The former English football captain was seen by Sky News wearing a dark flat cap, suit and tie as he waited to pay his respects.
By Samuel Osborne and Megan Baynes, news reporters
Saturday 17 September 2022 04:13, UK
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David Beckham wiped away a tear as he paid his respects to the Queen after queueing for 13 hours.
Beckham slowly bowed his head and stared at the floor as he viewed the Queen’s coffin.
Sky News spoke to Beckham just after 2pm this afternoon; 12 hours after he joined the queue.
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He told Sky News he was there to celebrate Britain’s “special” Queen.
The former England football captain was seen wearing a dark flat cap, suit and tie as he waited to pay his respects.
Queue to see monarch lying in state paused – follow latest updates
He told reporters: “So this day was always going to be difficult, and it’s difficult for the nation, it’s difficult for everyone around the world, because I think everyone is feeling it, and our thoughts are with the family and obviously with everybody here today.
“Because it’s special to be here, to celebrate, and to hear the different stories that people have to say.”
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He added: “The most special moment for me was to receive my OBE. I took my grandparents with me, who were the ones that really brought me up to be a huge royalist and a fan of the royal family, and obviously I had my wife there as well.
“To step up, to get my honour, but then also Her Majesty, to ask questions, to talk, I was so lucky that I was able to have a few moments like that in my life, to be around Her Majesty.
“Because we can all see with the love that has been shown, how special she is and how special she was and the legacy that she leaves behind.
“It’s a sad day, but it’s a day for us to remember the incredible legacy that she’s left.”
Beckham also talked of snacking on crisps, sweets and doughnuts with his fellow queuers.
Chris Jones, and a group of four friends, spotted the 47-year-old in the queue once they had made it into Victoria Gardens, when they noticed he was six rows ahead.
Mr Jones, 50, travelled from Gloucester this morning and had been queuing for around 10 hours when he made it to the final straight.
Beckham reportedly took a few selfies with fans, temporarily causing the queue to grind to a halt.
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Mr Jones told Sky News: “We wondered what the interest was at first.
“This just shows the power of all people wanting to pay their respects to the Queen.”
Watch live stream of the Queen lying in state
Twitter user Jules Birkby, who uses the username @NowThenSunshine, said Beckham was “just a few lines behind us in the snake”.
They tweeted: “The Queue is now full of people trying to photograph David Beckham and forgetting to actually move onwards.
“It’s madness! I feel a bit sorry for him, but he’s taking it very well.
“It’s made me almost forget that we’ve been in The Queue almost TWELVE HOURS though.”
Last week Beckham said the outpouring of grief around the world following the monarch’s death demonstrated “how much she inspired us with her leadership”.
“I’m truly saddened by the death of Her Majesty, The Queen. What an outpouring of love and respect we saw for the Platinum Jubilee for her life of service,” he wrote on Instagram.
“How devastated we all feel today shows what she has meant to people in this country and around the world. How much she inspired us with her leadership.
“How she comforted us when times were tough. Until her last days she served her country with dignity and grace.
“This year she would have known how loved she was. My thoughts and prayers are with our Royal Family.”
