The crowds had gathered along The Mall from 4.30am, anxiously claiming their place along the metal barriers to pay their respects to a sovereign who had served them for 70 years. The state funeral, now a focal point for the mourners in a time of profound grief, was also a time to reflect on the affection and admiration they felt for their Queen.
Royal Navy Sailors walk ahead and behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II
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Melinda from Massachusetts, one among the crowd of mourners, said: ‘This is a pilgrimage for me, I arrived and went straight to Westminster Hall to the lying in state. I am here today for all my friends back home who can’t join me, I’ll be sending them videos.’ Nadia and her husband and two daughters came from Whitstable, her grandfather had been in the Coldstream guards and had taken part in the young Princess Elizabeth’s wedding to Prince Philip. ‘We have come today to see history and be part of it,’ they said. Neil and his brother Jeremy, who arrived last night from Brighton, added: ‘She is Queen of the world, isn’t she?’
