Britons rise at dawn to bid farewell to Elizabeth II
Hundreds of Britons got up at dawn on Monday to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and find the best spots to watch the coffin pass through central London. Despite the cold morning temperature in the British capital, the public was already full since before 07:00 (06:00 GMT) around Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey, where the religious ceremony will take place from 11:00.
The first meters coming from the nearest stations are crowded. Some people spent the night. Many sleeping bags lie on the ground in Whitehall, a thoroughfare in central London that regularly hosts ministers and senior officials.
“I wanted to be part of [del evento]. It’s a great day in our history, it’s part of our lifeSusan Davies, 53, told AFP that arrived at 06:30 in Hyde Park Corner, Essex, east London, with her husband and two teenagers. “I want to be part of history,” adds Jack, his 14-year-old son, who plans to explain the event to future generations. “I will tell my children about this moment. I’ll tell you: I was there!”
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