Transitioning to Life in London During a Historic Time

Moving across the world by yourself is a feat in and of itself, but then when a country is turned upside down the same day as you arrive, your whole worldview changes.

On September 8, bright and early in the morning I arrived in London excited to see all that this semester had ahead of me. Later that day, while unpacking and meeting all my flatmates for the first time, we got the tragic news that Queen Elizabeth II had passed away. This was a shock to all of our systems, because even though we are all American, Queen Elizabeth was an iconic figure to many. Although the city of London went into mourning, we all knew this was such a historical and unique time for us to be studying abroad.

Immediately the city was filled with pictures of the Queen. She was posted up in all of the Tube stations, on billboards around the city, in shop windows, and on every magazine and newspaper cover. The next day after our welcome afternoon tea, my flatmates and I decided to take the Tube over to Buckingham Palace to see what was happening given the news from the day prior. The area was flooded with people, and flowers filled palace grounds and covered the gates. There were also marmalade sandwiches and a few Paddington Bears spread here and there as well.

People were visiting from all over and news crews and journalists surrounded the outside barrier of the grounds, eager to speak to anyone they were able to get their hands on. Thousands of people were flooding in, pushing their way to the front of the pack, just to get as close to the palace as they could.

Although Buckingham Palace and the surrounding area was filled with people, it was close to noiseless. The air had a somber and eerie feeling, making it easy to hear the people around you breathing. Little to no talking was happening, with small children softly asking their parents questions around me. Many had bouquets of followers, handwritten notes, and drawings in their hands, ready to go and place them by the gates.

In the days to follow, there continued to be a mourning period throughout the city. More and more people came to pay their respects to the Queen, and countless more flower stands started popping up throughout the city.

Later on, we received a note from CEA CAPA that the following Monday would be a bank holiday due to the Queen's funeral. My flatmates and I immediately knew that we would be getting ourselves over near Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey in order to participate in this event. Early in the morning on the day of the funeral, we took the Tube over to South Kensington, got our Pret, and started the wait for the Queen's post-funeral procession. While watching the service on our phones, we waited patiently for the procession, and then it finally happened.

Who knew that we would all get to experience such a historical moment during our study abroad semester.