Queen's lying in state: 'It is right to say goodbye'

People who have travelled to view the Queen's coffin while it lies in state have said they felt it was "right to say goodbye".

The Queen's coffin will stay at Westminster Hall in London until Monday, with people able to walk past 24 hours a day.

Some mourners queued from Tuesday night to get an early spot in the queue.

One said: "It's a moment in history I didn't want to miss."

Friends Mary Lock and Alison Lamont travelled from Norwich to see the Queen's coffin lie in state.

They queued overnight in the rain but said they felt a connection to her, partly due to her visits to Sandringham in Norfolk.

Ms Lock said: "I think for us it's a moment in history I didn't want to miss. We'll never have another Queen and I feel it's right to say goodbye."

Ms Lamont said: "I think it will be very emotional. It's a moment of reflection and a really poignant moment we'll never ever forget, as we won't forget her as a Queen.

"Our whole lifetime we've never known anything different than her being our Queen."

Talking to others standing in the queue, the pair said the focus had been on sharing memories of times they had seen the Queen or enjoyed being part of celebrations, like the jubilees.

Ms Lamont said she first saw the Queen when she was only two years old.

"I don't remember that but I have been to all the jubilees. I felt I needed to be here for this occasion too," she said.

Ian Sherwood, from Norfolk, has been queuing since 06:00 BST and felt the need to come as a "show of respect".

"I was lucky enough to see her on occasions at Sandringham. My wife and I have been to garden parties and I think people of our generation, of all generations, feel they had a connection with her.

"She gave a lifetime of devotion and service. To queue for a few hours or a day is something we felt we wanted to do."

Mr Sherwood also viewed the Queen Mother's coffin when it lay in state in 2002, which he said was "a very moving experience".

"To have that moment to say 'thank you' is important. It's certainly important to me.

"After a long life of service for the Queen, it is something you will want to feel you've been part of."

Helen, from Berkhamstead in Hertfordshire, joined her daughter Zara in the queue at 04:00 to make sure she was able to say her own goodbye.

She said: "I'm not really sure how I'm going to react. I've got plenty of tissues - I think they will be needed.

"I got upset looking at it in Scotland on the TV. I know it will affect me deeply and is something I will remember forever.

"I still can't quite believe it - sitting watching people go off to work and normal life is still going on, even though it seems like the end of the world, almost. It's such a monumental thing and such a surprise, it came so quickly."

The BBC is hosting a dedicated stream of the Queen lying in state, for people who want to pay their respects virtually.

What next? A day-by-day guide from now to the funeral

Waiting in line during the night: Why I wanted to see the Queen's coffin

What the Queen's lying-in-state will look like

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]