Hundreds of people have queued outside Windsor Castle to see the Queen ’s final resting place as it reopens to the public.
Queen Elizabeth II has been buried with the Duke of Edinburgh in the royal vault of St George's Chapel, alongside the remains of her mother, father and sister.
Last weekend, Buckingham Palace released a picture of the ledger stone showing where the family are buried.
Today, people have the chance to pay their final respects to the monarch as the castle reopens following her death.
Anne Daley, 65, from Cardiff, and Grace Gogharg, from Ghana but living in London, were the first people in the queue, having arrived at Windsor Castle at 7.30am.
Ms Daley said: “The castle feels empty, gloomy. Nobody’s living in it. You know, you’ve lost the Queen, you’ve lost the Duke, you lost the corgis.
“It’s like when you’ve sold your house and all the history is gone.”
“My father was in the Irish Guards and he did the coronation. So I had an interest from when I was a little girl.”
Ms Gogharg added: “I am from the Commonwealth so I knew the Queen before I came here.
“She did a good job as head of the Commonwealth. She was a good woman and a good mother. Everybody loves her.”
The pair, who became friends at the unveiling of the Diana, Princess of Wales statue outside Kensington Palace in July 2021, were also among the first people to see the Queen lying-in-state in Westminster Hall.
Darren Martin from near Melbourne in Australia, was the next person in the queue and had travelled to the UK two weeks ago because of the Queen’s death.
The 43-year-old said: “I arrived in time to do the queue and camped out for the funeral. I’ve driven all the way to Balmoral, Holyroodhouse and Sandringham.
“I then had a little bit of a holiday in Sussex and Cornwall. I’ve come here today for my final send-off before I go back home.
“She was somebody that I admired very much for her service, everything that she did and everything she stood for.
“My grandparents liked the Royal Family. My grandmother reminded me of the Queen.
"As a child I fantasised about my own grandmother being the Queen and that stood with me throughout my life.”
“It’s been quite an emotional experience coming back, but I think it was just something I felt really deeply and strongly about doing.
“It wouldn’t have been the same just sitting at home watching everything on TV. I felt strongly enough to be here in person.”
The new stone laid for the Queen now reads George VI 1895-1952, Elizabeth 1900-2002 followed by a metal Garter Star, and then Elizabeth II 1926-2022 and Philip 1921-2021.
More than 250,000 queued to see the Queen lying-in-state earlier this month.
