London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 15, 2025

The queen's queue: A portrait of our times

The queen's queue: A portrait of our times

The death of Queen Elizabeth has drawn people from across Britain and the world to queue through the streets of London to pay their respects - a melting pot of nationalities, religions, ages and backgrounds.

Among the tens of thousands waiting more than 14 hours to file past the late monarch's coffin on Friday were veterans who had sworn to give their lives in service to their queen and others who had grown up as children of former British colonies.

They had come together to mark a moment in history - the passing of Britain's longest reigning monarch.

Older mourners spoke of their pride in a monarch who was still carrying out government duties two days before she died while younger people spoke of their need to bear witness to such a huge national event.

"She was my boss for 24 years," said Martin Jervis, 54, from Suffolk in eastern England, wearing his naval beret and medals and explaining how, as a member of the armed forces, everything he had done was for the queen.

"That pride and that respect and that responsibility never goes away," he said.

Jervis queued with his cousin Ricky Woods, 51. Starting at midnight they were a couple of hours away from entering the vast medieval Westminster Hall when he spoke to Reuters at around 9 a.m..

While the early hours had been marked by laughter, chat and a sharing of stories amongst strangers, Jervis said the atmosphere had become "a little bit more serious, a little bit more sombre" as they edged along the River Thames towards parliament.

OUTPOURING OF AFFECTION


Cordelia Stronge, 56, from Sierra Leone, spoke of her pride in her adopted city London as she queued with two family members who had been visiting the capital from the West African nation.

"We've known her since we were children," she told Reuters, wearing a colourful blue and yellow headscarf and multiple layers. "Sierra Leone, where I come from, was a colony under the British Empire so she means a lot to us."

The death of Queen Elizabeth has sparked an outpouring of emotion across Britain, with elderly men and women, some in old military uniforms, moving slowly and quietly among the sea of floral tributes left in royal parks and outside royal palaces.

At the same time many younger observers have arrived, smartphone in hand, to celebrate a life and an occasion.

"I'm never going to be part of something like this again," said 25-year-old medical student Jane Ganeshalingam who queued with her mother and explained that her earliest memory in life came from a celebration of the queen when her school gave out bookmarks.

"Part of being British I guess is just having a queen or having Queen Elizabeth II on the throne."

For Reverend Paul Roberts, 42, a vicar in the Church of England from Herefordshire, western England, he said he was there to represent his parish and give "something very small back" after she did so much.

"It makes me feel very proud, really, the eyes of the world are on us and so many people that we've been speaking to in the queues, they're from all over the world," he said, wrapped in a winter coat.

"The queen really is a truly global leader."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
×