David Beckham, a legendary player for England’s national football team, paid his respects to Queen Elizabeth II on Friday afternoon after spending hours in line with other members of the public.
Around 3:25 p.m., the football star was spotted inside Westminster Hall, where the late monarch’s body is lying in state. More than 13 hours after being discovered in the line, it was Friday afternoon.
Beckham said he had been waiting for more than 12 hours while still in line earlier on Friday.
“We all want to be here together, we all want to experience something where we celebrate the amazing life of our Queen,” Beckham said.
“You know something like this today is meant to be shared together. So, you know the fact that we’ve been here. We’re eating Pringles. We’re eating Sherbet Lemons, sandwiches and coffee,” the football player continued.
Beckham told an ITV News reporter that he “grew up in a family of royalists” and that his grandparents, who he said would have joined the line if they were still living, were here on his behalf.
Beckham talked on how fortunate he felt to have met the Queen several times and how proud he was to represent England’s national football team.
“You know I always wanted to represent my country, to be captain in my country, and every time that we stood there when we wore those Three Lion shirts, and I had my armband and we sang, you know, ‘God save our Queen.’ That was something that meant so much to us,” he said.
Beckham, who was wearing a flat cap, a navy coat, and a black suit, claimed that while his back wasn’t great from standing in line for more than 12 hours, his “knees were OK.”
On social media, Beckham has shared selfies with fans. One woman who had to stand in line for hours with Beckham told reporters that she had “big respect” for the athlete because he “had paid his respects however he wanted.”
Along the south bank of the River Thames, the line extends for kilometers from Westminster Hall. It passes famous buildings like the Globe Theater, the Royal Festival Hall, and the London Eye.
It might extend for up to nine miles (14.5 kilometers), according to plans. On Friday, the line had to be shut down a number of times after hitting its limit. The official tracker of the government was recommending a 24-hour waiting period as of Friday afternoon.
