If there is one thing British people excel at, it’s standing in a line.
And thousands of them are in the hopes of getting the chance to pay their final respects to Queen Elizabeth II, whose coffin will lie in state in central London until the morning of her funeral on Monday, Sept. 19.
Many of the people who spoke to TIME had been waiting upwards of five hours along a path spanning several miles. For some, it was a chance to pay their respects to the only monarch they have ever known. For others, it was an opportunity to experience British history firsthand.
“It’s a moment in history,” says Jane, 65. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. So we keep queueing.”
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.
But not everyone in Britain views the monarchy in such a positive light, of course. Read more at the link in our bio. Photograph by Aaron Chown—PA Images/@gettyimages
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