The Last Person To See The Queen Lying-In-State Has Some Words For King Charles

Waiting in line for hours was worth it for Grant Murrell, who holds the dubious honor of being the last person to see the queen lying-in-state at Westminster Hall ahead of her funeral. "I'm too exhilarated to be exhausted," Murrell told People. "This is something I'll never forget to my dying day. Walking all night is a small price to pay." 

The coffin was available for public viewing for four days, with the streets of London making history as scores of mourners descended upon the capital city to pay their respects. According to certain reports, there were people waiting for 24 hours straight to get a glimpse at Her Majesty's coffin. In fact, per BBC News, the demand grew to be too much, resulting in the line being closed for seven hours.

A familiar famous face was spotted in the queue to see the queen lying-in-state as soccer star David Beckham waited alongside the commoners. "We all want to be here together, we all want to experience something where we celebrate the amazing life of our queen and I think something like this today is meant to be shared together," he said. 

Murrell echoed the soccer star's words, telling People that Her Majesty has been "a guiding hand" throughout his life. The motivational speaker enthused, "This is clearly a moment in time you'll never forget. All the pivotal times in my life have been associated with her and this is the culmination."

Regarding the ascension of King Charles III to the throne, Murrell seemed to have mixed feelings. "There'll be a change with Charles for better or for worse, but a change," he said. "The vast majority of people who are alive today have only ever known her as the queen."