Strangers strike up friendships in wait for funeral

Thousands huddled together on the streets of London last nightto secure their places behind the metal barriers, and in the chronicles of history.

Visitors to Westminster camefrom far and wide from Bermuda to Bangladesh.

Kristina Grund Robertson, 39, a florist, travelled from Sweden on Saturday to see the Queen lying in state and join the crowd in Parliament Square. 

Visitors camped from sixo’clock the morning before, swaddled in blankets, 

Union Jacks floating over the railing before them. 

Over the shoulders of winter coats peeped the tips of two-person tents, large umbrellas and folding chairs. 

Other mourners gathered on bean bags or bubble wrap, chatting and exchanging stories.

The crowd cheered passing binmen and servicemen.

Snack packets crackled and the scent of bacon crisps wafted through the air. 

“Biscuits? Anyone want biscuits?” called one woman. 

The crowd responded with glee.

 A woman camping nearby returned from the coffee shop with a crate of hot drinks to share with the crowd. 

One young mourner caught everyone’s eye — River, just three
months old. 

Her mother Sarah Meeks, 47, a sign language interpreter and ex-Spurs footballer from Reading, Berkshire, was delighted she will be able to tell River she was a part of history.

She said: “It’s sort of like a community, we’re all here getting through this together.”

 As the night grew colder, strangers discovered common ground. 

Amin Afridi Chowdhury, 37, a barrister, and mum of four Hazeera Miah, 42, were amazed to find out they both came from the Sylhet district of Bangladesh.

Chowdhury queued for 20 hours to see the Queen lying in state and was thrilled to be greeted by King Charles and Prince William.

He said: “I would like to express my gratitude to King Charles III, it was a very nice moment for me.”

Miah made the trip to Westminster from Hertfordshire on
Sunday and said: “I came for two hours but ended up staying the
whole night.” 

It was the first night she had spent away from her youngest
son, and she explained she had come to repay the Queen’s kindness to Bangladesh, a country the Sovereign visited in 1983.

For many, waiting all night for the state funeral allowed them to feel a part in something bigger than themselves.

Cascade Edwards, 29, a systems analyst from Vauxhall, south east London, remembered the Queen and the powerful effects of her reign. 

She said: “It felt like the Queen was immortal. She touched people’s lives in a  very emotional way.”

As dawn arrived on the day of the Queen’s funeral, police ordered tents to be dismantled and the atmosphere turned from chatter to expectation.

World leaders and royals arrived for the morning service, and the crowds outside Westminster Abbey grew rapidly. 

A curious buzz surrounded central London, friends were made while mourning prevailed. 

Even on her final journey, the Queen remained a unifying force, forging connections between strangers brought together in mourning.



Edit this block to edit the article content or add new blocks...