Quarter of a million people thought to have filed past Queen’s coffin in London

Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan gave the figure the morning after the nation’s longest-reigning monarch was buried at Windsor Castle.

Ms Donelan said her department was still “crunching the numbers” as to how many people had queued for hours in London to process past the Queen’s coffin at Westminster Hall, but that she believed it was around 250,000.

The royal family is observing another week of mourning for the Queen after a state funeral on Monday that was full of emotion and ceremony under the gaze of the world.

The King is since thought to have flown to Scotland with the Queen Consort to grieve privately.

Charles and Camilla were pictured in a vehicle which arrived at RAF Northolt on Tuesday morning, reportedly bound for Balmoral – the estate on which the King’s Scottish home of Birkhall is located.

Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment.

Meanwhile, Ms Donelan said that most British people would see the cost of the Queen’s funeral as “money well spent”, but she told Sky News she could not put a figure on what the total might be.

No 10 has said costs for the funeral and mourning period will be published “in due course”.

Ms Donelan described the queue for Westminster Hall as “phenomenal”, as she paid tribute to the volunteers who helped manage and support the proceedings of recent days, including the lying-in-state.

She told BBC Breakfast: “There’s no dress rehearsal, is there, for this kind of scenario? It has been in the plans for years, but obviously we stress-tested everything and worked with community groups.”

She praised the help of the Samaritans, the Red Cross, the police and establishments across the South Bank that opened their doors to those queuing.

London Ambulance Service thanked its staff and volunteers who worked with St John Ambulance at the queue, saying they had cared for a total of 2,012 people who lined up, and had taken 240 to hospital.

Prime Minister Liz Truss is also “incredibly grateful” for all the work that went into the funeral, Downing Street said.

The outpouring of love, respect and affection was a “remarkable show of unity across the country, but also a fitting tribute to the life and legacy” of the Queen, a No 10 spokesperson said.

Charles decreed on September 9, the day after the Queen died following her 70-year reign, that a period of mourning would be observed until seven days after the funeral.

Members of the royal family are not expected to carry out official engagements, and flags at royal residences will remain at half-mast until 8am after the final day of royal mourning.

They have been left bereft by the death of their mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, and at times their grief was palpable with Charles looking emotional and close to tears at the state funeral.

The Countess of Wessex was also seen weeping during the long day as was the Duchess of Sussex, who returned with the Duke of Sussex to the royal family to share their grief.

But Charles and his family have been consoled by the support and love they have received from the public, including the tens of thousands who turned out to watch the late monarch’s funeral procession make its slow journey through the capital and on to Windsor Castle for the committal service.

The simple service at St George’s Chapel contrasted with the earlier state funeral at Westminster Abbey which was attended by dignitaries including hundreds of heads of state.

Among the 2,000-strong congregation at the abbey were foreign royalty, leading figures from UK life and world leaders including US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.

The Queen was finally laid to rest with her husband the Duke of Edinburgh during a private evening burial service in Windsor attended just by close family.

No date has been fixed for the coronation of Charles, but it is expected that, in line with royal precedent and due to the large amount of planning involved, there will be at least several months between the funeral and the crowning of the new monarch.