LONDON — A crowd in front of Buckingham Palace broke out singing “God Save The Queen” following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history.
The queen died Thursday at Balmoral, in Scotland, with her family gathered at her side. For decades her impact on the British people was incalculable, and 500 miles south, in London, people reacted to her death with sobs, silence, and confusion. Within an hour of the announcement, thousands appeared to have gathered outside Buckingham Palace.
As thousands gather to mourn the passing of Queen Elizabeth, the crowd sings “G-d Save the Queen” around Buckingham Palace. pic.twitter.com/MY2yiGKBeU
— Olga Benacerraf (@olgavbenacerraf) September 8, 2022
“I feel like she’s our grandmother,” Charlotte, 36, of the south coast, told The Daily Wire, shortly before the queen’s death was announced. “She represents a lot more than the Queen.”
The city of London is bracing for a transition they haven’t seen in seven decades, when the late queen became monarch following the death of her father. As ruler, Queen Elizabeth II was known around the world, and her successor will undoubtedly not reign as long as she did. “She’s bound so many people across generations,” one man outside the palace, in his 20s, told The Daily Wire.
Charlotte, who declined to give her last name, said she believed it was significant that the Queen died in Scotland. “There’s quite a lot of differences between us and Scotland, and I just think she has lived her life for our country.”
Asked what the queen meant to him, Ned, a 23-year-old investment analyst, said, “the world.”
Charles, the late queen’s son, is the heir apparent. A statement posted outside Buckingham Palace refers to the king and his queen consort. In a statement, Prime Minister Liz Truss referred to him as King Charles III.
Many in the crowd outside the palace wear cry or pray or talk about the queen’s legacy.
“With her spans the history of modern Britain and everything it stands for,” another man told The Daily Wire.
Mark, a 26-year-old accountant who moved to England from Brazil, said the queen to him represented a new life, and that it will be difficult for the country to adjust.
“Everyone here, as long as they’ve been in this country, majority of them have known the queen to be there,” he said. “So for it to come to an end today is pretty upsetting.”
This is a developing story; refresh the page for updates.