A couple from Kent were among the first to say goodbye to the Queen while she is lying in state at Westminster Hall in London.

Members of the public were able to pay their respects to the late monarch from 5pm today after her coffin was taken to the hall from Buckingham Palace.

Among them were Valerie Prebble, 68, and her partner Neil Emberley, 67, from near Maidstone.

Mr Emberley, dressed in his Scout leader uniform, said it was “very emotional for someone that we’ve known all our lives and also she’s a patron of the Scouts, so I had to come and pay my respects”.

They both admitted to shedding a few tears but said the queue had been sociable and they had met several people, including Moya O'Shea.

Ms O'Shea added: "We will never see anything like this again in our lifetimes, and certainly not with the person who served as a sovereign for so long and did it so well.”

Thousands of people from across the UK and the world queued up for hours to see the coffin, some arriving as early as Monday to get in line on Albert Embankment.

The largely black-clad crowd were solemn and pensive as they began to flow into the ancient hall where chandeliers and spotlights illuminated the scene beneath the medieval timber roof.

Visitors had just a few short minutes to take in the coffin guarded by four beefeaters and six soldiers of the Household Cavalry.

As hundreds of ordinary people of all ages filed past the coffin of the long-reigning monarch, many wiped their eyes with tissues.

Some bowed, some curtsied and some simply took a moment to look at the extraordinary scene.

An estimated 400,000 people are expected to make the journey to see the Queen lie in state.

Those hoping to make the journey are warned the queue will be lengthy, and some people could be waiting through the night.

Visitors are advised to click here for advice on where to go, the length of the wait and what they can carry into Westminster Hall before they travel.

The Queen will lie in state until her funeral until Monday, with the public admitted 24 hours a day.