'It was a funeral fit for a queen': Maritimers take in state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II

It was a final farewell watched around the world, witnessed by royalty, dignitaries, and citizens alike.

Among those witnessing the grand state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II were Maritimers on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

Tanya Kanellakos found herself attending a conference in the British capital on the same day as the historic funeral service.

At 9 a.m., she found a spot along a street near where the procession would pass and waited for the events to begin.

“By 1 p.m. when the hearse drove by, there were thousands of people,” she says. “As the procession came by, people became very quiet all of the sudden, and then as it drove by, there were a lot of cries out of ‘thank you,' it was very emotional.”

In Nova Scotia, many people woke early to watch the service live.

“Even though we live in a modern age, I think tradition is an important part of our Canadian identity,” says Colin MacEachern.

He says it was important to witness the event in recognition of the late monarch’s role throughout the past seven decades.

“I was struck by how diverse the members of the Commonwealth who were participating in the service were,” he says. “And I thought that was really nice and modern.”

For Amanda Cousins, who recorded the service to watch later, it was a time to reflect on her own experience with the Queen.

“I'm 40 years old, the Queen has always been present in my life,” she says.

She had a close encounter with the Queen during her late majesty’s visit to Nova Scotia in 1994.

“I was a member of the Girl Guides of Canada, and we had lined up along the door there, and I had the honour of meeting her, and that was a once in a lifetime experience for me. I truly will never forget it," she recalls.

Cousins says watching the ceremony Monday brought forth emotions.

“Seeing just how big this procession is, and how big her funeral is and how many people love her,” says Cousins. “I think it just really flooded me with sadness and happiness at the same time.”

Author David Johnson, who has written extensively about the monarchy in Canada, says the funeral is a pivotal moment in history.

“It’s a way of turning a chapter, turning a page,” he says. “It’s the end of the second Elizabethan era, it’s been historic, the Queen has made it historic, and she devoted 70 years of her life as Queen.”

Johnson says the funeral was a fitting tribute to that life of service.

“It's been said that the British do these Royal funerals better than anyone in the world, and we saw that today,” he says. “The ceremony, the pageantry, the pomp, it was a funeral fit for a queen.”

A downtown Halifax café devoted a portion of its menu to honour Queen Elizabeth II Monday.

Brady Muller, owner of the Bird’s Nest Café, stayed up late Sunday night preparing a specially themed menu in honour of the state funeral.

“What we have done is a variety of scones with clotted cream and jam, which is part of the traditional English tea,” said Muller. “We also have a coronation chicken salad sandwich for lunch, which was a recipe we found for the coronation of the Queen in 1953.”

Muller says the majority of the special, monarch-themed items on the menu sold out by noon.