"The night was cold but worth it". Like Carole Budd, supporters of Elizabeth II have already pitched her tent in central London to ensure they are front row during Monday’s funeral.
This 65-year-old teacher camps in front of Westminster Hall, where the sovereign’s burning chapel is located, and Westminster Abbey, where the funeral will take place before 2,000 guests.
"I attended Diana’s funeral as a teenager, right outside Westminster Abbey, and the atmosphere was incredible."recalls Magdalena Staples, 38, who is part of the small group of people installed in Parliament Square.
This woman, who traveled to London from Yorkshire (north of England) with her 9 and 10-year-old children, explained to AFP that she wanted these "had the same experience".
The family was evicted several times before the authorities finally allowed them to camp not far from Big Ben. In total, they will sleep three nights in a blue tent set up on the sidewalk.
In this area, colorful tents are tolerated, but makeshift campers are asked to fold them up during the day so as not to block an already crowded street, a police officer told AFP.
Admirers of the royal family, equipped with warm clothes and thermoses of coffee, take the time to get to know each other and share sweets and memories about their late sovereign.
On the Mall, the avenue that leads to Buckingham Palace, tents are not allowed. Linda Keeble, 59, will sleep next to her husband Ray in a folding chair to ensure a good spot to watch the funeral procession.
The coffin, placed on a mount, will travel the streets of London from Westminster Abbey to Hyde Park, where it will be transferred to a hearse that will take it to its final destination: Windsor Castle, west of the capital.
"We couldn’t book a hotel room, so we’ll be spending the next two nights outdoors. We have brought rain gear and lots of blankets, and there are toilets next door"explains the woman, wrapped in a thick gray vest.
The couple has already lived from this famous avenue the queen’s jubilees, the last one in June, and the weddings of the royal family, but the atmosphere is now very different, says Linda Keeble.
Excited, she points to the ropes suspended at the level of the flags that wave in the avenue. They are black, and not "gold white and red" as in the other ceremonies.
"This shows the solemnity of the moment"explains the woman, ready to witness the queen’s last trip in two days.
