Two friends and former civil service members joined a long queue in Edinburgh today to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Seeing the Queen’s coffin is a momentous occasion and for two friends it was worth getting up early to be the first in line to pay their respects to Her Majesty.

Former soldier George Higgins was the first person queuing down The Meadows in Edinburgh – around a 15 minute walk away from St Giles’ Cathedral, where the monarch’s coffin is available to view from 5pm today.

Mr Higgins, 62, arrived at 6:45am after working a night shift at the Royal Infirmary.

He told Sky News he “wouldn’t miss it for the world”.

“We get the privilege to be able to do this in Scotland, where if she had passed in England we wouldn’t have. Me coming from Edinburgh, my home city, and she’s lying in St Giles’, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

“I have to go and pay my respects to my old boss,” the former soldier added.

At around 10am, he was joined by his friend Sheila Purvis, who knew she would be in the queue as soon as she found out the Queen’s coffin was coming to the Scottish capital.

The 72-year-old said the Queen meant “everything” to her.

Mr Higgins added: “What she did for this country, for Great Britain, and us is unfathomable”.

Of King Charles III, he said having him as reigning monarch “will take some getting used to”.

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Donning his Northern Ireland General Service medal, his First Gulf War medal and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee medal, Mr Higgins recalled parading for the Queen in 1983 as a young soldier.

“I can’t believe I’m actually saying that… it was probably one of the best times of my life and one of my proudest moments,” he said.

Ms Purvis was also wearing medals belonging to her uncle and her own Silver Jubilee medal and Imperial Service medal for her 26 years in the civil service.

“I got to meet her twice, once at the Ceremony Of The Keys at Holyroodhouse and then I was presented to her in 2009 because she was giving new colours to the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

“I noticed her skin looked so soft it looked lovely, I was thinking this old lady has the skin of a 21-year-old,” she added.

The pair said they would like to send their “deepest condolences” to the Royal Family.

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