Between 14 and 19 September 2022, a queue of mourners waited to file past the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II while she lay in state at Westminster Hall in London, England.

[1] The queueing time for the Queen Mother's lying in state in 2002 reached approximately four hours; an estimated 200,000 people viewed her coffin.

[14] By 09:50 on 16 September, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport declared that the queue was at full capacity for the first time, and that entry would be paused for six hours.

[16] Elizabeth II's lying in state was opened to the public at 17:00 BST on 14 September, following a service for the reception of her coffin after it was brought in procession from Buckingham Palace.

[26] The Greater London Authority and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) coordinated operations, with on-the-ground assistance provided by nearly 800 paid stewards, supported by 100 civil service volunteers and hundreds of Scouts.

[30][14][31] Non-profit groups who assisted in the efforts included the British Red Cross, Samaritans, and Salvation Army, as well as St John Ambulance and First Aid Nursing Yeomanry.

[35] The Scouts collected unopened food abandoned at the security checkpoints at Westminster Hall to redistribute through the queue or donate to foodbanks.

[36] The London Ambulance Service placed 120 additional staff on duty in call centres and in public, and advised participants to wear appropriate clothing, in particular for the cold nights.

[38][39] The ability of these groups to skip the queue provoked criticism, as did the exclusion of certain workers, such as cleaners, security guards, and caterers, who are employed by contractors rather than directly by Parliament.

[38][40] Early estimates reported that at least 250,000 people filed past Elizabeth II's coffin in Westminster Hall over the four days of the lying of state.

[46][47][48] King Charles III and William, Prince of Wales, visited the queue to speak to mourners on 17 September, and Justin Welby, archbishop of Canterbury, was also present.

Those known to have joined the public queue included David Beckham, Kelly Holmes, Neil Jones, Sharon Osbourne, Susanna Reid, and Tim Vine.

[55] Television presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby were reported to have skipped the queue, causing some controversy, and leading ITV to explain that they were being escorted through the hall to film a segment for This Morning, without joining the filing mourners.

[65] By 20 September, the London Ambulance Service reported that its staff and volunteers had provided medical support to an estimated 2,000 people in the queue, of whom 240 were taken for hospital treatment.

[72][73] The Times noted that the queue included a number of women participating in groups as a type of social event, drawing comparisons with brunch.

[78] A piece of short fiction by Will Dunn in the New Statesman imagined a future where the maintenance of the queue over decades led to profound changes in the structure of British society.

[80] The British Film Institute (BFI) in South Bank displayed historical footage of mourners queueing to pay respects to George VI.