'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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.