People gather around Buckingham Palace after Queen Elizabeth of London died at the age of 96 on September 8, 2022, standing near the Queen Victoria Memorial. REUTERS/Toby Melville
LONDON: Thousands gathered outside Buckingham Palace in London to weep and sing ‘God Save the Queen’ in impromptu emotional response as news broke that Queen Elizabeth had died.
A double rainbow arches across the London skyline, just before the palace lowers the Union Jack flag to half a pole, signifying the death of the monarch and the Service-to-Other falling into stunned silence.
With tears in her eyes, consultant Margaret Paris said, “We grew up with her always there.
She traveled 20 miles (32 km) to the palace after hearing earlier in the day that the Queen had fallen ill.
Elizabeth died peacefully at her home in Scotland at the age of 96. Her eldest son Charles, 73, is now King.
The atmosphere on the promenade in front of Buckingham Palace was very different than it was three months ago, and when the Queen appeared on the balcony there was a big cheer from those enjoying the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of her 70th anniversary on the throne.
Anxiety turned to shock when news of her death was announced on Thursday. I got
Thousands more people began to arrive, some with flowers.
“We rushed to the palace because it felt like history was being made. It was a great deal for our vacation,” said Nabeel Dokkratt, 26, a tourist from South Africa. .
The sense of bygone history is just as acute in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital, 300 miles away.
“‘Where were you when JFK was shot? Where were you on 9/11?
“Whether you’re a Royalist or not, I think people appreciated her for what she really did for the country and for the great service she did.”
At Buckingham Palace, 22-year-old student Adam Wilkinson Hill arrived with a bouquet of white lilies on behalf of himself and a group of his friends who were unable to be in the capital.
“It’s a big shock to the country,” he said.
