Prime Minister Liz Truss is among the mourners in attendance at St Paul's Cathedral to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at a memorial service.
Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully at Balmoral on Thursday aged 96.
Ms Truss looked solemn as she gave her Bible reading from Romans 14. 7-12.
She said: “We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
“For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
Prime Minister Liz Truss arrives at Queen Elizabeth II's memorial service
PAUL CHILDS
“Why do you pass judgement on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God.
“For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.’ So then, each of us will be accountable to God.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Labour leader Keir Starmer, Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly are all also in attendance at the service and are sat together.
In a separate area, the Speaker of the House of Commons and the Lord Speaker were sat together while Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Nadhim Zahawi is sat with Lord High Chancellor Brandon Lewis.
A total of 2,000 seats for the event were made available to the members of the public
Paul Childs
A total of 2,000 seats for the event were made available to the members of the public on a first come, first serve basis.
All wristbands for the service were distributed within three hours, a cathedral spokeswoman said.
Earlier on Friday, a hundreds-strong queue winding from St Paul’s to beyond the Tube station streets away was formed.
Attendees were dressed smartly in black suits and ties while others wore black mourning veils as they waited to take their seat inside the cathedral.
It is just over three months since the cathedral was the setting for a service of thanksgiving – attended by the royal family – during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
The monarch pulled out of attending the service due to the physical demands involved.
Speaking on Friday, Ms Truss said her "thoughts are with" King Charles III following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Ms Truss wrote on Twitter: "On behalf of a grieving nation I offer my deepest condolences on the passing of Her Majesty.
"She was the rock on which modern Britain was built.
"The thoughts of this government and this nation are with His Majesty The King and his family."
