popular emotion takes over the streets of London

It is the event they will remember for the rest of their lives. Some arrived in London (UK) well before dawn, Monday, September 19, and waited long hours. They nevertheless have the assurance of being in the front row, dressed in black or sporting the Union Jack. All carry the mourning of a nation on their shoulders. “The Queen was known for her love of hats. She was always perfectly dressed for every occasion. So I put on this hat”says an Englishwoman.

Then the crowd fell silent, holding their breath as the coffin passed, before singing the new hymn in unison, God Save the King. Some were moved to tears to see the last page of a 70-year history pass before their eyes. “It made me realize, suddenly, that it’s the end of an era“, says a Briton. The pubs in the area have taken on the appearance of a vigil. The celebration of a life and a United Kingdom in pain, which mourned its queen one last time.