In the 22-hour-long queue to see Queen Elizabeth’s coffin at Westminster Abbey, a familiar face stood out amongst the many thousands: David Beckham. The world-famous soccer star, according to reports, joined the line at two in the morning and patiently waited throughout the day in order to pay his respects to the late monarch.
Pictures show Beckham wearing a black cap and a simple back suit with a matching tie as he approached the cathedral. Why join the line? To mourn and reflect amidst community. “We all want to experience something where we celebrate the amazing life of our Queen,” Beckham, who was awarded an OBE in 2003, told reporters. “You know something like this today is meant to be shared together.”
When Beckham did reach Westminster Abbey, he appeared visibly emotional by the sight of the Queen draped in the Universal Standard Flag.
The queue has become a poignant cultural phenomenon in the United Kingdom—a physical representation of how the Queen meant so much to so many. More than 750,000 people are expected to have filed through Westminster Hall by Monday, according to the BBC. (At any given moment, even the live stream of the line has thousands of views.) Although police are present, it has been a remarkably orderly and respectful crowd.
Mourners will be able to visit Westminster Abbey until 6:30 a.m. on Monday, September 19—the day of the Queen’s funeral. The solemn event is expected to draw even more political figures and famous faces from around the world, from U.S. President Joe Biden to France’s President Emmanuel Macron. Representatives from most of the European royal families will also attend.
Until then, the queue will carry on through the day, night, warmth, cold, and rain.
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