“There’s a real camaraderie in the queue. We are all looking out for each other' queenqueue
There’s an older couple performing a swing dance to pass the time, as others in the queue form an excited audience around them. They smile adoringly, clap enthusiastically, and shout out, “It’s like Strictly Come Dancing.”
Just a few metres down the line are Londoners Grace, 46 and her son Lachlan who proudly tells me that he is nine years old and has been granted special permission to stay up past his usual 8:30pm bedtime to see the Queen. “It was a humbling experience," she tells me when we speak later. "We entered through a set of stairs and immediately saw the coffin from the high vantage point. When we got down, the coffin was surrounded by people bowing their heads, showing their utmost respect for the Queen. Nobody was rushed, and those who wanted extra time were granted it. It made me think about life and death, and how precious our time is.
“My husband is a serving officer. My son is in the royal navy so she’s their ‘boss’,” shares Jan, as she visibly becomes upset. “We’ve grown up with her. She’s been there my whole life. Sorry, I’m going to get emotional.” Later I meet Violeta, 71, and Imelda, 54 and a husband who she sometimes refers to as “our driver” who loiters in the background.
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