There were shouts of "God save the King" and "hip hip hooray" as King Charles and Prince William unexpectedly came to visit mourners queueing to see the Queen lying in state.
Hundreds of people in line at Lambeth, south London, cheered and applauded as King Charles and The Prince of Wales Prince William emerged on Saturday afternoon, before the pair thanked those waiting to pay their respects to the late monarch at Westminster Hall. One woman offered the King condolences as he shook her hand, and another shouted: "I can't believe this."
Dozens shouted "hip hip hooray" as the royals moved down the line, stopping for a few moments with each person. Several people called their friends and relatives on the phone to tell them what they had just witnessed.
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Others also shouted "God save the King" and "God save the Prince of Wales" as each passed. William could be heard discussing how long people had waited and whether they were able to keep warm. Several people cried after meeting him, and one woman told him: "You'll be a brilliant king one day."
Meanwhile, the queue for the lying in state began to grow in Southwark Park, with a steady stream of mourners continuing to join the end of the line. The sign at the mouth of the queue told mourners it would be a 14-hour wait minimum.
The walkabout came after the King earlier thanked emergency service staff for their work during the mourning period. Charles met London's Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and was briefed by Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jane Connors and Commander Karen Findlay, who are leading police operations around London ahead of and during the funeral of the Queen.
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