The British came at dawn to the streets of London to see the Queen's funeral procession

Hundreds of Britons rose at dawn Monday to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, in search of the best places to watch the procession that will transport her coffin, as some considered it "part of history."

Despite the low temperatures in the British capital, Britons gathered before seven in the morning near Buckingham Palace and Westminster Cathedral, where the religious services began at 11 local time (10:00 GMT).

"I wanted to be a part (of the event). It's a great day in our history, it's part of our lives," Susan Davis, 53, who arrived at 6:30 in Hyde Park Corner from Essex, east London, with her husband and two teenage sons, told AFP. .

With a chair and "plenty of food" with her, she hopes to see the Queen's coffin, which will be carried from there after the religious ceremonies, all the way to Windsor Castle.

"I want to be a part of history," said her 14-year-old son Jack, adding that he wanted to tell the details of the event to future generations.

"I will tell my children about this moment, I will tell them: I was there," he said.

For his part, Calop Thompson, a 20-year-old film student who lives in Bedford, north London, said he wanted to watch the funeral live on his mobile phone, but wanted to see "the casket and the royal family" and he arrived at 6 am to do so.

"We wanted to be in the front row. We thought we were in the middle of the crowd but here we are, in the best place with the best view. It's great!"

Speaking of the atmosphere "interesting but also bleak".

- Blankets and coffee - The first subway trains to the nearby stations were overcrowded.

Some spent the night in the place where many blankets could be seen on the ground in Whitehall Street in central London, which houses many government buildings and official residences.

Bethany Birdmore, a 26-year-old accountant, arrived as of 9:00 p.m. Sunday.

She also does not want to miss a "part of history".

"It was cold, we didn't sleep," she said, adding that she was able to stay active thanks to lots of sugar and caffeine.

"Everyone was talking," she added.

Young and old, be patient.

UK flags but also Australian flags were raised on the buildings.

The best prepared were having their coffee and breakfast, while the best places to watch what was happening were all occupied.

The United Kingdom and the world bid farewell to Elizabeth II on Monday during a solemn funeral ceremony in London attended by heads of state and dignitaries in honor of a queen who dedicated her seventy years to the rise of the British crown.

Monday, which is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, represents the biggest security challenge for the London police in its history.

The state funeral, the first in the British capital since the funeral of Winston Churchill in 1965, may receive one of the widest television coverage in history.

The ceremonies are broadcast on huge screens in London, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Colraine in Northern Ireland in seven cathedrals and more than 100 cinemas.

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