Gateshead woman camps out in the Mall ahead of Queen's funeral

A woman who is camping out in the Mall more than a week before the Queen's funeral says it is "her duty".

Maria Scott, from Gateshead, has joined others sleeping in tents about 100 yards (91m) from the Victoria Memorial next to Buckingham Palace, ahead of the funeral on Monday.

She said she had never seen scenes like it before, with thousands of people laying flowers in Green Park.

Ms Scott said the atmosphere at the barriers was "quiet and wonderful".

She said she expected more friends from the United States and Portugal to travel to London to join the community of campers over the next few days.

"We always said when the Queen passed we'd do the full 10 days of mourning in the capital, I'm a huge monarchist and admire the Royal Family so I just wanted to be here," Ms Scott said.

"The Queen gave 70 years of service to us and it's the least I could do, I had to pay my respects, she did so much for us as a country and I feel I have to do it, it's my duty to do it."

Ms Scott, from Rowlands Gill, said she had hoped to join the queue at Westminster Hall to view the Queen's coffin where it will lie in state from Wednesday until the funeral, but she was now reluctant to leave her place on the Mall.

She said she had earlier been able to watch an early-morning rehearsal for the procession of the Queen's coffin being taken from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster on Wednesday afternoon.

"At the moment it's disbelief and I'm a bit numb as it doesn't seem real - it's really hard to get your head around," Ms Scott said.

"I was sitting last night awaiting for the rehearsal and all you could smell in the air was flowers.

"It's unbelievable, I've never seen scenes like this - even with Princess Diana.

"I just can't believe we're here again so recently after the Jubilee."

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