People explain why they want to line up for hours to pay their last respects to Queen Elizabeth II lying in state in medieval Westminister Hall

One family from Fairfax, Virginia, was on vacation across Ireland and England when they heard the news about the Queen.

"As an American, I'm a staunch republican," Robert Rudesill, 22, told Insider. "But if there's any monarch that embodies what a perfect ruler or perfect monarch should be, I think Queen Elizabeth has. She has been the people's person. She's been there whether in times of good or bad. "

Rudesill joined the queue at 9:45 am with his mother Charla, sister Ashley and cousin Jackson and said they were prepared to wait all night if they had to.

Having only packed vacation clothes, the family purchased formal attire to wear to give the Queen "a proper send-off."

Scott Davis, 48, served ten years in the Royal Army Medical Corps, and Gary Cross, 59, spent seven years in the army and 25 as a police officer.

"We're both ex-servicemen," Davis said. "We swore an oath to the Queen at the beginning of our careers, and although we're not in the army anymore, it's just to pay our respects and come back."

Davis came from Colchester, a town east of London, and Cross from north of Birmingham, 130 miles from the British capital. The pair met in the line and bonded over their shared history of service and reverence for the Queen.

While both expressed support for the new King Charles, Davis said it would take some time to process the change. "I need to bury my Queen first," he said.

Mourners were given color-coded, numbered wristbands to mark their position in the line, which allowed them to leave for bathroom breaks and refreshments briefly. Signs marked where to line up.

Those wishing to enter the Palace of Westminster were only permitted to bring in one small bag per person, and larger bags could be left at a bag drop facility.

Officials warned queuers that the wait could be grueling.

"You will need to stand for many hours, possibly overnight, with very little opportunity to sit down, as the queue will keep moving," official guidance released on Tuesday said.

It is estimated to grow even longer in the coming days – with waits of up to 30 hours predicted, the Metro reported.

The Queen will lie in state in Westminster Hall from 5pm on Wednesday until 6.30am on Monday, the day of her funeral.

Kelly, 51, who traveled from Essex, east of London, waited to pay her respects to the Queen wrapped in a Union Jack.

"To me, she was the ultimate Brit chick. She was the ultimate girl power. She made England," she said.

When asked why she decided to join the line, she said: "My mum and my sister couldn't come because they're both disabled. So I'm here representing my family."

While mourning the Queen, Kelly said she felt Charles would be a "wonderful" king and Camilla "a great consort."

On Wednesday afternoon, many waiting in line used smartphones and iPads to watch the Queen's coffin procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall.

Amatullah Hameed, a 22-year-old student from Birmingham, traveled to London by herself. She stood among a group of other mourners to watch the procession.

"I've always adored the Queen and the royal family, and I've just come to pay my respects to her," she said.

Ambulances and paramedics were on standby for the crowds of mourners, many likely to be waiting overnight.

Former government communications secretary Jonathan Haslam warned that the large queues could "see some horrible stories about people suffering," per The Telegraph.

The paper reported that organizers had told stewards to watch for vulnerable and older people who might need support.

Rows of portable toilets were strategically positioned nearby streets for comfort breaks.

Janice Milner, 73, traveled from the town of Stourbridge, near Birmingham, to line up with her husband John.

"She's always been a sort of reassuring background to my life, a reassuring presence," Milner said about the Queen. "She's always known what the British people need and what people in general need. She's just been an absolute inspiration, and we'll miss her totally."

Undeterred by the warnings of hours of queueing, she said they had come prepared with sandwiches and drinks.

Plenty of police officers and volunteer stewards could be seen around the streets as people lined up.

Police said that several roads in Central London would remain closed to vehicles in order to allow people to safely gather to pay their respects.

Grace, 46, originally from Poland but has lived in Britain for over 20 years, queued up with her 9-year-old son Lachlan.

"I just wanted him to be here because it's just such an important historical event," she said. "[The Queen] was the person who just had a good heart and an infectious smile. Even if the nation was divided, there was just something about her that she was able to just glue everybody together."