VIP guests like President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were among 2,000 people who actually attended the funeral.
Other notable attendees included the Queen’s family. Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their eldest two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, were also at Westminster Abbey to pay tribute to her.
Everyone else, however, was redirected away from Westminster Abbey. I overheard a few people nervously wonder if they’d be able to get a glimpse of the historic moment.
Any expectation I had of getting a closer glimpse of Westminster Abbey ended quite quickly when event organizers told me and thousands of others to make our way to places like St. James’s Palace and The Mall as the abbey itself was inaccessible to those not personally invited to the funeral.
I opted to go to The Mall, a road connected to Buckingham Palace. As I arrived, thousands were already lined up. Soon after, the funeral began playing on speakers.
Chances of getting close to the barrier were slim given just how many people had come to London for the funeral. More than a million were expected to be there, which made the funeral for Queen Elizabeth II the biggest police operation to ever take place in the UK, Wired reported.
But even though I was among those who weren’t able to see the inside of Westminster Abbey, it still felt like we were part of a moment in history, especially when the funeral service began playing on large speakers placed throughout The Mall. The crowd largely fell silent to listen.
At The Mall, I also saw some who looked like they’d been waiting for hours, and others – like these people carrying suitcases – who appeared to have casually strolled by.
Having only been there for a few hours at this point, I sympathized massively with anyone taking their opportunity to lie down on the grass. From conversations I had later in the day, I came to understand that some well-wishers had arrived overnight to pay tribute to the Queen at her funeral.
Style was another way people paid tribute. An Italian man I spoke to wore a Union Jack emblazoned suit — he said he came to give thanks to the Queen on behalf of Italy.
“I have many suits like this but today it’s the perfect dress,” Teddy said.
Given how many people had gathered for the occasion, there was a massive police and armed forces presence.
Amid members of the public, there were soldiers wearing military uniforms, policemen, and security staff attempting to ensure that spectating the Queen’s funeral went off without a hiccup.
Atkinson, who said she headed to camp outside for the funeral at 9 p.m on Sunday, said she also owns the world’s largest collection of royal memorabilia — made up of 12,777 pieces.
“My own collection started in 1976,” Atkinson said. “Before I came away, I had 12,777 different items and a few hundred spares.”
After the funeral ended, everyone did their best to get into a good viewing spot to view the procession of soldiers, royals, and the Queen’s coffin draped in the royal standard.
A crowd of people I passed making my way to Buckingham Palace thought that standing among the trees would help them get a better view of the procession, which took place once the funeral ended.
I also spotted some kids pulling off incredible balancing acts in an attempt to see the funeral procession.
While some kids needed help from their parents to stay on top of the skinniest-looking poles, others looked totally at ease.
Five hours later, the Queen’s funeral procession crossed The Mall. Everyone around me, people of all generations, did their best to capture a moment in history.
Sure, the majority of people who were at The Mall didn’t get the perfect shot of the funeral procession or the royal family. But with everyone I spoke to, it seemed that wasn’t the reason they were there in the first place.
Together, with their smartphones out, a million people experienced a moment in history collectively – one that I’m sure they, and I, will never forget.