Spectators take places early for funeral procession

The first spectators are already arriving to make sure of their places on the route along which the Queen Mother's coffin will be borne from St James's Palace to Westminster Hall.

Thousands of people are expected to line the route, but a dedicated few are in place many hours before the start of the solemn procession to claim prime vantage spots.

Mick Davids, 58, from Shere, near Guildford, Surrey, UK, who spent the night on the pavement outside St James's Palace, said: "I am proud to say I am a royalist and I wanted to be in a good place to give the Queen Mum a proper send-off.

"She represented the end of an era. It's the end of a great woman's life. In my opinion she was responsible for helping to keep the royal family together."

Outside Clarence House and St James's Palace, the carpet of floral tributes from well-wishers has grown steadily since the Queen Mother's death.

Spectators arriving early for the procession took the opportunity to inspect the flowers and read some of the messages.

Further up The Mall, the statue of King George VI - the Queen Mother's beloved Bertie - gleamed in the half light. The 12ft bronze statue had been polished in readiness for the procession, which will be beamed across the globe by more than 100 cameras.

A huge area of the capital has been closed to traffic to allow the procession to make its way across London. The organisers have urged would-be spectators and others to use public transport.

Hundreds of police officers are scheduled to be on duty for the procession. Teams of officers, some with sniffer dogs, have carried out security sweeps along the route.