‘Without Any Hesitation, We Booked The Trains To Be Here’: Thousands Fill London Streets To Pay Final Respects To The Queen

LONDON – On a fittingly gloomy day, thousands filled the streets of London on Monday to say goodbye to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in hopes of seeing her casket carried through the city as part of the royal procession for her grand state funeral.

The Queen’s casket first departed from Westminster Hall, where she had been lying in state, to Westminster Abbey. At the Abbey, the Queen received a funeral service attended by 2,000 individuals, including heads of state from around the globe. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden were in attendance.

Throngs of people from around the United Kingdom began lining up Sunday night to secure a spot in the crowd to say their final goodbyes to the monarch who served her country for 70 years on the throne. Many began making preparations for this historic day as soon as they heard she had passed away on September 8.

One wife and husband donning a dress and suit, respectively, told The Daily Wire that they woke up at 3:00 am to make the trip to see the Queen’s coffin.

“When the news broke that she had died, we spoke as a family, and without any hesitation, we booked the trains to be here,” the husband said.

When asked if the state funeral could compare to any other event in the United Kingdom, the man added that he and his wife had seen “nothing like this. But it’s an experience for us all.”

When asked how they felt about the monarchy in general, the pair remarked they were “proud. Very proud.”

“Our children are proud,” the husband added. “And [the monarch] will carry on.”

The entire city appeared to be dressed in black for the somber day as accents from all over the U.K. could be heard praying or crying. Most of the crowd was silent in reverent observance of the ceremony, with many “shushing” those who attempted to speak.

Even those who don’t necessarily support the royal family came to pay their respects to the dearly departed leader.

One 22-year-old named Elisha from North London told The Daily Wire she was there because she didn’t want to miss out on the historical moment.

“We weren’t going to come originally, to be honest, but we wanted to be a part of history,” Elisha explained.

When asked how she felt about the new monarch, King Charles III, Elisha responded, “Not really a fan … I wouldn’t say we’re the biggest royalists, really, but we liked the Queen.”

Throughout the procession, the city seemed to be at a standstill. No cafe, restaurant, or shop has opened its doors today.

One visitor from Germany, a 23-year-old named Nicholas, told The Daily Wire that he happened to have three trips planned to London before the Queen passed away. He also wasn’t planning on attending but did so and remarked the city-wide mourning was “an amazing thing to see.”

“We obviously don’t have these kinds of things in Germany,” he added. “I didn’t expect it to be such a huge thing. Not to be in poor taste, but it’s kind of like a festival almost. It doesn’t really feel like a funeral.”

When asked how Germany reacted to the Queen’s death, he remarked, “Everybody felt it.”

As of press time, the Queen’s casket had arrived at Windsor Castle for her burial at St. George’s Chapel.