To be perfectly honest, when I got up first thing in the morning to come and report this queue, which wouldn’t even start moving until 5pm, I was expecting… royal enthusiasts, let’s say. I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I was going to get my ears on Harry and Meghan or a point-by-point takedown of Lady Diana no matter what I said or did. However, here before me was a bubbly, friendly woman who I warmed to instantly. In preparation for the British weather, we thought long and hard about our outfits. For my part, I wore waterproof hiking boots, jeans, a long-sleeved t-shirt as a base and a mourning black t-shirt on top, as well as my inflatable black raincoat, the only raincoat I own. As the morning sun rose higher, it began to feel slightly overwhelming. Haley and I were joined in line by Rachel and her nine-year-old daughter Emily who had come that morning from Guildford to take advantage of the shorter lines by getting in early. “I’ve wanted to come for a long time and I’ve wanted to come with Emily,” Rachel told me, explaining that the no-kids advice almost put her off, but when she heard the lines were shorter in the morning. took Emily out of the school to go downstairs and wait. None of my companions in line were traditional royals, although they all felt a common sense of reverence for His late Majesty. “My respect is for the Queen and her personal example,” Rachel explained. “She took vows on her 26th birthday and kept them for 70 years. He set an example of leadership as service. It felt important to share this with Emily, although it’s hard to put my finger on why. The Queen connects us here and now with the Second World War, my grandparents, the history of our country and the history of the world. “There is no one like the Queen, no one who has given such public service for such a period of time. She is unique. Honestly, I felt called to come and pay my respects to her.”
