A few hours after the ceremonies in London, Canadians in turn said goodbye to their Queen Elizabeth II on Monday, in the rain, with a parade in the federal capital Ottawa and a religious ceremony.
Umbrellas in hand and coffee to take away to warm up, a few hundred people thronged the streets of downtown Ottawa to see the Canadian Mounted Police parade despite the gloomy weather.
Due to bad weather, part of the aerial parade which was to take place after the religious ceremony was canceled at the last minute.
Wearing a cowboy hat and wearing a jersey adorned with the maple leaf, the symbol of Canada, Eugène Lauzon waited for hours Monday in front of the federal parliament in Ottawa.
The 81-year-old, who saw the Queen as a child during one of her official visits to Canada, wanted to say “goodbye as it should”.
“His kindness was like a tree with deep roots in Canada that stands against the mighty winds,” he told AFP.
“Her late Majesty’s devotion to Canada and Canadians will forever remain an important chapter in the history of our country,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was in London for the funeral, said in a statement.
Although Canadians’ relationship with the monarchy grew increasingly distant, the majority remained attached to Elizabeth II.
“For 70 years, she has been a constant presence for Canada, in times of celebration and in difficult situations,” said her representative in the country, Governor General Mary Simon.
After the parade, some 600 personalities gathered for a ceremony in Christ Church Cathedral in Ottawa. The former Prime Minister from 1984 to 1993, Brian Mulroney, notably spoke.
Subsequently, 96 cannon shots will be fired to symbolize each year of the Queen’s life, who died on September 8.
In her 70-year reign, Elizabeth II visited Canada 22 times — more than any other country.
During her last visit, in 2020, the monarch told the crowd gathered in Halifax, in the east of the country: “It is good to be at home! »