Amanda Holden headed to Buckingham Palace to pay her respects to the Queen on Friday – a day after she died aged 96.
The TV star, 51, cut a sombre figure as she walked among the crowds who were lining the streets of The Mall to pay tribute to Her Majesty, wearing a smart blue dress.
Queen Elizabeth died on Thursday afternoon at Balmoral Castle, Scotland.
Sombre: Amanda Holden headed to Buckingham Palace to pay her respects to the Queen on Friday – a day after she died aged 96
Amanda decided to pay her respects after presenting her Heart Radio Breakfast show in nearby Leicester Square.
The day before, she took to Twitter to pay tribute to the Queen.
She wrote: ‘I think we all believed our Queen would live forever.. her grace, good humour and indomitable spirit were the backbone of Great Britain..
‘I cannot imagine our country without her… #GodsavetheQueen.’
Emotional: The TV star, 51, cut a sombre figure as she walked among the crowds who were lining the streets of The Mall to pay tribute to Her Majesty, wearing a smart blue dress
Heartfelt: The day before, she took to Twitter to pay tribute to the Queen
Amanda has had the pleasure of meeting Queen Elizabeth in person on several occasions, most recently in 2015 at an event held at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.
Earlier this year, the presenter enjoyed a morning of royal company at Clarence House in London to celebrate the 160th Anniversary of the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home animal welfare charity, for which she is an Ambassador.
Amanda warmly greeted Battersea’s Royal Patron Camilla, then the Duchess of Cornwall and now Queen consort, with kisses as they joined Paul O’Grady and some very sweet dogs at the garden reception.
On the move: Amanda decided to pay tribute after presenting her Heart Radio Breakfast show in nearby Leicester Square
Emotional scenes: Amanda hid her eyes behind sunglasses and kept her head down as she made her way to the Palace
Royal Highness: Amanda has had the pleasure of meeting Queen Elizabeth in person on several occasions, most recently in 2015 at an event held at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home
A period of national mourning for the Queen has now commenced, which will continue until the end of the day of her state funeral.
Her death sparked an immediate and huge outpouring of emotion, with thousands of heartbroken mourners gathering outside the gates of Buckingham Palace and other royal buildings yesterday evening.
At one point, a rendition of God Save The Queen rang out among the mourners, followed by cheers of Long Live The King.
Royal greeting: Earlier this year, the presenter enjoyed a morning of royal company where she greeted Camilla, then Duchess of Cornwall and now Queen consort, with kisses
Others laid flowers outside Windsor Castle – where The Queen had spent much of her time following the death of her beloved husband, Prince Philip, in April last year.
Senior royals dashed to be at the Queen’s bedside on Thursday, but did not reach Balmoral in time before she passed, it is believed.
Only her eldest children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, who were already in Scotland at the time of the Monarch’s sudden turn for the worse, were able to make it to the royal estate before her death, sources said.
Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, his wife Sophie, and Prince William all flew in from Berkshire via private jet to Aberdeen on Thursday as they dashed to Balmoral to see her. But it is understood that they did not reach the estate before she passed.
Prince Harry, who was due to attend a charity event with wife Meghan in London on Thursday, also attempted to reach Balmoral in time. But he arrived at 8pm, nearly an hour-and-a-half after the public were informed of the Queen’s death.
The Queen’s son Charles, the former Prince of Wales, is now King Charles III, while Prince William has inherited his father’s title and is now, along with his wife, styled The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge. William is also now the ‘heir apparent’ to the British throne.
Royal company: Amanda is pictured meeting the Queen in 2003 after she performed in the Royal Variety show
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk