For David Beckham, the wait was worth it.
On Friday, Sept. 16, the former soccer star waited in line for 13 hours in order to pay respects the late Queen Elizabeth II lying in state at Westminster Hall in London. He appears to tear up while walking past the late monarch's coffin. He also bowed his head and closed his eyes momentarily while appearing before the coffin.
David, donning a suit and flat cap, told a news crew that he began lining up around 2:15 a.m.
"We've all been celebrating, telling stories," he told a reporter while in line. Speaking of the long wait, he said, "To be honest, it's what we all envisioned. We all want to be here, we all want to experience something where we celebrate the amazing life of our Queen, and I think something like this today is meant to be shared together."
The English soccer legend was escorted by police after leaving the hall.
Becks, who received an OBE (Order of the British Empire) from the Queen in 2003 for services to football, said he and his fellow mourners were snacking on chips, donuts and coffee to keep their energy up while they waited.
In chatting with ITV News, David said great respect for the royals was instilled in him at a young age.
"I grew up in a household of royalists and I was brought up that way so if my grandparents [had] been here today, I know that they would have wanted to be here so I am here on their behalf and on behalf of my family and obviously to celebrate with everybody else here," he said. "The amount of times that I was able to meet her through my career and I was very lucky… to represent my country, to be captain of my country."
He continued, "Every time we stood there and we wore those Three Lions shirts and I had my armband and we sang 'God Save Our Queen,' that was something that meant so much to us and every time that we did it, it was something special. Probably the most special moment for me was when I received my OBE, and to receive my OBE… To step up, to get my honour, but then also her majesty to ask a question and to talk, I was so lucky that I was able to have a few moments like that in my life."