Two million people have searched for the best place to witness the funeral of Elizabeth II and be part of a historic event in the British monarchy
Elizabeth II’s funeral closes eleven days of continuous mourning in England, Scotland and the Commonwealth realms. The expectation has been maximum on each day and this Monday, the day of the wake, the attendance exceeds all the records set. The event has 2,200 guests, 500 of them heads of state and high-ranking leaders from around the world, but the citizens waiting in the streets and parks of London take the cake.
Some two million people have searched for the best place to witness the funeral and thus be part of a historic event in the British monarchy. Hundreds of citizens defied the Government, which prohibited overnight camping. But no Londoner – or even around the world – wanted to risk missing out on a moment like this. This is the case of Janine Cleere, a 47-year-old resident of Wiltshire, who camped out overnight with two friends. She had never attended a royal event, but this time she was different. She wanted to feel “part of history,” experience the atmosphere and “pay my respects,” she told The Guardian. “She’s all we’ve ever known and no we don’t have her anymore, she’s very sad. I feel sorry for her and her family, for having that loss », she laments.
The overnight wait was “lovely.” “There was a minute of silence at 8:00 p.m. and then we had a couple of drinks,” says this woman, who shared a single sleeping bag with her two friends. Although they appreciate that it was not a cold night, either because of the conditions or because of the expectation, “I didn’t sleep at all.” Many people camped out overnight in streets and parks, though the night was “very quiet,” says Cleere. It was after seven in the morning when the tents were asked to be dismantled and the crowd began to arrive. Since then, she points out, “it’s been crazy.”
Hundreds of people camped out overnight in the streets and parks of London. /
“The atmosphere is great,” says Sarah Merrick, 569, who has traveled from Hampshire very early to be able to arrive at The Mall, the main street of Westminster, between Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square, at 5:15 a.m., where the funeral procession has taken place. Once there, she set up camp for her children, her best friend, and her daughter. Surrounded by hundreds of people, they point out that “most of the people are friendly, but there is a bit of jostling,” says Merrick, who has shed tears at the start of the procession.
This resident of Hampshire is not a monarchist and believes that royalty “offers much to this country.” “I have a lot of respect. The queen has been there all my life. It is rare to refer to the king now. She was an amazing woman, the level of service she provided was so impressive », she expresses fondly towards the late monarch. In fact, this is not her first rodeo. Merrick also camped for the princess royal’s wedding in 1972, she slept overnight for the jubilee in 1977 and again for Charles and Diana’s wedding in 1985.
maximum expectation
The expectation is maximum in this great appointment. The funeral is broadcast on television – it is expected that 4,000 million people will follow it live – and even in more than a hundred cinemas throughout England. It can also be followed in churches, theaters and screens placed in different squares. Between 15,000 and 20,000 people work in the organization, including police officers, assistants and volunteers, to receive the more than 2,000 guests at the wake without inconvenience – 500 of them are heads of state and high-ranking leaders from around the world.
“I am here to say goodbye to my incredible queen and tell her that I loved her all my life,” Benny Hamedi, originally from Iran but living in Surrey, south of London, for more than three decades, told ‘The Guardian’. This 55-year-old woman is one of those waiting in lines around Westminster Abbey from early in the morning. She excited, she holds a photograph of Elizabeth II with the phrase: ‘I will miss you but I will never forget you, I love you’.
Hamedi was able to hold a brief meeting with King Charles II outside Buckingham Palace as he greeted mourners. “I looked him in the eye and said ‘I’m really sorry for your loss’ and I started crying. I’ve been crying since Thursday,” the woman admits.
During the procession, a wave of applause filled the streets of London. Parents lifted their children on their shoulders so that they could be part of this historical moment. Until then, the little ones were entertained with mobile devices or toys. A brief moment before the funeral procession began, a boy who needed to go to the bathroom after waiting for hours with his family asked his father anxiously, “We’re not going to lose our place, are we?”
Nobody wanted to miss the event. Not even the opportunity to say goodbye to Elizabeth II during the funeral chapel. And it is that nearly 400,000 people have passed through Westminster these days to say their last goodbye to the late monarch after waiting in queues for miles. Like Phil did with his wife, Carolyn. Although “it has nothing to do with the queen, it’s basically our love of standing in line,” he told the BBC. Despite the pain of this gray time in the British nation, humor is not lacking.
Tears have been the protagonist of the day, from the moment of the funeral in Westminster Abbey, passing through the last procession through the streets of London and culminating in a more private mass – for some 800 people – in Windsor, where at 7:30 p.m. local time (one more in mainland Spain) Isabel II will be buried, whose remains will rest next to those of her husband, Felipe, who died in April 2021.
“I can’t speak without crying”
“I can’t speak without crying. I am 62 years old and she has been there all my life and now she is no longer… », laments Paul Benham, who could not hold back his tears during the final procession. He is accompanied by his wife, Diana, 58 years old. “He was very emotional, very respectful and very British. Singing ‘God Save the King’ should have been momentous but it was very difficult for me », he admits. Her funeral has been special for her because she lost her mother 18 months ago and “the queen reminded me of her, they both had similar smiles.”
The late monarch’s corgis await the procession at Windsor Castle. /
All eyes were on the entourage. Including those of the corgis, the late queen’s four-legged family, who have been seen outside Windsor Castle waiting for the procession. There was also Emma, the monarch’s favorite horse.
“It is a historic occasion, unique in life,” bet Colar Oliver, who flew from Belgium to say his last goodbye to Elizabeth II. “When the casket passes and you know she’s inside of it and you can never see her again, it’s very emotional,” he said through tears. “She gave us 70 years of duty and service. It is the end of an era.”
#massive #farewell #streets #London