People gather in Devon to pay tribute

Tributes have been paid to Queen Elizabeth II by mourners attending screenings of the funeral in Devon.

The funeral, at Westminster Abbey, in London, was shown on big screens across Exeter and at the Lyric Theatre in Plymouth.

More than 1,200 people gathered at Exeter’s Northernhay Gardens to watch the event.

One woman said she had come to thank the Queen “for everything she did and everything she symbolised”.

The gates to the gardens opened shortly before 09:00 BST and people brought garden chairs or picnic blankets to sit on the grass in front of the large screen.

As the funeral ceremony progressed some people in the crowd were overcome with emotion.

William Bellamy, 86, now lives in St Austell, Cornwall, but had wanted to return to Exeter, the city of his birth, to pay his respects to the Queen.

“I think she was an absolutely marvellous woman,” he said.

“She gave us leadership and she was a marvellous model as a leader.”

Nicky West, from Exeter, who came to Northernhay with her four-year-old son, said: “Today is a historic day and I wanted us to be a part of that surrounded by other people paying their respects.

“I wanted my son to have something special to remember.”

The Derrien family, from Exeter, came with their dogs Tiana and Charlie, to watch the service.

Rebecca Derrien said: “We just wanted to pay our respects to the Queen and to be part of the community showing how grateful we are for everything she did and everything she symbolised over our whole lives.”

Allan Vernon, who served for 25 years in the forces, said he had gone to the Theatre Royal Plymouth to share the experience with other people.

The venue had said it had wanted to provide “a space where our communities can come together for this moment”.

The CEO of the theatre, James Mackenzie-Blackman, said there were 1,300 seats available.

He said: “It was really important to us that we provided a place for the people of our city and the wider south west region to come together if they’d like to share the funeral. We’re in the business of bringing people together.”

University of Plymouth student Lauren Usher, 21, from Derbyshire, said it was a “quiet, relaxed but respectful” atmosphere in the auditorium.

Arthur Watson, 73, from Plymouth, said: “I live on my own, so it was nice to experience it with other people.”

Cyril Blackman, 90, had met the Queen three times, including being presented an MBE.

He said: “We are a garrison city and the Queen has been here so many times and visited practically every arm of the forces here and the civilian population. It’s important we come here to witness it.”

During the two minutes’ silence, members of the audience stood to pay their respects.

Exeter City Football Club said more than 100 people attended the screening at St James Park.

A crowd gathered in the Stagecoach Adam Stansfield Stand to watch the ceremony.