In a Divided Britain, Near Unity in Admiration of the Queen

Across London, conversations reflected how deeply the loss had touched the nation — and how fundamental Elizabeth’s role had been in the national identity.

On Thursday evening, hours after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the British capital was simply beginning on the path of its own collective loss. Below the carved glass panels and dark oak beams of Princess Louise's Victorian pub, Mike Rowe and Jeff Nightingale, within reach,

All of them expressed a deep sense of shock after being instructed with the information.

"She was, in my life, one of the best factors in this nation," said Rowe, 77. "It's the continuity we've all depended on now."

Across London, as the Queen of Death quickly unfolds via information alerts on smartphones,

There was a clear feeling of sadness.

At the Rajmahal candy store in east London, customers consuming milk tea joined the shop owner at the entrance to a huge TV screen tuned to the BBC.

“I will miss it,” said Ahmed Arif, the shop owner, who is British of Bangladeshi descent. "She looked like my grandmother

. "

Inside the crowded bars of the capital on Thursday night, conversations between friends simply underlined how deeply the loss had affected the nation —

Simply the extent to which Elizabeth's primary function has been in nationwide identification for the past 70 years.

In a central London pub, Jeff Nightingale, left, and Mike Rowe were having fun with a pint after they heard of the Queen's death on Thursday, September 8, 2022. (Megan Specia/The New York Instances)

The phrases of Roe and Nightingale gave the impression of condolences to an old dear friend,

Someone who has been persistent in each of their lives.

"She was very moral, and I adored her, regardless of the fact that I'm not a king," said Rowe. “I don't think a nation will ever be identical. We have been very fortunate to have it in our lifetime.”

Tears in Nightingale's eyes, 76, as he talks about the Queen,

What do you mean by the nation?

Even assuming that she was 96 years old, and had been ill for a while, he mentioned that he could hardly imagine that Elizabeth was useless.

"It's a bit of England and in no way replaceable," he said.

Buckingham Palace outdoors on Thursday afternoon,

Individuals began arriving in small tremors after it was announced that the Queen was in poor health.

By the moment her death was reported at 6:30 p.m., the gang had swelled.

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