Members of the Royal Family went on an impromptu walkabout yesterday to thank the thousands of people who have queued around the clock to pay their respects to the Queen Mother.

The Princess Royal, her husband Commodore Tim Laurence, her son Peter Phillips and the Countess of Wessex spoke to the members of the public waiting in line to view the Queen Mother's coffin in Westminster Hall.

The Royal party also shook hands and posed for photographs during the walk along the South Bank of the river Thames.

Market traders Tom and Kate Chamberlin had waited in the queue for more than three hours.

Tom, 60, from Leicester, said: ''I could not believe it when they arrived. It was such a nice gesture for them to make. I think it's something that people will really appreciate."

Ann Butcher, 69, of Sevenoaks, Kent, shook hands with the Countess of Wessex and chatted about the amazing queues.

"We had been in the queue for several hours, so it was such a nice touch for this to happen. We weren't bothered about queuing up for so long, but this has certainly made it worthwhile.''

Ron Paterson, 67, of Muswell Hill, North London, shook hands with the Princess Royal.

''Our spirits had begun to sag after queuing up for more than two hours, but this will make the rest of the queue go by very quickly.''

* Anita Atkinson, from Fir Tree, near Crook, County Durham, was one of the first to stake her claim to a prime vantage point, opposite Westminster Abbey yesterday.

The mother-of-three revelled in the party atmosphere among the crowd in the hours leading up to the funeral.

She said: "It is a real carnival. There is no sadness. We are celebrating a wonderful life and there are flags from all nations including South Africa and Australia as well as hundreds of Union Jacks.

"The mood at the time of the funeral will be more sombre. It will be a very special occasion and one which we will probably never see again."