The Queen: Portsmouth and Hampshire residents take part in history as they travel to London to pay their respects to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Arriving into London Waterloo from Fratton on Thursday, friends Anne Clowes, from Waterlooville, and Laura McInnes, from Portchester, were determined to lay a bouquet of flowers at the gates of Buckingham Palace.

Anne, a civil servant, said the Queen had ‘never let us down’ – and now it was time for people across the nation to reflect that devotion.

She said: ‘We wanted to honour the Queen and show our respect for everything she has done for us.’

Laura said: 'I came to London when Princess Diana died - I just wanted to be there.’

Meanwhile at the exit of Westminster Hall, where the Queen is lying in state until Monday morning, some of those leaving could be seen crying and wiping away tears.

Among them were Mary Zoeller, a girl guide leader, and Ruth Frisby, 51, a legal PA, from Epsom.

Mary said: 'It’s unbelievable.’

Describing the emotionally charged atmosphere inside the hall and the scenes of tears outside of it, the 55-year-old said: ‘Most people held it in, and when they came out, they couldn’t hold it in any more.’

Having queued from Millennium Bridge for more than six hours, Mary said every second had been worth it to be part of the experience.

She said: ‘We have been talking about this for years. It’s something I have always wanted to do. So many people I have spoken to over the last few weeks have said how sad they feel. She's always been there.’

At the starting point of the queue, which spanned more than four miles across London at that point, a group of residents from Gosport, Hampshire, and the Isle of Wight were warned that they faced a 14-hour wait to pay their respects to Her Majesty.

Alverstoke resident Michael Rees, a former Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Logistics Corp, said: ‘When we were told the queuing time, we thought that was optimistic.’

The 68-year-old said having a monarchy made a huge difference to the standards and commitment of the armed forces.

He added: ‘I have 34 years of army service. Serving 18 years abroad, serving the flag. I think it’s a huge difference. Governments are transient, but the monarchy is steadfast.

On hearing of the Queen’s death, the army veteran was hit by ‘shock and sadness’.

He said: ‘Because like so many others, she was the only monarch I knew.

‘But a change was inevitable.’

Reflecting on Queen Elizabeth II’s most impressive quality from her seven-decade reign, the army veteran said; ‘I think it was her dedication. And her impartiality. She was above politics. She personified regality.

‘I’m a monarchist, not because I served, but because there isn’t a politician who I would like to have as my president. It would take a huge fall from grace for me to change my view.’

RAF veteran Dicky Henderson, who had been chatting with Michael in the queue, agreed with his new ‘queue friend’.

He said: ‘I served 12 years in the RAF, serving in the Queen’s Colour Squadron.

‘It made us feel us feel very special. It does make a difference. She was your boss.’

Despite expecting the death of his former boss, the news was still ‘devastating’, according to the New Forest resident.

He said: ‘We had had many a toast for Her Majesty in the mess.

Having been in her presence on several ceremonial occasions, Dicky added: ‘She was just interested in people. She would see a character or a face and strike up conversation.’

‘This is something I had to do. What has impressing me is how patient everyone has been. And people have come from all walks of life.’

Isle of Wight resident Jackie Bell, 84, was able to reflect on the last monarch’s funeral in 1952.

She said: ‘I remember when the (previous) King died. It didn’t have the impact that this has had.

‘The Royal Family have always come across as very approachable. I can just remember what the older Royals were like - they were very aloof.

Commenting on the new King, Charles III, she added: ‘I think he’s really going to do a good job. He will follow in this mum’s footsteps.

‘(The Queen) has always been there. When I was a child I would collect photos of her and stick them in a photo album.

Scanning the queue and its many stewards, she added tongue-in-cheek: ‘It feels like there is good support here – whether I will make it or not is another matter. I just wanted to be here.’

But while the nation finds itself in a period of mourning, there are those carrying personal, easily-overlooked grief that is also directed at individuals who have served the country.

Travelling from Portsmouth to London and then on to La Hulpe in Belgium, Patrick Smyth would miss much of the Royal commiserations – as he was on his way to a service for a fellow Royal Navy veteran, John Rummery, whose ashes were set to be laid to rest in La Hulpe, in Belgium.

The grandad-of-one had several ‘run-ins’ with vessels carrying King Charles III during his career in the Royal Navy, leading Patrick – a communications yeoman on HMS Lowestoft– scrambling to run up the correct flags as protocol required.

The 72-year-old said the power of the monarchy lay in its rising above party politics.

He said: 'It severs us from the different political parties. With the armed forces, we are neutral. They don't have allegiances - just to the crown.'

Despite not being able to see the Queen lying-in-state or attend the state funeral in person, the navy veteran has been keen to preserve what he can.

He said: ‘I have been recording every little bit of footage from the TV.'