From our special correspondent in London,
Bouquet in hand, Laura, her daughter Coco, and Sharon, her longtime friend, feverishly try to break through the crowd gathered in front of Buckingham Palace. A crowd embraced by the same emotion: the sadness of having lost the one who has accompanied them all their lives. This Thursday, Queen Elizabeth II died “peacefully” at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, at the age of 96.
After seventy years of reign, the British sovereign leaves an orphan people. Bereaved royal subjects, who came in large numbers to the British royal palace to pay homage to their sovereign.
“The queen was our rock”
In front of the gates of Buckingham Palace this Thursday evening, police keep a security cordon and ensure that Londoners salute the memory of their queen in a calm that befits the circumstances. Not enough to distract Laura, Coco and Sharon from the mission they have set themselves. “We drove 1h30 from Cambridge,” says Laura. But earlier in the day, when we heard the news, “we first cried a lot, we were in shock. We watched the TV news for two hours, then, at 9:30 p.m., we thought we were going to drive to Buckingham Palace, to lay some flowers in memory of our queen. She has done so much for the country during her seventy years of reign, that it was important for us to show how much she was loved”.
An affection shared by her friend Sharon: “She has always been there, we have only known her all our lives. She knew how to remain stoic in the most difficult times and made us feel her affection for ourselves without being every day in our lives. We always promised ourselves that the day she left, we would be there, in front of the royal palace. The queen was our rock. It must be said that Elizabeth II “is on our banknotes, our stamps, our buildings, everywhere! She is the embodiment of our country, adds Laura, under the gaze of her daughter Coco. We’re going to drop off our bouquets and hit the road for Cambridge, Coco has school tomorrow and the alarm clock is going to sting”.
“He’s an icon”
A little further, although we are in the country of Shakespeare, it is in the language of Molière that Margot, Kevin, Lucas and Evan, four French expatriates in London, converse. A few months after attending the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations together, the group naturally found themselves outside the gates of the Royal Palace. Margot, tour guide in the British capital, does not hide his sadness. “I didn’t think I would be so affected, but it’s hard, I felt a lot of emotion when I arrived here, seeing the crowd, and all these flowers”. The disappearance of the queen, “we learned about it the London way, that is to say in the pub on leaving work”, say Kevin and Lucas.
And although they are not “real” subjects of Her Majesty, all wanted to meet in front of Buckingham Palace. “Since we have lived in London, we have followed all the major historical events, we have attended the Jubilee, exceptional celebrations”, remember Margot and Evan. “And what is exceptional is that this is a person who has crossed all eras. She made history, lived through World War II, managed to unite her people and beyond,” continues Evan. And to sum up, “She’s an icon, the queen!” So if we experience an unfortunate event, it is also a historic moment,” explains Lucas. After all, “between the longevity of her reign and all of her action, she made history, says Kevin. And his memory will endure in the future, like an Alexander the Great or a Julius Caesar. In several centuries, we will still be talking about her”.
“We stopped everything and sang the national anthem”
Outside the palace gates, another group of young Londoners hang a British flag on the ground. “We work in a pub in East London, and tonight it was full of West Ham fans who were going to watch the game, says Dean, 29. But when we learned of the queen’s death, we stopped everything to sing the national anthem [God saves the Queen], it was very moving. Then we thought it was time to pay tribute to him, for his 70 years of service, on behalf of our loved ones. After all, we have known her all our lives, our parents too and our grandparents too! So we came as soon as we finished our service, just to be there, and drop this flag, on behalf of my father”.
Because for many English people, the Queen was like a member of the family. “It’s a bit as if we had lost our grandmother, she was always there for us, explains Lee, 26 years old. We suspected that this day would come, especially since the death of Prince Philip which had affected her a lot, but for us it was eternal, smiles the young man gently, thinking back to the rainbow which shone above. above the palace in the afternoon. It is beautiful that she lived her last moments in her Balmoral castle, which she loved so much, surrounded by her loved ones.
“I will remember all my life that I was there”
Alone, Domingo immortalizes this particular evening with his smartphone. Yet he wasn’t even supposed to be here. “I was just making a quick trip to London for my job,” explains the 41-year-old Canadian. However, he took the time to come and pray at Buckingham Palace for the one who “has always been a great queen. But it’s surreal to think that she was always there, she who came to Canada many times, and that she passed away. It’s a great loss, but she’s a woman who has lived a great life. So it’s a sad day, but I want to celebrate his life. It is a special, unforgettable moment, I will remember all my life that I was there to pay homage to him! Because as a Canadian, she is also our queen! »
If Domingo leaves in a few hours on the other side of the Atlantic, the others do not intend to stop there. “We will follow all the next tributes paid to the queen, return to Buckingham Palace and attend the funeral”, assure the four French. Same program for young East Londoners. “He is an important figure for us, so we will be there to accompany him in this very special moment”. As for Coco, who will not have school this weekend, she will also be making her way back from Cambridge with her mother and her friend. “We won’t miss anything, promises Laura, to honor our queen to the end! »