Photo: Odd ANDERSEN / POOL / AFP
A man has been detained in Westminster Hall following a "disturbance", British police say.
Tens of thousands of mourners have been queuing to pay their final respects to Queen Elizabeth II.
According to a statement from the Metropolitan Police in London, officers detained a man in the hall where the Queen is lying in state at around 10pm local time (9am NZT).
"He was arrested for an offence under the Public Order Act and is currently in custody," the statement reads.
The live feed showing the Queen lying in state appeared to briefly cut out during the incident.
The Guardian newspaper reports that the suspect ran up the steps to the coffin and managed to touch it.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the man tried to pull the Royal Standard off the coffin before police tackled him.
"It was quite shocking, but it lasted just two or three seconds before they carried him away," Surrey resident Paul Denton was quoted as saying by the US newspaper.
Earlier, King Charles and his siblings stood vigil by the coffin of Queen Elizabeth.
Charles, Princess Anne, Princes Andrew and Edward, stood in silence with their heads bowed for the vigil at Westminster Hall.
Mourners in the queue currently face a wait of up to 24 hours.
The Queen's funeral is on Monday.
- BBC