Sharjah24 - Reuters: Leaders and monarchs from around the world gathered in London on Monday to bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth at a state funeral of inimitable pageantry, marking the passing of a beloved figure who helped unify the nation through her 70-year reign.

Hundreds of thousands of people queued to file past the casket of Britain's longest-reigning monarch at London's historic Westminster Hall during her lying-in-state, and thousands more lined the streets to witness a sombre display of royal pomp.

They, like many across the globe including U.S. President Joe Biden, came to pay tribute to the 96-year-old who earned respect for her sense of duty and represented a constant as Britain's role in the world diminished and changed.

"You were fortunate to have had her for 70 years," Biden said. "We all were."

Shortly before 11 a.m., the oak coffin, covered in the Royal Standard flag with the Imperial State Crown on top, will be placed on a gun carriage and pulled by naval personnel to Westminster Abbey for her funeral .