Outside Westminster Abbey, ordinary Englishmen find unity: NPR

Crowds watch as the state gun carriage carries the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II during a ceremonial procession following her state funeral on Monday at Westminster Abbey in London.

Zac Goodwin / Getty Images

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Zac Goodwin / Getty Images

Crowds watch as the state gun carriage carries the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II during a ceremonial procession following her state funeral on Monday at Westminster Abbey in London.

Zac Goodwin / Getty Images

LONDON – Queen Elizabeth’s Funeral by all accounts is a somber and stern affair. But for many in the crowd outside Westminster Abbey, they were delighted by the company of others and felt that they did all they could to thank the late monarch.

A sizable crowd – although less than many said they were expecting – set up camp and spread out in spots along the area to say their final goodbyes to the queen and witness the competition first-hand. miss.

People who hadn’t slept there overnight showed up early in the morning with cameras and coffee mugs in hand. Some have worn T-shirt honoring the queensome wear vests, skirts and hats.

It’s each person for themselves when wanting to get a good look; people fiercely defend their spots along the sidewalks and on concrete walls. Beyond that, it was a united community – in their admiration of the queen’s service, in the elaborate funeral or both.

Many say that, in addition to catching a glimpse of the queen’s coffin during the procession, the highlight of their experience is a sense of solidarity and sharing a moment with those who have the same cause, no matter how different they may be. what difference.

Sally Parr, who watched the process unfold from a rolling office chair she received from her son’s nearby apartment, said the best part of her day was talking to people and making friends. new even if she never saw them again.

“It’s just a really nice, nice atmosphere, everyone is looking for people, friendly, fun atmosphere, except when the queen comes over when we’re all very formal.” , She added.

Veronica Knibbs-Hughes said being present in person gave her the opportunity to show her appreciation for the queen, as well as meet people of different races, classes and cultures. She said that act of participation made her feel included.

“Sometimes you feel a little bit marginalized, a little bit marginalized, and it’s nice to be included,” she added. “You feel uplifted, [it] Help your spirit, help your growth and it ricochets. It helps the whole society. ”

She hopes that the feeling of solidarity will last more than just one day, or ten days.

Even so, some in the crowd were more fans of the monarchy than others. Two art students, Ruth Meynell and Tulla Burnet went there to test it out, representing their families and telling stories to tell, but describing themselves as “not really monarchist” because of some of the harm it has caused in the past.

However, they seem to admire the queen’s decades of service and conclude that “nobody is perfect”.

Chris Imafidon, who has written books about the queen, said he met her regularly through his work with an educational institution and praised her for inviting underprivileged children to Commonwealth Services. commonwealth every year. He says her attention inspires them and gives them a sense of importance.

Imafidon added that he could say that the queen personally cares about equality, but also acknowledged the “bad, ugly” parts of the institution she represents. He admits it too, he said, just using her support for the independence of African nations as an example.

“I’m not looking at the monarch, I’m looking at my mother,” said Imafidon, who wore a mask and held an umbrella with the queen’s picture on it.

Crowds weren’t really sparse after the funeral began, with many people staying and pull out their phone to stream the scope of the service. At the end of the ceremony, an announcer called for two minutes of silence, and the crowd willingly obeyed before breaking into “God Save the King.”

People craned their necks to see the coffins of the queen and members of the royal family leave Westminster Abbey, and most only began to pack up when the procession was safely out of sight.

The onlookers, tired of a long day of mourning – and for days, more than a week – seemed to be chatting and in good spirits as they stepped out. Some have to travel home, others plan to visit other places in the city or spend time with family.

And although military movements are underway and fences are closed to prevent crowds from leaving quickly, many people have strutted. They unpack their deck chairs, grab their snacks and even have a cup of tea ready, ready to start reminiscing about a day they’ll surely never forget.