Retired Barbara Faulconbridge, 86, looks at the gates of Buckingham Palace and cries. Queen Elizabeth II was not there, but at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where she used to spend summers, when she died this Thursday (8th), aged 96. For Londoners it didn’t matter. Throughout the day, onlookers and admirers began to fill the surroundings of the palace to pay tribute to the one who was head of state for 70 years.
As soon as she learned of the confirmation of the queen’s death, shortly after 18:00, by local time (14:00 in Brasília), Barbara couldn’t contain her emotion. “The queen was part of my whole life. I heard her speeches during World War II, when she spoke to the nation. I followed her whole life, I saw her so many times. She was the most wonderful person in the world”, she laments.
“And she brought the country together through the war, through all the political problems. We could always rely on her to give us support when we needed it, just as she did during the pandemic. She was the backbone of my life.”
Minutes later, the surroundings of the palace were already completely taken over by the crowd. From above, a sea of umbrellas could be seen, as a storm hit London throughout the Thursday. Many onlookers held cell phones to record one of the saddest and most symbolic moments in the country’s history. Eve McLean, 24, brought a bouquet of flowers.
“Although we’ve all expected this at some point, knowing that Charles would become king, it’s different when it actually happens. Surprising and incredibly sad. Very tragic,” he said.
“For someone who has dedicated her life to serving her country, we ordinary people need to take actions to recognize the huge sacrifice she made, so many lives she touched. That’s why I brought flowers and wanted to show my respect.”
In recent months, the 96-year-old queen had already canceled official engagements due to mobility issues. On Thursday morning, Buckingham Palace released an official statement saying that the monarch’s doctors were concerned about Elizabeth’s health and had placed her under supervision. As health issues of any member of the royal family are normally kept private, the tone of the text caused concern.
Then came another sign that the situation could be serious. British television began broadcasting live footage of the Queen’s children and grandchildren, including the heir to the throne, then Prince Charles, boarding planes bound for Balmoral. Prince Harry, who was already in London for an event unrelated to the family, also traveled separately to Scotland, but would not have arrived in time to say goodbye to his grandmother.
The Queen’s last official engagement was on Tuesday (6), when she swore in the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Liz Truss – right at the summer castle in Scotland, breaking a tradition, as protocol is normally followed in London. . Another indication that her health was fragile. In an act that was not broadcast on TV, she appeared only in photos, smiling, despite her fragility.
Charles III is now officially king and will only return to London this Friday (9), when he is due to make his first official speech – but the crowd has not left the surroundings of Buckingham Palace. At times, those present clapped their hands. In others, they were silent.
Barbara questions the future of the monarchy. “I’m afraid. People have moved away from the monarchy, the world is very different. But I have faith in Charles and certainly in William. It will be different, they will succeed, but not like her, because no one will do what she did. “
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