By Ben Kerrigan-
The King and Queen Consort have arrived at Buckingham Palace ahead of the procession to Westminster Hall where the Queen will lie in state.
Thousands of well-wishers lined The Mall cheering the royal couple as the state Rolls-Royce dropped him off at the Palace.
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The crowds are a reflection of a nation time of grief and respect for the only monarch most Britons have known in their lifetime, whose death ends a 70-year reign
The King and his sons are preparing to walk behind the Queen’s coffin as she leaves Buckingham Palace for the final time.
Prince Harry and Markle travelled from Windsor Castle to join other members of the royal family, including Kate Middleton and Prince William, at Her Majesty’s residence in Westminster.
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The brothers have put their differences aside for this very sad and reflective moment in honour of their late grandmother who was much loved and revered globally.
Along with Camilla, the Queen Consort; the Queen’s children, including Princess Anne; her niece and nephew Lady Sarah Chatto and David Armstrong-Jones were also present.
The royal family will accompany Her Majesty on foot for the journey to Westminster Hall – where hundreds of thousands of people will be waiting to pay their respects after braving the queue for hours, with some having camped out overnight.
Anne’s son Peter Phillips and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence will also walk behind the procession, as well as the Duke of Gloucester and the Earl of Snowdon.
The Queen’s coffin will leave in procession from the palace at 2.22pm and is expected to arrive at Westminster Hall at 3pm.
A service lasting around 20 minutes will be led by the Archbishop of Canterbury accompanied by the Dean of Westminster.
Mourners will be able to file past the Queen’s coffin when her Lying in State opens to the public from 5pm, continuing until 6.30am on Monday, September 19 – the day of her funeral.
Officials expect the queue to stretch for about four miles along the River Thames, starting on the Albert Embankment by Lambeth Bridge and will continue along the South Bank to Southwark Park in Bermondsey, Southeast London.
In Edinburgh, an estimated 33,000 people filed in silent respect past her coffin as it lay for 24 hours at St. Giles’ Cathedral.
British Airways cancelled 16 flights as a result of the changes.
The airport said in a statement that the changes would “ensure silence over central London as the ceremonial procession moves from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall.”
Troops involved in the procession have been preparing since the queen died. So have the horses of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery.
The BBC will also be streaming the occasion for people who want to pay their respects virtually.
The service will be offered globally for those who want to pay their respects but cannot travel to London or are physically unable to queue. It will be available on the BBC home page, the BBC News website and app, the iPlayer, BBC Parliament and Red Button.
The stream will be available from 17:00 BST on Wednesday.
The government has issued strict guidance on how mourners should behave inside the Palace of Westminster and urged them to check the list of prohibited items to “plan ahead and prepare appropriately”.
There have been concerns that antimonarchy groups may try to disrupt the occasion, after a few protests and il advised conduct of the past few days have led to police arrests of those responsible.
Human Right groups have criticised police for allegedly being heavy handed, following arrests for breach of the peace.
They have cited freedom of speech, but members of this publication say the right to freedom of speech has been misplaced and does not apply to occasions of mourning.
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