In airport lounges, parks, pubs and town squares, people gathered in front of screens across Britain on Monday to watch Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral.
The normally busy streets fell silent as young and old gathered in towns, villages and cities outside London for the live broadcast of the service broadcast from Westminster Abbey.
“When you can watch it with a big group of people, it feels more communal,” said student Jo Underwood in Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park.
“That was the thing about the Queen, she brought everyone together, so this is a fitting way to end her reign, with everyone coming together to watch her funeral.”
Some held their heads down, others wiped away tears as Britain said goodbye to its longest-serving monarch, who died on September 8 aged 96.
Gurminder Kaur got up early to drive from Essex, in southeast England, to Windsor, where the Queen will be buried later on Monday.
The 50-year-old barrister had spent more than 14 hours at the weekend, queuing to see the monarch lie in state at London’s Westminster Hall.
“The queue (in London) had a festival atmosphere, and you just had the adrenaline that kept you going,” Kaur said.
“But today, in his final resting place in the castle, the mood is much more somber.”
Hundreds of people watched the funeral at Manchester Cathedral while in Birmingham, people sheltered from the rain under awnings in the city’s Centenary Square.
Outside Belfast City Hall, the crowd rose to sing the national anthem.
At Gatwick Airport in south London, passengers stared at each other in the departure lounges and arrivals areas.
– From Reuters
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 19: Members of the public gather in Parliament Square for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey on September 19, 2022 in London, England. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in Bruton Street, Mayfair, London on 21 April 1926. She married Prince Philip in 1947 and ascended the throne of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth on 6 February 1952 after the death of his father, King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022 and was succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. (Photo by Sarah Meyssonnier – WPA Pool/Getty Images) Credit: Getty Images