Two hours after the news broke that Queen Elizabeth II had died at her Balmoral estate in Scotland at age 96, mourners were gathering outside the palace in central London to honor a monarch whose reign lasted longer than her subjects have had color TVs
“I hope you’re all going to pay your respects to our wonderful queen,” a middle-aged woman exclaimed in the tube station, a bouquet of flowers in one hand.
More flowers dotted the length of the black wrought-iron gates at Buckingham Palace alongside photos of the queen throughout her life, an all-black Union Jack, and an official notice confirming her passing. Despite the soaking rain, people wearing raincoats and toting umbrellas surrounded the Victoria Memorial outside the palace. Many of them toasted the queen with a pint or a canned gin and tonic, a drink almost as beloved as the monarch herself.
A woman in a black raincoat sat alone, sipping a cup of tea in a damask-patterned mug with a gold handle, which she brought from home to pay tribute to Elizabeth. Valentina, 37, said she had camped in the same area outside the palace just three months ago to celebrate thebut didn’t manage to see the monarch because mobility issues prevented her from participating in many public events. “It’s very sad,” Valentina said, using the cup of tea to warm her hands.
Elizabeth took the throne in 1952 at the age of 25, when Winston Churchill was prime minister. Fourteen other prime ministers served during her reign withbeing formally appointed two days before the queen’s death. Between the political upheaval that led to a new prime minister, a worsening economic crisis, continued fallout from Brexit, and a war on the other side of Europe, it’s an extremely turbulent time for Britain, and the death adds another layer of instability to the air.
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