Mourners warned they face 3-mile overnight queues and 12-hour wait to see Queen lying in state

Government has set out guidelines on how people should behave when they are paying their respects to the Queen

Mourners coming to London from across the country to pay their respects to the Queen as she lies in state have been warned there are likely to be exceptionally long queues and wait times.

The Queen’s coffin will lie in state in Westminster Hall from Wednesday until the day of her funeral next Monday.

Huge crowds turned out to see the Queen’s coffin arrive in Edinburgh on Sunday (PA Wire)

Initially, it was estimated that 40,000 people a day would turn up to pay their respects but now Whitehall chiefs in charge of logistics for the historic five-night vigil have said that they are expecting close to one million people in total – similar to the numbers who filed past the late Pope John Paul II when he lay in state in Rome in 2005.

The government has set out guidelines on how people should behave when they are paying their respects to the Queen, with guidelines on what to wear inside the Palace of Westminster.

Mourners are asked to “dress appropriately for the occasion to pay your respects”. Clothes with any kind of “political or offensive slogans” are banned.

“Please respect the dignity of this event and behave appropriately. You should remain silent while inside the Palace of Westminster,” it said.

There were two hour long queues just to get to Buckingham Palace on Sunday (PA Wire)

Mourners will be able to find portable loos and water stations along the way towards Westminster Hall from Wednesday.

The Queen’s coffin will be flown to London on 13 September and will then be at rest at Buckingham Palace.

A rehearsal for the procession of the coffin from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster will be held.

The late monarch’s lying in state in Westminster Hall opens to the public at 5pm on Wednesday (Steve Parsons/PA) (PA Wire)

There will be airport-style security checks for those who want to pay their respects. Flowers, candles, flags, photos, blankets, folding chairs and camping equipment are all banned, authorities have said. Only one small bag is permitted per person.

The starting point for the queue for mourners will be a park next to Tower Bridge. The queue will then move the length of the South Bank of the Thames, passing London Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge, the Globe Theatre, Tate Modern and the London Eye.

The government said in its guidance that “the queue is expected to be very long. You will need to stand for many hours, possibly overnight, with very little opportunity to sit down, as the queue will keep moving”.

It added: “Please consider this before you decide to attend or bring children with you.”