Thousands of Britons and other well-wishers braved the pouring rain to descend upon Buckingham Palace and pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away at her Balmoral estate in Scotland on Thursday afternoon.
“I was crying so much and all I’ve got is sodden eyes and I’m completely soaked but I don’t care,” a woman who came to mourn the Queen told Breitbart London. “My grandfather was Canadian and he died in the war, fighting for our country. It’s a very sad day.”
The sombre evening, which saw thousands come to lay flowers at the gates of the Royal residence in London, was broken up with moments of sporadic joy and cheers whenever the flag flying above the palace — which was flying at half-mast in honour of the Queen’s passing — caught the wind and waved in the night sky.
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 09: Flowers and tributes to Queen Elizabeth II are placed outside Buckingham Palace on September 9, 2022 in London, United Kingdom. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in Bruton Street, Mayfair, London on 21 April 1926. She married Prince Philip in 1947 and acceded the throne of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth on 6 February 1952 after the death of her Father, King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
Spontaneous renditions of the British national anthem, God Save the Queen, rang out in the rain to celebrate the life of Queen Elizabeth II, who at the age of 96 sat on the throne for 70 years and 214 days — the longest reign of any British monarch.
There were also chants of “God Save the King” in reference to Charles III, who succeeded his mother as Sovereign immediately after his mother’s death.
Many of the mourners described how “surreal” it was that the Queen was actually gone, after being an ever-present figure throughout their entire lives. Some even said that they were “too distraught” or “too emotional” to formulate words to describe what she meant to them.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – SEPTEMBER 08: A man wearing a Union Jack flag draped over his shoulders holds a candle as members of the public gather outside Buckingham Palace following the announcement of the death of Queen Elizabeth II in London, United Kingdom on September 08, 2022. Buckingham Palace has announced today that Queen Elizabeth II has died peacefully at Balmoral at the age of 96. (Photo by Wiktor Szymanowicz/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Above all though, members of the public expressed their gratitude for the role she played in representing their country to the rest of the world.
“She’s been brilliant,” a 75-year-old man said. “She’s been calm, controlled, dignified, she’s hardly put a foot wrong.”
“She’s had a lot of things to cope with, her family situations haven’t been easy, it has been on public display throughout the world and she’s just stood there like a rock and been able to handle it and take it. She’s been a good example for everyone to follow, she represents all that’s good about the UK.”
“She’s known around the world, she’s the longest reigning monarch ever and I think she always stood for what she believed in. I think everyone who is British, even if you aren’t a royalist, is proud to be British because of the Queen,” another mourner said.
Following a ten-day period of mourning and tributes, a funeral will be held for the Queen in London, with the public being able to pay their respects as she lies in state at Westminster Hall before a funeral ceremony in Westminster Abbey.
Double Rainbow over Buckingham Palace Attributed to Queen and Her Husband https://t.co/1I42GKLMSr
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) September 8, 2022
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