London: A long que of mourners of Queen Elizabeth II on London’s South Bank, waited to visit Queen Elizabeth II lying in state.
The self-declared lifelong royalist turned up in head-to-toe black complete with gloves and a hat, and as she prepared to cross Lambeth Bridge, the 72-year-old’s coming meeting with the monarch was at the forefront of her mind.
“She treated you as if she knew you,” Ms Williams said, recalling meeting the queen when the monarch visited a school she worked at in 1994. “You felt comfortable in her company. She made you feel at ease.”
Years after being introduced to the monarch, Ms Williams would again see the sovereign at her next job at Eton College. The monarch would often visit her grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry while they studied at the all-boys school.
The long line of people snaking its way along South Bank was watched by doctors and nurses from St Thomas’ Hospital during their lunch break. The group, all wearing scrubs, looked on as the constant stream of people moved at a snail’s pace.
People who have made the trip from outside of London took advantage of the afternoon sunshine to pose for selfies in front of Parliament.
Crowds waiting outside the British Film Institute to move forward were kept entertained by a giant screen showing dated black-and-white footage of the queen. One clip showed the young Princess Elizabeth posing with her beloved ponies while another showed her in a garden with her sister Princess Margaret and parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
