From Hong Kong to Andalusia and from Bahrain to Sydney all operations have been suspended
In Hong Kong, hundreds of people attended her funeral Queen Elizabeth from their phones. In the Sydneyin Australia, patrons packed pubs to watch the ceremony on television screens.
In Paris, bar owner Thibaut Dupont showed off a new tattoo of the queen on his arm.
“She was not our queen but she reigned for 70 years in Britain. The only other who reigned longer was Louis XIV. This is our shared history,” he told Reuters.
Around the world, crowds gathered outside British embassies and consulates, as well as cafes, bars and other public spaces, to watch the royal events unfolding thousands of kilometers from their homes.
Elizabeth “is literally omnipresent,” said Victor Lai, 30, outside the British consulate general in Hong Kong, where for the past 10 days many have been queuing to sign the book of condolences. “We have hospitals, schools, even this street still bears her name,” he explained.
Nearby, some had left flowers, handwritten notes, photographs, candles and other mementos.
Elizabeth was Hong Kong’s head of state for 45 years, during a period of rapid growth that some consider her “golden”. After the region returned to Chinese rule in 1997, the British government – if not the monarch – continued to play a role, sometimes angering Beijing when it criticized its governance.
In other countries, many tuned in to their televisions to watch the ceremony. Some had more personal or national ties to Elizabeth, her family and the institution of the monarchy in general.
In the Bahrain, the British living there attended a service at St Christopher’s Cathedral in the capital Manama. At the Lord Dudley Hotel in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, Nina Whitfield watched with her customers. “It is a historic moment. He was the pillar of the monarchy and the glue that held them together and we will miss him. It meant a lot to me,” he explained.
In the southern Spanish town of Mijas on the Costa del Sol, British tourists and residents watched the ceremony in a nearby cafe and bar. “We have a great community in this area of Andalusia and we are very proud that so many people have turned out to honor the Queen,” commented Mark Driver, who works in a bar.
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I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
