The Queen's queue: Mourners are taking to social media to share what it's really like in the 5-mile queue to pay respects at Queen Elizabeth's coffin

• Thousands are queuing to say goodbye to Queen Elizabeth before her Monday funeral.
• Those in the queue are sharing their experiences on social media and detailing the long wait.

Thousands of people have joined a line snaking from 1,000-year-old Westminster Hall, where Queen Elizabeth II will lie in state until her funeral on Monday, to Southwark Park, more than five miles away — and many of them have taken to social media to share what that experience has been like.

The queue, which began on Wednesday, has grown in size and scope as Britons (and tourists) line up to mourn the Queen's passing — many expressing a desire to pay their last respects and participate in a defining historical moment. Videos and pictures have flooded social media, with the TikTok hashtags #queueforthequeen and #thequeue racking up 2 million and 1.6 million views, respectively.

Visitors have shared time-lapses of the queue winding through London and footage of bagpipers playing atop park benches under the evening lamplight.

One TikToker, who waited eight hours, said the queue was well-organized, noting that visitors needed to have color-coded, numbered wristbands to enter (the same wristbands that also allow them to leave the queue briefly). TikToker @notaroyalexpert, whose content primarily concerns the royal family, also mentioned ample resources in a September 16 video; Drinking water and first aid stands, and more than 500 public toilets have popped up along the route — and food and drink options are accessible, as local shops are operating on extended hours.

TikTokers shared that the zig-zagged line in front of Westminster Hall was "a bit nasty," taking a couple of hours — though volunteers did a great job of "keeping people's spirits up" and offered tissues to those who were crying. They also warned prospective visitors that security to enter Westminster Hall is "just like airport security," which prohibits liquids and aerosols.

As the line has grown, so too has its average wait time. As of now, the government estimates on its live "Queue Tracker" that mourners can expect to wait more than 24 hours and advises them to dress appropriately, as overnight temperatures are expected to dip into the 40s. Visitors have echoed the sentiment, sharing footage of visitors shuffling through the dark in coats and scarves.

The government has said it will begin turning people away once it determines they won't be able to reach the coffin in time.

"The queue today is a lot worse, and it'll only get worse over the weekend," @notaroyalexpert tweeted, "But if you are prepared to make the walk and the queue, it is 100% worth it; The atmosphere was something that I've never felt before when I actually entered the room, and it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of witnessing history, so I would 100% recommend it."

One vistor said the queue was "like being a part of the Canterbury Tales. The #stories of #pilgrimage and new relationships forged. The sense of togetherness reminds me of the doorstep claps during lockdown. Just beautiful."

But the queue has not been without frustrations.

On Friday morning, TV presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield reportedly jumped the queue to film a "This Morning" segment. In a nation known for its rather strict queue politics, "queue jumping is the worst British insult," wrote one Twitter user. In contrast, Brits praised soccer star David Beckham who waited more than 12 hours to pay his respects and passed the time eating Pringles, drinking coffee, and chatting with neighbors in line.

"She's always been a sort of reassuring background to my life, a reassuring presence," 73-year-old Janice Milner told Insider of 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."