Mourners gather at West Midlands sites of worship for Queen's state funeral
Places of worship across the West Midlands have come together to pay tribute to Her Majesty the Queen as she is laid to rest after a lifetime of service.
Many churches arranged additional services to provide locals the opportunity to mourn and pray ahead of the state funeral in London on Monday.
St Matthew's Church in Walsall town centre was open from 8am on Monday for prayer, and welcomed visitors from 11am to come together and watch the funeral.
There was a sombre and reflective mood at the church, as people laid flowers outside the West Door at the top of the steps, overlooking the town.
Those who attended were also able to light a candle and sign a book of remembrance to pay tribute.
A book of condolence was also open at Walsall Town Hall, while an area was set aside for floral tributes outside of the Civic Centre on Darwall Street.
In attendance were the mayor of Walsall, Councillor Rose Martin and deputy mayor, Councillor Chris Towe, who both lit candles on behalf of the borough.
They then joined locals to watch a broadcast of the state funeral on a big screen in the church and participate in the national two-minute silence.
Councillor Rose Martin said: "Watching the state funeral was a moving experience, and it was a fitting tribute to her extraordinary reign.
"Amid all the pomp and pageantry, what came across was the love and respect felt by the nation as the country said goodbye to the longest-serving monarch this country has known."
Councillor Christopher Towe, deputy mayor, added: "It was very pleasant; it was a sad day for everybody there but it was nice to be together.
"We all wanted to be there to say goodbye to our Queen.
"It was lovely to see on the big screen, very sad we had to see it, but a wonderful event.
“Nobody does it quite like we do, she was admired across the world.
“It was nice that we all came together, I actually met someone from Solihull who had come down because she wanted to be in a church."
Reverend Joseph Smith, curate at St Matthew's, described the mood as sombre and reflective.
He said: "We wanted to open up that reflective space to our community and the wider community to share in a communal sense of grief and mourning which you don’t find readily in modern society."
Crowds of mourners flocked to London, Windsor and royal sites throughout the UK on the national bank holiday, with the service drawing in viewers from across the globe.
The Royal Family, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte, were among 2,000 people who gathered at Westminster Abbey to remember the late monarch.
People were also invited to Lichfield Cathedral as its doors were opened to offer a tranquil setting for respectful remembrance.
Since the news was announced, the cathedral has opened its doors as a space to reflect, pray, light a candle and write in the book of condolence.
Reverend Adrian Dorber, Dean of Lichfield said: "We felt it important to give people a chance to reflect in a unique way by standing with the nation in silence.
"It also reflects the light of faith that was Queen Elizabeth’s strength and inspiration.
"We pray that Lichfield Cathedral might be of service to its community during this time of mourning and that we can offer stability and hope for the future.
“We, as a cathedral team, would like to thank Lichfield District Council for their support.
"The council has generously provided resource for the production of orders of service, and the necessary technology to screen the funeral in the cathedral."
