Royal Family greet Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin at Buckingham Palace

The Queen’s children and grandchildren greeted her coffin on its arrival at Buckingham Palace.

The King was there with Royal Family members including his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, Princes William and Harry and their wives, Catherine and Meghan.

The hearse, accompanied by the Queen’s daughter Princess Anne, travelled by road after a flight from Edinburgh.

Despite the rain, crowds gathered along the route to pay their respects.

There was applause from the thousands gathered outside as the hearse arrived at the palace. Shouts of “hip, hip hooray” were heard as the sombre mood gave way to respectful celebration of the late Queen.

Many people lining the street put down their umbrellas as a sign of respect while phone cameras lit up the crowds as people documented the historic moment.

The King and Queen Consort have since left Buckingham Palace after witnessing the arrival of the coffin.

The procession to the palace marks one of the final stages of a solemn journey, which began on Sunday at the Queen’s Balmoral estate where she died aged 96 on Thursday.

In a statement released on Tuesday evening, the Princess Royal, Princess Anne, said it had been an “honour and a privilege” to accompany the Queen on her final journeys, having travelled with her mother’s coffin from Balmoral to London.

“Witnessing the love and respect shown by so many on these journeys has been both humbling and uplifting,” she said.

“We will all share unique memories. I offer my thanks to each and every one who share our sense of loss.

“We may have been reminded how much of her presence and contribution to our national identity we took for granted.”

Thousands paid their respects as the Queen lay at rest in St Giles’ Cathedral, in Edinburgh overnight, before her coffin was flown to RAF Northolt, in north-west London this evening.

The national anthem was played as the RAF plane, which has previously been used to evacuate people from Afghanistan and deliver weapons to Ukraine, prepared to take off.

The number of people outside the palace began to swell this afternoon – although it thinned slightly as the rain became heavier, with most of those gathered wearing raincoats and carrying umbrellas – creating a subdued atmosphere.

But there were still several thousand waiting along the barriers outside Buckingham Palace.

Among them was Londoner Alex Myers, and her dog Minnie, who decided to take a detour to the palace after hearing the Queen’s coffin was on its way.

She said the atmosphere when the hearse arrived was “incredible and inspiring and very moving”.

“I think the outpouring of love has been a really amazing thing,” she said, as both her and Minnie headed home slightly wetter than when they arrived, hours before.

The Queen’s coffin was in a bespoke new hearse designed in consultation with her, to allow the public a clear view of her casket.

The Queen’s coffin will rest in the Bow Room of the palace overnight before it is borne in procession on a gun carriage departing the palace for Westminster at exactly 14:22 BST on Wednesday.

In the past, the Queen has hosted foreign royalty and dignitaries in the room, including King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, former US president George Bush, and Premier League footballers.