Tens of thousands of people have queued for many hours to see the former monarch’s coffin, raised on a catafalque in Westminster Hall since it officially opened on Wednesday.
But entry has now been "paused" as demand to pay respects to Queen Elizabeth II has exceeded capacity.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DMCS) made the announcement on Friday morning.
A statement reads: “Southwark Park has reached capacity. Entry will be paused for at least 6 hours. We are sorry for any inconvenience.
The queue to see Queen Elizabeth II Lying-In-State
SARAH MEYSSONNIER
Mourners have queued for hours to pay their respects
ALKIS KONSTANTINIDIS
“Please do not attempt to join the queue until it reopens.
“Check back for further updates.”
In its most recent update, the department said estimated queueing time for mourners had risen to at least 14 hours.
With people waiting through the night to witness the Lying-In-State, the queue had grown to almost five miles long by Friday morning.
The Government had warned that Southwark Park had become “extremely busy” before making the decision to suspend entry.
The Lying-In-State will be open 24 hours a day until closing at 6.30am on Monday, ahead of the state funeral in Westminster Abbey.
There will be a national bank holiday to allow as many people as possible to see.
Queen Elizabeth II’s final resting place will be the King George VI memorial chapel, an annex to the main chapel – where her mother and father were buried, along with the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret.
Prince Philip's coffin will move from the Royal Vault to the memorial chapel to join the Queen’s.
