Beckham queues to see Queen’s coffin

Former England football captain David Beckham said it was “very emotional” to pay his last respects to Queen Elizabeth II on Friday after he queued for hours through the night to file past her coffin.

The ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid star stood among the tens of thousands of people snaking through London towards Westminster Hall to say farewell to Britain’s longest-serving monarch.

Queen Elizabeth’s coffin is lying in state at Westminster Hall ahead of her funeral on Monday, and people are queueing for many hours to pay their respects to the monarch.

Beckham, 47, was seen wearing a dark suit and tie as he eventually filed past the late sovereign’s coffin.

He stood with his hands behind his back, bowed his head towards the catafalque, then bit his lip before leaving Westminster Hall.

“It’s very emotional, and the silence and the feeling in the room is very hard to explain,” the football icon told reporters after filing past the coffin. “We’re all there to say thanks to Her Majesty for being kind, for being caring, for being reassuring throughout the years.” – AFP