Seas of flowers and candles have been left outside Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle as the nation mourns Queen Elizabeth II.
As world leaders paid tribute to the 96-year-old on Thursday, ordinary Brits paid their own respects to a woman who had been the face of the nation for more than 70 years.
For most, she was a steadying presence in a world of constant change, and her passing marks an end of an era for the entire country.
As people gathered outside the black iron gates of Buckingham Palace, many were seen crying and shaking their heads in utter disbelief.
Teary eyes were fixed on the empty balcony metres away from them and the lowered national flag.
Only a few months ago, an even bigger crowd had gathered there for a concert with a star-studded line-up fit for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
Hundreds of people were delivered the grim news yesterday when official pinned a brief bulletin to the railings of the palace, announcing her death.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has died after 70 years on the throne, with her death announced by Buckingham Palace on September 8, 2022.
She died at the age of 96 surrounded by her family at her home in Balmoral, including her son and heir to the throne Charles, the Prince of Wales, and her grandsons, the Duke Of Cambridge, Prince William and the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry.
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There were similar emotional scenes outside the Queen's Windsor Castle home.
The flag over the royal residence in Berkshire was slowly lowered to half mast in the evening.
A rainbow had emerged over the crowd there minutes earlier, giving the historic moment a sense of calmness.
Many did not have the words to express their sudden grief and were pictured holding hands and hugging.
Mourners also gathered outside Balmoral Castle where the late royal spent the last few months before her death.
Her summer home was one of her favourite places and where she retreated every year for horse riding, nature walks and picnics with her family.
Police started to let members of the public stand at the gates to pay their respects to the Queen.
Several people walked to the entrance of the grounds of the retreat from 6.30am to lay bouquets.
One woman was spotted lighting a candle while others were seen reading personal notes written on the flowers.
The area was blocked off for a period on Thursday night when members of the royal family arrived at the castle.
Like any other Friday in London, the Tubes were packed to the brim and roads busy with cars stuck in the morning traffic.
But there was a sense of shock and great sadness as people everywhere in the capital queued outside flower shops.
On public transport, commuters were seen reading about the Queen's full life and achievements in the national newspapers.
Portraits of Elizabeth also replaced the usual flashy adverts on billboard screens in Piccadilly Circus and Canary Wharf.
Tributes to the monarch will later be paid in the Houses of Parliament and Lords from midday.
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