‘Sorry for the wait:’ Prince William and King Charles apologise to mourners in surprise visit to Queen queue

The King and Prince of Wales met people waiting in the queue for Queen Elizabeth II’s lying in state at Westminster Hall.

Hundreds of people in line at Lambeth, south London, cheered and applauded as King Charles and Prince William emerged.

Tired mourners shook hands with the King and said “we love you” while others were especially emotional breaking down in tears as he approached.

Visitors shouted “God save the King” as he moved down the queue as Prince William apologised to mourners for the long wait. Several people cried after meeting him, and one woman told him: “You'll be a brilliant king one day”.

As the King and new Prince of Wales left the crowd after the brief visit, mourners shouted an impromptu “three cheers for the King” bringing the crowd of hundreds into a roar.

Mourners have waited through the night facing cold conditions to view Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin. According to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, visitors can expect to wait up to 16 hours in the five-mile queue which stretches back to Southwark Park.

The visit comes after former England captain David Beckham waited 12 hours through the night to view the Queen’s coffin among other celebrities including Susanna Reid.

On Friday evening King Charles held a 15-minute vigil in front of the late monarch’s coffin alongside his siblings ahead of the Queen’s grandchildren performing the tribute tonight. It will see Prince Harry wearing military uniform for the first time since the Queen died.

The Duke of Sussex has worn civilian dress at all official events following the death of his grandmother, since he is no longer a working royal.

The 38-year-old was dressed in a morning suit on Wednesday as he walked behind the late monarch’s coffin with his relatives, most of whom wore military uniform.

The restriction prompted outrage from some commentators, who noted that the prince had served in the army for a decade and had completed two tours in Afghanistan.

Earlier this week, Prince William’s younger brother sought to quell such criticism by saying everyone’s focus should be on his grandmother’s life rather than on what he was wearing.

The warm reception at the queue will be welcomed by the new King who was heckled while greeting mourners in Wales. However, the King was brought to laughter when a well-wisher gave him a pen after he was filmed having a mishap with a leaky pen which left his fingers covered in ink.

King Charles graciously accepted the pen, looked down at it and laughed. The crowd then started clapping and joined in the laughter.

The monarch is known to carry his own fountain pen for when he is frequently called on to sign visitors’ books.

At Llandaff Cathedral in Wales, where the King and Queen Consort went on Friday for a prayer and reflection service for the late Queen, he took his own pen and signed the visitors’ book in the cathedral before passing his pen and the book to his wife.