Regina resident in London had front-row seat to history

Despite the circumstances, Hayley Cattell described Monday as “an incredible day.”

The Regina resident, who’s in London for a conference, was among the thousands of people at Hyde Park to watch the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II being broadcast on big screens.

“It was really special singing the national anthem with people who are from England or people who have travelled in,” Cattell told the Greg Morgan Morning Show. “It’s just incredible.”

Queen Elizabeth II died Sept. 8 at the age of 96. Her state funeral was held Monday at Westminster Abbey.

Cattell has been in England for a few days now in preparation for conferences she’s attending on behalf of Economic Development Regina. She also has been able to visit with family members who live in the country.

“My family feels quite strongly for the monarchy,” Cattell said. “It’s weird to say I’m very fortunate to be here to pay my respects, especially on behalf of my family, but it all just lined up.”

During her time in London, she has taken in the sights and sounds of a nation in mourning.

“There has been many times where even if it’s in the middle of the day (and) there’s no moment of silence happening, you see people crying in the streets (and) people coming with flags,” Cattell said.

“The flower tributes (outside Buckingham Palace) were quite incredible. I saw a couple of Canadian flags in there and cards. I saw one Saskatchewan flag, so someone was here from our home province. It’s amazing.”

Cattell has had some amazing luck when it comes to the Royal Family during her days in London. On Friday evening, for example, she walked to Westminster and had a close encounter.

“The crowd was very quiet and no one was moving around very much,” Cattell recalled. “I walked up to the barricade and asked the woman beside me, ‘Do you know what’s happening?’ I could see there was more police presence. And she said, ‘Oh, the King and his siblings are about to drive by.’ ”

The next morning, Cattell went to Buckingham Palace to lay flowers — and King Charles III drove by about 10 feet away.

“I feel like I’m a bit of a magnet for them right now,” Cattell said.

While she didn’t line up to get into Westminster Hall to see the Queen lie in state, Cattell was in the throng of mourners Monday.

“There were people dressed in all black as if they were attending the funeral (and) some people dressed for the weather,” Cattell said. “(It was) quite sombre. It was quiet — the quietest I’ve ever been in a crowd like that. But everyone was very respectful.”

A former Saskatchewan resident who’s in London said the mood surrounding the funeral was tinged with disbelief.

Thom Walton described the feeling as “shock and surprise and sadness” during a conversation Monday with Shack on the CKOM Morning Show.

Because Elizabeth was on the throne for more than 70 years, most people have memories of only one reigning monarch. That, Walton said, has elicited a “huge outpouring of public emotion.”

“She has been … the frame behind all of our lives,” Walton said, adding it will take time for people to come to terms with her absence.

After what Walton described as a difficult few years in the U.K., he sees the Queen’s passing as something bringing people together.

He called her a “real point of consistency” who reigned throughout significant societal changes between 1952 and 2022.

When asked about King Charles assuming the throne, Walton admitted to some general skepticism about him taking up his mother’s mantle.

“I think there’s a general sense that he isn’t as well-liked as the Queen,” Walton said, noting the Queen was known to have very obscured political views compared to Charles’ known stances on various issues.

But that skepticism hasn’t stopped the public from offering the King what Walton called a “very, very warm reception” over the past few days. Walton said he thinks people are willing to give Charles a chance as the U.K. undergoes a critical time in the coming years.

— With files from 650 CKOM’s Libby Giesbrecht