Mourners made a last-minute dash to pay their final respects to the Queen in Edinburgh before her coffin is flown to London this evening - as thousands of well-wishers and royal fans stood in a mile-long queue that wound around Scotland's capital for hours to bid farewell to Her Majesty. 

Around 26,000 people filed past the late monarch's coffin at St Giles' Cathedral in the 24 hours since it was carried 1,200 yards up the Royal Mile from the Palace of Holyroodhouse during a solemn military procession led by King Charles III and his grief-stricken siblings.

The Scottish Government said that the queue to view the late monarch - which wound down the Royal Mile, up George IV Bridge and past the National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street - had closed at around 1pm and that further efforts were made to ensure all those already waiting would be able to pay their respects before the lying at rest in Edinburgh ended at 3pm.

The Queen is lying in rest in the Scottish capital until the late monarch is flown to London from Edinburgh Airport by the RAF at 6pm.

She will stay at Buckingham Palace overnight, then will lie in state at the Palace of Westminster for four days before her state funeral at Westminster Abbey and burial at St George's Chapel in Windsor on Monday, September 19.

Mourners described being 'overwhelmed with the power and emotion of the occasion' with many wiping away tears as they briefly stood in prayer looking at the coffin. Most bowed or curtseyed when they arrived.

Dozens came to queue after travelling from England. Some came from London, web page believing that it would be easier to see her in Scotland with 30-hour queues predicted in the English capital.

Corey Burgher joined the very back of the queue with his stepdaughter Giovanna Giambastiani at 2.30am. He said: 'We wanted to say our goodbyes to the boss. I'm in the military, I work on the submarines. Was surprised how much the news hit me. I didn't know her personally, but I met her when I was a kid.

I got quite emotional about it, it was quite a shock.' 

Dawn Legge, from Manchester said: 'I needed to come. We needed to pay our respects and mourn our Queen before we want to celebrate our King'. Catherine Gray, from London, said with tears in her eyes that she had made the 800-mile round trip because she felt 'weird' without Her Majesty in her life. She said seeing the coffin was 'surreal' and 'one of the most emotional moments of my life'.

And one man in the Edinburgh queue said this morning: 'If she could do 70 years, I can do 12 hours'. 

Hundreds filed past the casket last night when King Charles III and his three siblings staged a silent 10-minute vigil at the four corners of Her Majesty's oak coffin. 

People queue to enter St Giles Cathedral, following the death of Queen Elizabeth, in Edinburgh

Members of the public queue to pay their respects as Queen Elizabeth II lies in state in St Giles' Cathedral

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's coffin lying at rest at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh

People queue to enter St Giles Cathedral, following the death of Queen Elizabeth, in Edinburgh

Mourners queue to pay their respects as Queen Elizabeth II lies in state in St Giles' Cathedral

Police officers on duty as people queue to view the Queen's coffin at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh

People queue to view the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as she lies at rest at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh

Two women sit along the route at dawn to queue to see the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as she lies at rest at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh

People in Edinburgh queueing to pay their respects to the Queen as she lies in state at St Giles' Cathedral

King Charles and his siblings the Princess Royal, the Earl of Wessex and the Duke of York bow their heads as they hold a vigil for their late mother the Queen at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh yesterday evening

People queue to see the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as she lies at rest at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh

The queues to see the Queen's coffin stretched for a mile through the night.