Queen Elizabeth death: David Beckham queues for 12 hours to see beloved Queen

David Beckham has joined thousands of mourners queuing to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth.

The former England football captain joined the queue in London to see the coffin of the late British monarch, around 2am on Friday morning (1pm Friday NZT) and although he faced a mammoth wait, he felt compelled to sacrifice his time to say a personal farewell to the Queen, who presented him with an OBE back in 2003.

Speaking to Sky News, 12 hours after he joined the queue, Beckham - who was wearing a smart suit and tie and a flat cap - said: "This day was always going to be a difficult day.

David Beckham speaks to the media after leaving Westminster Palace where he paid respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II. Photo / AP

"Our thoughts are with the family, it's very special to hear all of the stories from people here.

"The most special moment for me was to receive my OBE. I took my grandparents with me who were huge royalists.

We spotted David Beckham queueing on London's South Bank to pay his respects to the Queen.

It was a long wait for the former England captain, who joined the crowd at 2am and waited for over 10 hours before he was let in to see the Queen.

It was a long wait for the pic.twitter.com/uTM7ldpkAV

— The Royal Family Channel (@RoyalFamilyITNP) September 16, 2022

"I was so lucky that I was able to have a few moments like that in my life to be around Her Majesty.

"It's a sad day, but a day to remember."

Beckham, 47, has been recognised by other mourners, and happily stopped for several selfies without much disruption to the flow of the queue.

In the wake of the Queen's death on September 8 at the age of 96, the former Manchester United midfielder took to Instagram to pay tribute to Her Majesty and her 70 years on the throne, and also offer his condolences to the royal family, which includes her son, King Charles III.

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A post shared by David Beckham (@davidbeckham)

Beckham wrote: "I'm truly saddened by the death of Her Majesty, the Queen. What an outpouring of love and respect we saw for the Platinum Jubilee for her life of service.

"How devastated we all feel today shows what she has meant to people in this country and around the world. How much she inspired us with her leadership.

"How she comforted us when times were tough. Until her last days she served her country with dignity and grace.

"This year she would have known how loved she was. My thoughts and prayers are with our Royal Family."

Currently, the queue to see Queen Elizabeth - who is lying in state in Westminster Hall - is closed because of the huge volume of people already in line.

David Beckham waited in line for over 12 hours to pay his respects to Queen Elizabeth. Photo / AP

Shortly before 10am on Friday (9pm Friday NZT) government officials released a statement informing members of the public they could not join the line at the moment.

A messaged shared by the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport stated: "Her Majesty the Queen's lying-in-state queue update, 9.50am, 16 Sept.

"Southwark Park has reached capacity. Entry will be paused for at least 6 hours. We are sorry for any inconvenience.

"Please do not attempt to join the queue until it re-opens.

"Check back for further updates."

David Beckham is surrounded media as he leaves Westminster Palace paying respect to the late Queen Elizabeth II during the Lying-in State, in Westminster Hall. Photo / AP

At 8am on Friday (7pm Friday NZT), the queue was more than 7km long, with an estimated wait time of 14 hours.

People began queuing to see the Queen's coffin on Monday evening (September 12) ahead of admittance on Wednesday (September 14) at 5pm (4am Thursday NZT).

In the early hours of Thursday morning (UKT), officials made the decision to have two queues inside the building filing past the coffin on two sides in order to reduce waiting times.

Members of the public wishing to pay their respects to the monarch have been warned they need to be in the queue by 12.30am on Monday (11.30pm Sunday NZT) in order to make it into Westminster Hall before it closes at 6.30am (5.3pm Monday NZT), just hours before the Queen's funeral is to take place.