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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.