Members of the public tearfully pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral Castle

• Members of the public are paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral Castle.
• Some mourners were tearful, while others wore black for mourning.

Members of the British public are gathering at Balmoral Castle to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The monarch died on Thursday at the age of 96. Having served for 70 years, she was the longest-serving monarch in British history.

The Queen had been spending the summer at Balmoral, her private summer residence in Scotland, during her final days.

People began gathering outside the gates of the castle on Thursday evening and some arrived as early as 7 a.m. on Friday, a steward told Insider. The public will be welcome to pay their respects for the duration of the official mourning period, which will last until seven days after the Queen's funeral, Buckingham Palace said.

Floral tributes and small gifts including teddy bears, balloons, pictures, and hand-written notes have been left so far. While some people were visibly tearful, others wore black as a sign of mourning.

Both local residents and people from across the UK were in attendance. One person told Insider that she was in the area for a vacation when she heard the news of the Queen's death. The monarch meant "everything" to her, she said.

"She's given everything to this country," another person told Insider. "I think King Charles will be good, and I think he'll follow the footsteps of how his mother behaved."

—Mikhaila Friel (@MikhailaFriel) September 9, 2022

Meanwhile, one person who traveled from Dundee, Scotland, told Insider that they had always wanted to visit Balmoral, and felt that they had to visit after the sad news.

"We're royalists, we're big royal fans. It's nice to be here, to be close to the royal family and to see all the tributes," they said.