Fifty-three and a half hours before the queue to see Queen Elizabeth's coffin would even begin moving, Vanessa Nathakumaran, 56, sat on a green metal stool, a Union Jack scarf peeking out from the neck of her black parka. Big Ben stood solemnly across the Thames. It was 11:30 a.m. on Monday, four days after the queen's death. Nathakumaran, a banking administrative assistant from West London who immigrated from Sri Lanka in 1985, looked around. "I didn't plan to be the first in line," she said. "But there's a determination of spirit among us. It's a respectful reflection of all Britain coming together in this moment."
There is also, in these moments, the human instinct to be a part of something larger than our little selves. When a crowd is gathering for a common purpose—to see the lunar eclipse, say, or the street performers surrounded by rings of clapping onlookers—it is often our desire simply to bear witness, more than our interest in astronomy or breakdancing, that draws us in. The larger the crowd, the more we feel the need to join it. In the case of a nation's beloved sovereign lying in state, the crowd would be immense.
  Fifty-three and a half hours before the queue to see Queen Elizabeth's coffin would even begin moving, Vanessa Nathakumaran, 56, sat on a green metal stool, a Union Jack scarf peeking out from the neck of her black parka. Big Ben stood solemnly across the Thames. It was 11:30 a.m. on Monday, four days after the queen's death. Nathakumaran, a banking administrative assistant from West London who immigrated from Sri Lanka in 1985, looked around. "I didn't plan to be the first in line," she said. "But there's a determination of spirit among us. It's a respectful reflection of all Britain coming together in this moment."
There is also, in these moments, the human instinct to be a part of something larger than our little selves. When a crowd is gathering for a common purpose—to see the lunar eclipse, say, or the street performers surrounded by rings of clapping onlookers—it is often our desire simply to bear witness, more than our interest in astronomy or breakdancing, that draws us in. The larger the crowd, the more we feel the need to join it. In the case of a nation's beloved sovereign lying in state, the crowd would be immense. More From The Royal Family How the royal family's 20th-century shame became its 21st-century secret weapon. The Princess of Wales chose a piece from the late Queen's collection for the ceremony at Westminster. Here's how to stream the ceremony. Celebrate Queen Elizabeth's upcoming Platinum Jubilee by picking up one of these dishy reads about the British monarch. |
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