On September 8, after the royal family announced the Queen's death, a large number of Londoners immediately went to the gate of Buckingham Palace to commemorate and pay tribute to Britain's longest-reigning monarch.
At about 6 pm, the Green Park exit to Buckingham Palace was crowded with people, not afraid of heavy rain. People spontaneously placed bouquets at the iron railings at the gate of Buckingham Palace, and the flowers of various colors extended along the railings and filled the front of Buckingham Palace. A member of the public added to the bouquet: "Thank you for your outstanding contribution (for the country), which makes me proud to be born here."
Most of the people at the scene were dressed in black and held flowers in mourning. Among them, Stephen, a 35-year-old from Bulgaria, wore the Queen's flag. He immigrated to the UK from Bulgaria and said that he has always been grateful to the Queen: "When I got British citizenship , I want to swear my allegiance to the Queen, so I have special feelings for her." He also explained that he had just arrived at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the Queen's birthday a few months ago, and now it's time to say goodbye, and it feels like a lifetime. Another 14-year-old British boy John Smith felt that this was a historic moment, so he came to pay tribute. But he also bluntly stated that the new King Charles III had little influence on modern British society.
"It's been raining all day today, and I think God is crying for the Queen," said lawyer Drew Naylor, 37, with red eyes. He went straight to the gate of Buckingham Palace to pay his respects after learning that the Queen had passed away after get off work. He had a black armband on his left hand, and Naylor said he had a hunch about it six months ago and has been carrying it in his bag. Drew pointed out that "the Queen has always served the country, and she has to wait for the new Prime Minister Zhuo Huisi to debrief before her death," so she felt very sad.
There are also tourists from the United States who came to the gate of Buckingham Palace to commemorate the Queen. Susanna, 73, and her partner, 68, said Queen Elizabeth II was a great monarch and was shocked and saddened to learn of her passing. Originally they were to leave London on Sunday, but they also decided to extend the holiday because of the death of the Queen to mourn with the British.
Gloria, who was born in the UK, has always been a firm fan of the British royal family. She feels that the Queen is an outstanding leader. "She is my whole life." Gloria feels that she loves the country and gives everything she has. Originally, Gloria returned to the UK to celebrate her friend Barbara's 70th birthday. Barbara, who was with her, also expressed her sadness at the death of the Queen: "I was born in 1952, which happened to be the year the Queen came to the throne. She (Elisa) White II) is the only monarch I know, and now that she is gone, I am really sad and don't know what will happen to the successor, Charles III."
At about 9 pm, the crowd at the gate of Buckingham Palace began to disperse. On the main road of St. James Park, people spontaneously lit candles and distributed them to pedestrians. According to on-site observations, all lights in Trafalgar Square and the London Eye have been turned off tonight to mourn the Queen.
Since the afternoon of September 8, various news organizations have gathered at the gate of Buckingham Palace for a round-the-clock live broadcast. Since the Royal Family announced that the Queen's state was "worrying" at 12:30 p.m. British time, a large number of media began to prepare for reporting the Queen's death. The BBC host even appeared in a full black shirt and canceled all scheduled programs in the afternoon. , until the news of the Queen's death was announced.
Tribute to the Queen, 9 important events in her life
April 21, 1926 – born
1947 – Prince Philip marries Princess Elizabeth, the longest-serving consort of a monarch in British history.
1952 – The sudden death of her father, Princess Elizabeth, who is visiting Africa, takes the throne
June 2, 1953 – Coronation
1965 – 20th anniversary of the end of World War II. Queen Elizabeth II's visit to West Germany marked a reconciliation between Britain and Germany, a wartime foe, and was also seen as a recognition of Germany's re-emergence as a great power in Europe and the international community.
1970 – Visits Australia and New Zealand, during which, contrary to the centuries-old rule of the royal family, leisurely walks the streets and greets everyone, rather than the traditional protection of multiple bodyguards. Later, it became a routine for members of the royal family on official business.
1977 – Jubilee Celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Throne
2002 – Golden Jubilee Celebration for the 50th Anniversary of the Throne
2022 – Platinum Jubilee Celebration of 70th Anniversary
She is by far the longest-reigning British monarch and the first British monarch to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee.
Charles III succeeds the British monarch
After the death of the Queen, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, took over as the new King of the United Kingdom, Charles III.
At around 7 pm London time on September 8 (2 am Hong Kong time on September 9), Charles III issued his first statement as king to mourn the queen. Charles III will return to London tomorrow. It is expected that at about 11:00 am London time on September 9, the "Enthronement Conference" composed of senior government officials will announce Charles' succession at St. James's Palace. After that, Charles III will visit the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom in real time: the United Kingdom, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and meet with the leaders of the local decentralized government and the local people.
Charles III's ascension to the throne also means that the current British Crown Prince is his eldest son, Prince William. The titles of Prince William and his wife Kate are Duke & Duchess of Cambridge, but after Charles III ascended the throne, Prince William and Kate's titles were changed to Duke and Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge Lady (Duke & Duchess of Cornwall & Cambridge), on behalf of William inherited the title of the eldest son of the British royal family before his succession to Charles III. However, the title of "Prince of Wales" before Charles III's succession needs to be granted to Prince William by him, and William will not inherit it automatically.
The British Parliament will meet within 24 hours of the Queen's death in order to convene MPs to pledge allegiance to the new British monarch.
At the same time, Charles III will succeed as the third head of the Commonwealth of Nations (Commonwealth). The Commonwealth of Nations is a mutual aid organization composed of sovereign states, with members including the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, etc. Most of these countries are former territories of the British Empire, with a population of about 2.4 billion. Head of the Commonwealth is a symbolic title that only Queen Elizabeth II and her father King George VI held. The real power of the Commonwealth is the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.
There is still no firm timeline for the coronation of Charles III, which is expected to take place after the memorial period and a few months after the Queen's death. After the Queen's death, all banknotes, coins and stamps bearing the Queen's face in the UK will be replaced with the image of Charles III. Other Commonwealth countries such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand are also phasing out currencies bearing the Queen's face. In addition, the British national anthem will be changed from "God Save the Queen" to "God Save the King". The original wording of Her Majesty on British passports will be changed to His Majesty.