Prince William is amazed at the endless lines of people waiting to pay their respects to the Queen.
On Saturday, the heir apparent to the throne was accompanied by his father, King Charles III, for a walking tour, greeting mourners queuing outside Westminster Hall.
He said it was “pretty emotional” to see the huge number of people waiting to see the Queen’s coffin.
“She would never have believed any of this,” the Prince of Wales said to his grandmother’s good wishes. “It seems to unite everyone and bring everyone together,” The Telegraph reported.
William also added that he hoped people made “friends for life” while waiting in line for hours.
He passed the time chatting, shaking hundreds of hands and constantly hearing people say he hoped they weren’t too cold or too tired.
“It means a lot that you’re here, it really does,” he said. “You do a great job.”
The royal father and son unexpectedly greeted mourners just after noon and rejoiced the crowd, some of whom burst into tears. People rushed to the metal barriers, eager to share a few words with the king or heir or perhaps shake their hands.
Williams also entered Lambeth headquarters, where he spoke to two police officers and thanked them for their service before leaving in the same car as his father.
The father of three has been open with mourners and expressed his feelings and emotions.
Earlier this week, he told a benefactor that marching in his grandmother’s procession on Wednesday “bringed back memories” of being behind his mother Princess Diana’s coffin during her 1997 funeral.
He confessed that it had been “really difficult” during a conversation with an emotional griever, adding poignantly, “Don’t cry now, you’re starting me.”
William tweeted an emotional message last week mourning the loss of his grandmother, who passed away on Thursday, September 8 after a historic 70-year reign. She was 96.
“Thursday, the world lost an extraordinary leader whose devotion to the country, the empires and the Commonwealth was absolute. So much will be said in the coming days about the significance of her historic reign,” William said in a statement released on Twitter on Saturday.
“However, I have lost a grandmother. And while I will mourn her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I have benefited from the wisdom and reassurance of the Queen into my fifth decade.”
William also added: “She was by my side in my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life. I knew this day would come, but it will be a while before reality of life without grandma will feel real.”