an example of selfless duty, which, with god's help and your counsels, i am resolved faithfully to follow. we'll be looking at today's events as well as preparations ahead of next monday's state funeral. also on the programme this evening... ukrainian soldiers celebrate recapturing 20 towns and villages from russian troops in the space of 24 hours. commentator: england win a significant and poignant test match in so many ways. and england complete their remarkable summer, clinching the series with a nine—wicket victory over south africa. stay with us here on bbc news, where we will bring you continuing

coverage of events, plus analysis from our team of correspondents in the uk and around the world. good evening. members of the public in edinburgh have had the first chance to view queen elizabeth's coffin and pay their respects, ahead of her state funeral next monday. thousands of people lined the streets to watch the late queen as she was taken from the palace of holyroodhouse up the royal mile to st giles' cathedral, for a service of thanksgiving, honouring her life. king charles iii led the royal family in solemn procession behind his mother's coffin. the queen will now lie at rest in st giles' cathedral for 24 hours before being flown down to london. my colleague kirsty wark is there. this is a day when edinburgh and

scotland paid their respects to the queen. these various streets and the royal mile have witnessed centuries of royal history and today there was another chapter as st giles' bore witness to the memory of her long reign and perhaps it was a moving service with the crowd of scotland, used at the coronation, laid on the top of the coffin, a reminder of her duty and herfaith. he is a report on the day's events. this will be a reign finally attuned to the sensibilities of scotland and the distinctiveness of its institutions and traditions. the king returned today to a scotland that has been diverging from the rest of the uk politically for 40 years and where support for independence is as high as it has ever been, especially amongst the young. nicola sturgeon was at edinburgh

airport to greet him. she wants an independent scotland to retain the monarchy with king charles and his heirs on the scottish throne. as king, charles will have to keep his views on that prospect to himself. the principle of constitutional monarchy chimes with public opinion and there was no shortage of public affection for the new king as he progressed down the royal mile to his official residence. where the coffin of his late mother has been lying at rest. that the king has chosen to begin his reign with visits to edinburgh, belfast and cardiff is telling, it suggests that the future of the union is at the heart of his concerns. the early decades of his late mother's reign were characterised by the long, slow, contraction of british imperial power around the world. he will be alert to the possibility that his own reign could come to be defined by the continuation of that process here, and the eventual dissolution of the united kingdom itself. bagpipes play but all that is for another day.

a bearer party of the royal regiment of scotland brought the queen's coffin from holyroodhouse back into public view. for today, the eyes of the world intrude on private sorrow. as the queen's family subordinate their own grief to the imperatives of public ritual. queen elizabeth's four children walked behind their mother's hearse. briefly, an insult was shouted at the duke of york. andrew, you're a sick old man! it brought this reaction from an otherwise subdued crowd... god save the king! the royal mile of edinburgh is an ancient thoroughfare, steep in its progress towards st giles' cathedral, the historic high kirk of edinburgh where the queen had sometimes worshipped, not as head of the church, but simply as a member.

here, they placed on the coffin the crown of scotland, made in the 16th century for the queen's ancestorjames v. consider the quiet symbolism of it — it is a gesture towards the distinctive character of scotland's historic nationhood. the first lesson was read by the first minister. for everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven. a time to be born and a time to die. a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted. a time to kill and a time to heal. atime to a time to break down and a time to build up.

the queen's coffin will lie in rest here for 24—hours. members of the public will be admitted to file past and pay their respects. tomorrow, it will be taken to london to lie in state at westminster great hall for four days. in life, queen elizabeth was a powerful force for national cohesion. she came to embody a shared history and a common sense of identity. what will remain of that legacy, when this period of mourning is over, and she begins to recede into the middle distance of our collective memory? that question will be at the heart of the new reign that began when she died. after 23 years the scottish parliament is the centre of scottish political life and the king and

queen consort were led in by the king's bodyguard, and the presiding officer alison johnson welcomed them. fin officer alison johnson welcomed them. . ., officer alison johnson welcomed them. , . ., . , , ., them. on behalf of all members of them. on behalf of all members of the parliament _ them. on behalf of all members of the parliament in _ them. on behalf of all members of the parliament in scotland - them. on behalf of all members of the parliament in scotland i - them. on behalf of all members of the parliament in scotland i would| the parliament in scotland i would like to convey our sincere condolences to your majesty and the queen consort and to all members of the royal family. i would ask you to join me in two minutes' silence and please stand as you are able. thea;r please stand as you are able. they stood for two _ please stand as you are able. they stood for two minutes _ please stand as you are able. they stood for two minutes to _ please stand as you are able. they stood for two minutes to remember the late queen. there is a pro—independence majority in this chamber and how the new king engages with that constituency of opinion in scotland will help to shape the early years of his reign. allan little, bbc news, edinburgh. tens of thousands of people lined the streets of edinburgh today. and

they are still here today in great numbers. some had been since six this morning and i spoke to the crowd, a section not longer than ten metres, and the roll call of where there were from was quite extraordinary — new zealand, brazil, sri lanka, chicago and closer to home from preston, haddington, argyll and aberdeen. one shouted out to me she was "elizabeth the great." when i asked them what their overriding sentiment was — the word most often repeated was "constancy". our scotland editorjames cook has been speaking to people who came to the royal mile to pay their respects. in the heart of edinburgh this afternoon, an ancient ritual in the modern age. this nation changed beyond measure in the time of elizabeth, and now there is a sense of a country at a crossroads. we've lost a good leader, who served her country well, 96 years, and worked right up until two days before she passed. what do you think of the new king? i've got mixed views on the king. i think he's got big shoes to fill.

i'm here because it is a historical moment, for all british citizens and people who live here, so i feel it is very important, because she was a big part of our history. why are you here today? because i'm a proud patriot of my own country. i think the monarchy holds a place, to the whole tradition, you know what i mean? and pride that i feel is going out the window, you know what i mean? there are not a lot of patriots left in britain and scotland any more. what do you think of the new king? i think he will be a great king. i hope that he brings some more modern things. things like the environment, what the king represents and what he's been doing with the prince, i'd like him to bring that, with the royal family, and look forward to seeing it. in 1953, when the queen first came here as monarch,

these streets were packed. they are thronged again today — there is clear support for elizabeth here. but what does this tell us about the future of this country? edinburgh - queen elizabeth's northern capital prepares - to greet her majesty. from the start, the queen clearly felt a deep affinity for scotland and its place in the uk. at her silverjubilee in 1977, she publicly stressed what she called the benefits of union, but in recent times, support for independence has surged. if the union, with scotland in particular, but also the united kingdom as we know it, is to be preserved, then the monarch has a role to play and one that will almost... well, will obviously want to try and maintain what has been there for centuries. how does support for the monarchy in scotland break down by party?

yes, so there's clear differences. if you're talking to people who tend to support the conservative party, support is in the high 70s. if you're talking to people who support the liberal democrats and labour, the support is in the 605. but if you are talking to people who support the snp, support is much lower, in the high 20s. and yet, the snp is in favour of the monarchy, even if they achieve an independent scotland? yes, there is a distinction between what the party leadership has said and what supporters of independence actually want, and there you find more tepid support for the monarchy. not here, though. not from this crowd. james cook, bbc news, edinburgh. in the last half an hour king charles iii has addressed the scottish parliament for the first time in his reign. mr; scottish parliament for the first time in his reign.— scottish parliament for the first time in his reign. my mother felt as i do the greatest _ time in his reign. my mother felt as i do the greatest admiration - time in his reign. my mother felt as i do the greatest admiration for- time in his reign. my mother felt as i do the greatest admiration for the |

i do the greatest admiration for the scottish people, for their magnificent achievements and their indomitable spirit. and it was the greatest comfort for her to know in turn the true affection in which she was held. the knowledge of that deep and abiding bond must be to us a solace as we mourn the end of a life of incomparable service. in solace as we mourn the end of a life of incomparable service.— of incomparable service. in the last ten minutes— of incomparable service. in the last ten minutes people _ of incomparable service. in the last ten minutes people have _ of incomparable service. in the last ten minutes people have begun - of incomparable service. in the last ten minutes people have begun to| ten minutes people have begun to file into st giles' cathedral as part of the vigil to view the coffin of queen elizabeth ii. she is lying at rest with the scottish standard on top and then the crown of scotland at the head. this vigil will carry on for the next 23 hours and then she will leave edinburgh at three o'clock tomorrow afternoon and i think people will be travelling in and out of st giles' all through the

night. we can see now that we have had people with special mobility issues, as more people begin to file income are paying their respects, not staying long, but they are also praying behind the coffin, and there are also children, taken in to see this extraordinary time in our history. st giles' cathedral, a beautiful cathedral at the heart of edinburgh, and many people wishing to pay their respects, people from all over the world, notjust scotland, but people from many countries which i talked about earlier. this evening, members of the royal family will attend a vigil. for any family, there are obligations and arrangements that inevitably

accompany a bereavement. for the royal family, it's a thousandfold. and this is a family that not only lost their mother and grandmother, but also with the death of prince philip last year, a father and grandfather, too. tomorrow, the royal family takes its leave of scotland and the queen's coffin moves to buckingham palace. back to you, fiona. kirsty, thank you. earlier today king charles visited the uk parliament for the first time since taking the throne. along with the queen consort, the king heard messages of condolence from both houses in the ancient westminster hall, before delivering his response. our royal correspondent nicholas witchell reports on the king's visit to parliament. to westminster hall, the ancient building which has been at the centre of british history for a thousand years. the setting over the centuries for moments of national significance, for celebration and sorrow.

the setting today for britain's parliamentarians, from the house of commons and house of lords, to come together to pay tribute to a past monarch and to greet a new one. fanfare the speaker of the house of commons, so lindsay hoyle, spoke about the nation's loss. it is a loss to all of us, but we know, most of all, it is a loss to you, your majesty, and to the royal family. the king spoke of his new responsibilities. as i stand before you today, i cannot help but feel the weight of history which surrounds us and which reminds us of the vital parliamentary traditions to which members of both houses dedicate yourselves

with such personal commitment for the betterment of us all. ten years ago, the late queen had addressed parliamentarians in westminster hall during her diamond jubilee. she had spoken about the long span of british history. i have been privileged to witness some of that history, and with the support of my family, re—dedicate myself to the service of our great country and its people. now and in the years to come. today, the late queen's son committed himself to follow her example. her late majesty pledged herself to serve her country and her people, and to maintain the precious principles of constitutional government which lie at the heart of our nation. this vow she kept with unsurpassed devotion.

she set an example of selfless duty which, with god's help and your counsels, i am resolved faithfully to follow. the parliamentarians sang the national anthem, sung now for the king, charles iii. nicholas witchell, bbc news. the northern ireland assembly has been meeting to pay tributes to the queen. the first party leader to speak in the stormont chamber was michelle o'neill of sinn fein — she described the late monarch as "a great and courageous leader". the king will carry out a number of engagements in northern ireland tomorrow as part of the new monarch's programme of visits across the uk. as we've been hearing, the queen will lie at rest tonight at st giles' cathedral in edinburgh. tomorrow, her coffin will be moved from there to edinburgh airport, then by plane to raf northolt and on to london, where the queen will spend a final night at buckingham palace. on wednesday afternoon,

the queen's coffin will travel from buckingham palace to the palace of westminster. crowds will be able to watch as the cortege makes the journey through central london. thursday marks the first of four full days that the queen's body will lie in state in westminster hall. hundreds of thousands of members of the public are expected to pay their respects. on sunday evening, a minute's silence will be held across the uk at 8pm. and on monday the queen's lying in state will end, and the coffin will be taken in procession to westminster abbey for the state funeral, which is a bank holiday in the uk. details have been revealed about how people can attend the queen's lying—in—state. large crowds are expected and there are warnings people may have to wait for hours, or even overnight. our special correspondent lucy manning has more details on the preparations in london. if you can measure love and respect in flowers, in people, then this is quite a statement.

london's green park now the park of many colours. the powerful scent of flowers hanging in the air. but however many are here now, will be dwarfed by the numbers who will stand in a very british way for hours and hours through the days and nights to file past the queen's coffin. people who make it to westminster hall where the queen's body will lie in state have been told to expect very long queues. the fear is they could last up to 24 hours and mourners have been warned they may have to wait overnight. if the lines are too long they could be paused so that people are unable to join. people have been asked to dress respectfully, no flowers, cameras or filming allowed. camping out on the mall on saturday, maria from newcastle plans to stay for the lying in state and funeral. she gave 70 years of service to us and this is the least i could do

to pay my respects to the queen. she did it so much for us as a country. so i have got to do it. i feel that is my duty to do it. vanessa hopes to be the first in the queue. home, a bench on lambeth bridge, until they open the doors. i want to see the last goodbye. it is very sad but i wanted to make sure i will be part of it and start queueing up from today as i heard the queues are going to be very long. more details on the route for the queue are due shortly but it is likely to begin near a park by tower bridge and travel a couple of miles up the thames, passing the london eye at the palace of westminster, then across lambeth bridge. amanda and moira came to lay flowers. but hope to return for the lying in state. it is once—in—a—lifetime and you just want to be part of it. are you prepared to be in those watt

are going to be very long queues? are you prepared to be in those what are going to be very long queues? there is the thing. we are made of strong stuff so we will put it to the test. yes, we will give it a go. laughter but there are some predictions that crowds could reach up to a million in the coming days. we put a little note to say - thank you for all that she's done. do you think you are going to come down for the lying in state with the family? i don't think we will because i think it will be a bit too busy for the kids. i think that is why we came down today because it is nice and relaxing today, like the calm before the storm, before it gets really busy. it will be an enormous operation for the transport system and the police — the met�*s commissioner on his first day in the job. it's a massive challenge for the metropolitan police and for me personally, but we have been preparing for many, many years. the ceremony will soon be replaced with simplicity as the quiet walk past the queen's coffin begins. lucy manning, bbc news.