THE crowds were small at first today, with the railings, which line the streets surrounding Westminster Hall in central London, standing idle.

But slowly young and old, tourists and Brits, took their place on Parliament Square. A half-mast Union Flag fluttered gently in the spring wind behind them.

Sunshine broke out from behind the cloud and the sound of sombre marching music filtered through the air.

By 11.30am - as the Queen Mother's coffin began the 28-minute journey from St James's Palace to Westminster - the roads were full.

There were some tears along the route, with one woman holding her head in her hands as she leant over the railings along Whitehall.

But the mood was largely reflective. The crowds wanted to pay their respects to a woman who led a long and happy life. It was far removed from the mourning which accompanies the loss of a young life cut tragically short.

The faces must have been comforting to the Royal procession, which accompanied the coffin - draped in the Queen Mother's standard and surmounted by her crown - through streets she would have known well.

Princes William and Harry maintained resolute, their faces looking strained, as they walked behind the gun carriage bearing their great-grandmother's body as it passed along Marlborough Road, the Mall, Horse Guards Road, Horse Guards Parade, Horse Guards Arch, Whitehall, Parliament Square and the New Palace.

Alongside them were other senior Royals, led by the Duke of Edinburgh, together with 1,600 armed service personnel, carrying rifles reversed as a mark of respect.

Then, at 11.58am, the coffin arrived at the Queen Mother's final public resting place, the medieval splendour of Westminster Hall.

The procession passed ranks of red-clad guards, their gold badges shining brightly in the sunlight, and turned into the sanded courtyard outside the hall.

The coffin was met by MPs, including Prime Minister Tony Blair, peers and senior church figures.

Then the Queen Mother's coffin was put on wooden platform, draped in a deep red cloth, where it will lie in state for the next four days.

It is the exact same spot where her husband, King George VI, lay in state some 50 years ago.

Updated: 14:35 Friday, April 05, 2002