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THE King and Prince William today surprised mourners waiting in the five-mile queue to see the Queen lying in state.

Crowds cheered as the Monarch and his son arrived to thank people for waiting up to 26 hours to pay their respects to Her Majesty at Westminster Hall.

The King meeting members of the public waiting in line to see the Queen's coffinCredit: Reuters

There was a sea of phones snapping pictures of the father and sonCredit: PA

The Prince of Wales shook hands with those closestCredit: Reuters

Crowds pressed up against the barriers to try to get a closer lookCredit: Reuters

Mourners stretch over each other to try to shake the monarch's handCredit: Reuters

Prince William also chatted to those in the long queueCredit: Reuters

The monarch sharing a laugh with those in the queueCredit: Reuters

Hundreds of royal fans in line in Lambeth, South London, applauded as Charles, 73, and William, 40, emerged together.

Many took photos and pressed against the metal barriers, eager to exchange a word with the pair.

The father and son shook hands with those closest and smiled and waved at those in the back.

Several shouted "God Save the King" and "God Save the Prince of Wales" as they passed by.

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Several people could be seen calling their friends and relatives on the phone to tell them what they had just witnessed.

There was a sea of phones trying to snap a photo of one of the royals on the impromptu walkabout, but their security guards encouraged people to "enjoy the moment".

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Wait times stretched to more than 25 hours overnight as thousands braved cold temperatures to see the Queen lying-in-state.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport's (DCMS) then warned mourners not to make the journey until further notice as Southwark Park was "near total capacity".

The gates reopened at around 9am, but those already in line were urged to brace for cold weather, as temperatures dipped below 7C in the early morning.

Undeterred, a steady stream of people joined the queue, many wearing coats and jumpers.

Tatie Kirst, 38, a project manager who had just joined the back, said: "I think I'm prepared, I brought my good coat, I have a stool if I need to sit, I'm getting food and water, and we're going to walk the way.

"I think there is always a question, Is it worth it? Can I make it? And hopefully, yes.