LONDON, Sept 19, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Britain's King Charles III said Sunday he

had been "moved beyond measure" by the outpouring of public sympathy
following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II in a message of thanks
on the eve of her grand state funeral.

King Charles said that he and his wife Queen Consort Camilla had been "so
deeply touched" by messages of condolence and support from Britain and around
the world.

Britain held a minute's silence on Sunday in a tribute to Queen Elizabeth
before Monday's farewell.

"We were moved beyond measure by everyone who took the trouble to come and
pay their respects to the lifelong service of my dear mother, The late
Queen," he said in a statement.

"As we all prepare to say our last farewell, I wanted simply to take this
opportunity to say thank you to all those countless people who have been such
a support and comfort to my family and myself in this time of grief."

Queen Elizabeth's coffin has been lying in state on a catafalque in London's
historic Westminster Hall since Wednesday evening.

US President Joe Biden and Japan's Emperor Naruhito were among the stream of
dignitaries who paid tribute at the late monarch's casket, Biden crossing
himself and touching his heart as he stood on a gallery in the mediaeval
hall.

Others who paid their last respects included French President Emmanuel
Macron, King Harald V of Norway, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, King Letsie
III of Lesotho and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg.

- Final queue to see coffin -

The last of the estimated hundreds of thousands of public mourners who have
flocked to see the queen's coffin queued along the banks of the River Thames
into Monday morning.

The queue to attend the lying-in-state "is at final capacity and is now
closed to new entrants", the culture ministry said late Sunday on its live
queue tracker on YouTube.

"Please do not attempt to join the queue."

Waiting times peaked at more than 25 hours early Saturday.

The public viewing will end at 6:30 am (0530 GMT). Troops have kept a round-
the-clock vigil.

Queen Elizabeth reigned for a record-breaking 70 years until her death on
September 8 aged 96.

She was on the throne since 1952 and was the only sovereign most Britons
alive today have ever known.

Andy Sanderson, 46, a supermarket area manager, was among those who had
finally made it to parliament after braving the miles of queues.

"She was the glue that kept the country together," he said.

- 'All about service': Biden -

Biden said Queen Elizabeth was "decent, honourable, and all about service".

"All the people of the United Kingdom: our hearts go out to you, and you were
fortunate to have had her for 70 years; we all were. The world is better for
her," Biden said after signing a book of condolence.

The US president then attended a reception hosted by King Charles and the
royal family for around 500 visiting dignitaries.

They included Emperor Naruhito, King Felipe VI of Spain, Brazilian President
Jair Bolsonaro, King Abdullah II of Jordan and Queen Margrethe.

The minute of silence was held at 8:00 pm (1900 GMT) to honour the late
queen's life of service.

Prime Minister Liz Truss stood in a black dress outside her 10 Downing Street
official residence for the "national moment of reflection" before the eyes of
world focus on the British capital for the queen's send-off.

Members of the public have camped out in advance to catch a glimpse of the
grand farewell at Westminster Abbey, which is expected to bring London to a
standstill and be watched by billions of viewers across the globe.

E. J. Kelly, a 46-year-old schoolteacher from Northern Ireland, secured a
prime spot with friends on the route the procession will take after the
funeral.

"Watching it on television is wonderful but being here is something else,"
she told AFP, equipped with camping chairs, warm clothing and extra socks.

"I will probably feel very emotional when it comes to it, but I wanted to be
here to pay my respects."

Crowds also thronged around Windsor Castle, west of London, where the queen's
coffin will be driven after the service for a private burial alongside her
late husband Prince Philip, her parents and her sister.

"I've lived here my whole life and I've never seen it this busy," said Donna
Lumbard, 32, a manager at a local restaurant.

- 'Reassuring presence' -

Australia's anti-monarchy Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who viewed the
lying-in-state and met King Charles on Saturday, told Sky News Australia that
the queen was "a constant reassuring presence".

There was also a private audience at Buckingham Palace for New Zealand PM
Jacinda Ardern, which, like Australia, Britain and 12 other Commonwealth
realms, now has King Charles as its sovereign.

But in an indication of the challenges ahead for the new king, Ardern told
BBC television that she expected New Zealand to shed its constitutional
monarchy "over the course of my lifetime".

Queen Elizabeth's state funeral, the first in Britain since the death of her
first prime minister Winston Churchill in 1965, will take place Monday at
Westminster Abbey at 11:00 am.

Reflecting on the queen's wishes for the hour-long ceremony, the former
archbishop of York, John Sentamu, told BBC television she "did not want what
you call long, boring services".

Leaders from Russia, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Syria and North Korea were not
invited to join the 2,000 guests.

As their private grief has played out in the glare of global attention, a
fresh opinion poll from YouGov showed the royal family's popularity has risen
in the UK.

William and his wife Kate topped the ranking of most popular royals, while
Charles saw his approval ratings rise 16 points since May.