Vancouver expats in U.K. witness history being made

As the world grapples with the death of Queen Elizabeth II, some Vancouver expats living in the U.K. are experiencing the nation's grief as outsiders.

Farah Tozy moved across the pond to London in December 2021 and noticed her feelings about the monarchy are much different than her coworkers.

“I feel like for us, the Queen wasn't always something that we kind of grew up having. We knew of her but it didn't impact us directly,” Tozy explained, adding she’s now experiencing the death through her co-workers’ lens.

“One of my co-workers was telling me how she cried on the train in the morning and she was just so upset. And she called (the Queen) kind of like the grandmother that everyone has.”

The U.K. has officially entered into its 12 days of mourning, changing the atmosphere in London.

“It’'s been quite quiet and sombre and everyone's kind of just processing, I'd say. The train this morning was quite empty when it came to the office,” she explained.

Former Vancouverite Annabelle Yee has been living in London for nearly a decade and has seen the Royal Family go through major events.

But the coverage of the Queen’s death hasn’t been like anything she’s seen before.

“You literally can't get away from it. It’s everywhere, on any sort of social media, any television,” Yee said. “Even all the adverts around, colors have changed on all the logos.”

“All the group chats I was just talking about mourning and her loss and the influence that she's had on everyone,” she added.

Tozy plans to visit Buckingham Palace with flowers over the weekend and plans to go to the state funeral once details are released.

“I really do want to experience that just because it's a part of our history. So it would be amazing to just pay your respects to the Queen,” she said.