Scarborough man shares his experience of witnessing the state funeral of Her Majesty The Queen

The Queen's coffin passes along Whitehall

Simon-James Smith, of Castlegate, Scarborough, spends his days working as a taxi driver for Beeline Radio Cars, but in his spare time, he is a keen amateur photographer.

Mr Smith, 52, made the decision to travel after watching the procession escorting Her Majesty to Westminster Hall last Wednesday.

He said: “I thought it was too much of a grand occasion to miss and photograph.

Mr. Philip Walden, Chairman of the ceremonial working committee of the Royal British Legion stands in front of The Cenotaph on Whitehall.

“I travelled to London early on Sunday morning and stayed with a friend in North London overnight.

“I went to Whitehall at 5.00am in order to get a good position to photograph the state funeral.

“When I arrived the crowd was already four deep on Whitehall.

“At 9.00am security and the police closed the funeral route along Whitehall, The Mall and Horseguards Parade for safety reasons and the remaining mourners were directed to Hyde Park.

Mr Smith captured this image of the flowers in Green Park

“The atmosphere was joyous to start off with, there was good camaraderie.

“Some of the people had been camping all night.

“There was a lot of sharing of hot drinks and flasks.

“The atmosphere changed when the funeral began.

“We listened to the funeral on speakers. It was very heartfelt and uplifting when we heard the choir sing.

“During the two-minute silence you could hear a pin drop – there was a lot of respect and reflection about what Her Majesty meant to everyone there.

“I’m really pleased I went.”