On the day of her majesty's funeral, I joined the long march to witness the event in person and document this historic moment with my camera. To start with the conclusion, I did not come close to the Royal Family march. However, it is not to say the time was wasted. Rather, it was a good opportunity for to observe how people in this country each reacted to this historic moment.
To cope with the extra-large crowd, thousands were mobilized to control the traffic. With volunteers, police officers and foot soldiers, the entire London was assembled to send the beloved monarch her last journey.
In the march also stood some recurring figures that attempted to profit off of the event by selling flags, pamphlets, and other "souvenirs" to the passersby. Their presence formed a strange vibe to the rest of the crowd.
What's perhaps the most striking part of this march is its participants. Perchance due to the recent lifting of the travel restrictions, London has welcomed a substantial amount of tourists, who had the chance of their lives to be a part of the history.
As opposed to a few grieving faces, most seemed curious. Even those who came to pay tribute to the queen did not seem particularly sad. Instead, a peaceful atmosphere surrounded the crowd.
A somewhat intriguing sight was the multiple Korean press that were present to report the event. Since Korea is not a monarchy, why have they spent so much coverage on this event?
Finally, in Hyde Park, where the funeral was live, I took an Instagram story for commemoration. It would've been nothing extraordinary until someone commented on it, saying "it's so quiet."
Indeed, there must have been hundreds of thousands flooding the streets of central London that day. Yet, orders and manners were seen everywhere. The passing of the queen may not only symbolize the death of one of the most prominent figures in 20th century, but also the end of an era and the beginning of another.
To the world that has just endured an unprecedented pandemic, this might also be a chance for everyone to slow down the pace and reflect upon the past. In this age of frenzy, economic turmoil, sickness and wars, the death of Queen Elizabeth II gave us a pause to really think, and hopefully things will start to look brighter in the future.
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