Britain's Queen Elizabeth II "died peacefully" on Thursday, Sept. 8, at Balmoral Castle, the British royal family's estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, according to a statement from Buckingham Palace. She was 96.
Elizabeth was Britain's longest-reigning monarch. She ascended to the throne in 1952 and, in June, celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years as queen.
David Beckham queuing to pay respect to the Queen on Sept. 16, 2022.
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He told a reporter that his grandparents raised him to be a fan of the royal family.
As for the range of people waiting for hours in line, Beckham said there was an 84-year-old woman and a 90-year-old man.
"Everyone wants to be here and be a part of this experience and celebrate what Her Majesty has done for us," he said.
A digital sign displays information about queueing time as members of the public stand in the queue, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London on Sept. 16, 2022.
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He lined up at 2 a.m. and waited over 12 hours before passing the queen's coffin.
David Beckham leaves after paying his respects to Queen Elizabeth lying in state, following her death, in London, Sept. 16, 2022.
Tom Nicholson/Reuters
Sep 16, 2022, 9:25 AM EDT
King says Prince of Wales title 'was a privilege'
King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, are in Wales on Friday to meet with leaders and members of the public.
Britain's Camilla, Queen Consort, receives a bouquet of flowers from Keira Hillbert after attending a Service of Prayer and Reflection for the life of Queen Elizabeth II, at St. Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff, Wales, Sept. 16, 2022.
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Camilla, Queen Consort waves as she and King Charles visit Llandaff Cathedral for Wales' National Service of Prayer and Reflection in Cardiff, Wales, Sept. 16, 2022.
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To the Welsh leaders, the king said, "Through all the years of her reign, the land of Wales could not have been closer to my mother’s heart."
"It was a privilege to be Prince of Wales for so long," Charles said. “Now my son, William, will bear the title. He has a deep love for Wales."
"I take up my new duties with immense gratitude for the privilege of having been able to serve as Prince of Wales," he said. "That ancient title, dating from the time of those great Welsh rulers, like Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, whose memory is still rightly honoured, I now pass to my son, William, whose love for this corner of the Earth is made all the greater by the years he himself has spent here."
Sep 16, 2022, 8:10 AM EDT
What to expect Friday
Queen Elizabeth’s casket will lie in state throughout the day to allow the public to pay respects.
King Charles and his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, are in Wales to meet with leaders and the public.
King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort leave after a Service of Prayer and Reflection for the life of Queen Elizabeth II, at Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff, Wales, Sept. 16, 2022.
Frank Augstein/POOL via AP
William, the Prince of Wales, and his wife Kate, the Princess of Wales, will be out later in the day in Surrey to thank troops from the Commonwealth who have arrived in the United Kingdom to take part in Monday's funeral.
King Charles will return to London later on Friday and hold an audience with faith leaders at Buckingham Palace.
Then, Queen Elizabeth’s children -- King Charles, Princess Anne and Princes Andrew and Edward -- will hold vigil at Westminster Hall, where Queen Elizabeth is lying in state.
Members of the public look at flowers and tributes left in Green Park in London on Sept. 15, 2022.
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Sep 16, 2022, 5:18 AM EDT
UK government says line to view queen lying in state is currently full
The British government has said that nobody may join the line to view the queen lying in state at Westminster Hall for at least six hours because the queue is full.
People queue in front of Westminster and Big Ben to pay their respect to the late Queen Elizabeth II during the Lying-in State, in Westminster Hall in London, Sept. 15, 2022.
Martin Meissner/AP
At the moment, the line is over 5 miles long, the longest it has been so far since people started queueing on Wednesday. The estimated wait time in line is approximately 14 hours and it stretches all the way out to Southwark Park.