David Beckham turned down the chance to skip the queue to see the Queen lying in state

David Beckham was one of the many thousands who queued outside of Westminster Hall in order to see Queen Elizabeth II in state, but the former Manchester United star could have skipped.

The queue in London to see the Queen lying in state, ahead of her funeral on Monday, has stretched for miles along the River Thames.

Thousands upon thousands have gathered to pay their final respects to the longest reigning monarch to have served the country, who passed away on September 8th.

Amongst those in line on Friday was former England captain, Beckham, who, unlike many, had met the Queen on several occasions throughout his life.

Beckham queued for 12 hours, joining it at 2 am on Friday morning and finally getting to see the Queen lying in state around 2 pm.

Some may have thought that with his celebrity came the chance to skip the queue, as MPs and other celebs have done, and it seems he could have done.

According to the Daily Mail, the 47-year-old was offered the chance to get right to the front but decided to turn it down because he knew his grandad wouldn't have been happy.

"David could have avoided all of the queuing but he wanted to be like everyone else," a source told the newspaper.

"He said his grandad wouldn’t have [jumped the queue] so neither would he. He had been wondering all week when the best time was to go and finally he went for this morning.

"David was brought up in an East End family who were real royalists – the kind who would stand to attention when the national anthem came on. He wanted to go to see the Queen like any other member of the public."

Speaking to ITV news outside of Westminster Hall, the former Real Madrid star said, "Every time we stood there when we wore those Three Lion shirts and I had my armband, and we sang God save our Queen, that was something that meant so much to us. Every time we did it, it was something special.

"So this day was always going to be difficult. It’s difficult for the nation, it’s difficult for everyone around the world, because I think everyone is feeling it, and our thoughts are with the family and obviously with everybody here today. 

"Because it’s special to be here, to celebrate and to hear the different stories that people have to say. I thought by coming at 2am, it was going to be a little bit quieter – I was wrong.

"To step up, to get my honour but then also Her Majesty, to ask questions, to talk, I was so lucky that I was able to have a few moments like that in my life.

"Because we can all see with the love that has been shown, how special she was and the legacy she leaves behind. It’s a sad day, but it’s a day for us to remember the incredible legacy that she’s left."

Former England boss revealed that when he met Queen Elizabeth he expected her to tell him Beckham was her favourite footballer, but was left surprised.

Instead the Queen told the Swede that Michael Owen was her favourite, with Sven claiming her reasoning was, "He looks so clean."

SPORTbible Stories is the brand-new podcast from the SPORT team at LADbible. The first episode features a chat with former Burnley manager Sean Dyche as he opens up on his departure from Turf Moor, what the future holds and the amazing story of the spin wheel for fines while in charge of the Clarets. You can watch the first episode here.