Among the mourners were Andrea and Simon, who drove an hour and a half from Wiltshire to pay their respects.
“She was a rock. She was the glue. We were born in the ’50s. … She has been around all our lives,” Andrea told BuzzFeed News.
Simon had served in the army and said the Queen had been a presence throughout his military career, from the moment she signed his commission as an officer. As captain general of his regiment, the Royal Artillery, Elizabeth had visited their barracks frequently and was a popular guest. He said that before one visit, they had forgotten to purchase Dubonnet for her; knowing it was her favorite drink, he rushed to a local supermarket to buy it.
Simon, who said he trained Harry in the military, had also met King Charles III during his service career. Reflecting that the Queen was always personally engaging when meeting people, he said he noticed that about Charles as well.
“When I said something, he asked a question that was related,” Simon said. “It was not an inane question — there was an interest there.”
