First in queue to see Queen lie in state are first to see her final resting place

Two women who were first in line to see the Queen lying in state have also been the first to visit her final resting place at Windsor Castle.

Anne Daley and Grace Gothard booked tickets for Windsor Castle as soon as they found out it was reopening. Lifelong royal fans, they were at the front of the line as the gates once more opened to visitors.

Anne, from Cardiff, said: “We queued on Lambeth Bridge to be first to see the lying in state, and we wanted to be first here too. This castle is empty now, no Queen, no Duke, no corgis. We just want to pay our respects.”

Grace, originally from Ghana but now living in London, said: “I’m feeling very emotional. It will be hard to see the gravestone, it’ll be like saying goodbye to my mother.”

Both are lifelong royalists who became friends when they met at the unveiling of the Diana, Princess of Wales statue outside Kensington Palace in July last year.

Next in the queue was 43-year-old Darren Martin from near Melbourne in Australia, who travelled to the UK two weeks ago to pay his respects.

Mr Martin said: “I arrived in time to do the queue and camped out for the funeral. I’ve driven all the way to Balmoral, Holyroodhouse and Sandringham.

“I then had a little bit of a holiday in Sussex and Cornwall. I’ve come here today for my final send-off before I go back home.

“She was somebody that I admired very much for her service, everything that she did and everything she stood for.”

Hundreds joined the queue to enter the royal residence for a chance to see where Elizabeth II was laid to rest and see the ledger stone inscribed with her name in the George VI memorial chapel.

Many others in the queue had booked tickets without realising this was the first day the castle had reopened since the Queen’s death.

Alison and John Lang, from Kilsyth in Scotland, had actually come to see their son who’s now a King’s Guard. He only completed his military training on 9 September and will be changing the guard at the castle today.

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Alison said: “I went to Edinburgh and saw the procession and then queued for five and a half hours to see her coffin. It was so moving.

“Coming here, it’s her place of rest. I’m still so sad about it. I’ve loved everything about the Queen.”

The castle has reopened after the Royal Family returned to their duties when the official mourning period ended on Tuesday.

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