England football legend David Beckham has been spotted in the queue for the Queen Elizabeth lying-in-state in London. Beckham told reporters that he had been waiting with members of the public for more than 12 hours. “We all want to be here together, we all want to experience something where we celebrate the amazing life of our Queen,” he said. “You know something like this today is meant to be shared together. So, you know the fact that we’ve been here. We’re eating Pringles. We’re eating Sherbet Lemons, sandwiches and coffee,” he continued. The sports star told a reporter from ITV News that he “grew up in a household of royalists” and had come on behalf of his grandparents who would have queued if they were still alive.
Beckham recalled how lucky he was to have met the Queen on a number of occasions. “You know I always wanted to represent my country, to be captain in my country,” Beckham said, “and every time that we stood there when we wore those Three Lion shirts…that was something that meant so much to us.” Dressed in a black suit, navy coat and flat cap, Beckham said his knees were OK despite being in the queue for more than 12 hours.
On social media, Beckham has appeared in selfies with fans. A woman who had queued alongside Beckham for hours told reporters that she had “big respect” for the sportsman who she said, “had paid his respects however he wanted.” The queue snakes from Westminster Hall, where the late monarch’s body is lying in state, for miles along the south bank of the River Thames. It stretches past landmarks such as the London Eye and the Royal Festival Hall.
