David Beckham stands in queue for 12 hours to see queen's coffin

English football legend David Beckham shocked many when he was spotted among the crowd in the long queue to see Queen Elizabeth II lying in state. News outlets managed to have a small chat with him, and he admitted that he had been waiting for 12 hours just to get his chance to pay his respects to the monarch whom he served while he was part of the national football team.

Her Majesty The Queen died on September 8 in Balmoral, and has since made the long journey first to Edinburgh and then back to London. Her coffin was taken to her official residence, Buckingham Palace, before being taken through the streets in a short procession to Westminster Hall where she is now lying in state.

Thousands of people have been waiting for hours upon hours in long queues just to be able to quickly file past her coffin. Locals are being joined by travellers from far and wide as the crowd continues to swell ahead of the funeral scheduled for September 19.

Well-wishers praised Beckham for respecting both Queen Elizabeth II and the English people for choosing to wait in line just like everyone else. In an interview while standing in line, he admitted that he grew up in a royalist family and had been brought up as a supporter of Her Majesty.

In a video shared on Twitter, Beckham could be seen looking extremely emotional as he entered Westminster Hall along with other people. He faces the queen's coffin and bows his head in respect before walking away visibly close to tears.

"Respect to the man , he went just like any one else to pay his respect as a normal subject and not a celebrity. 12 hrs and he has an OBE," said one Twitter user, adding: "He has shared his loss and his pain with all those people in those hours of wait."

In return, those who saw Beckham in line also respected his privacy, with most of them leaving him alone as they all waited patiently for their turn. The queue has extended past the world-famous Tower Bridge and continues to keep growing.

Meanwhile, the Premier League will continue to have a reduced schedule this weekend. London based clubs have been forced to reschedule their matches due to the lack of available security. As expected, the city's security personnel have deployed mainly to keep things in order as people flock to the capital to pay tribute to Her Majesty.