'Wow, I was there': B.C. man who flew to London for Queen's funeral speaks on experience
A Metro Vancouver man who booked his trip to London within hours of learning of Queen Elizabeth II's death made it to Westminster Hall just in time to see the late monarch lying in state.
Gurjeet Singh spoke to CTV News Vancouver shortly after he finished paying his respects Sunday. He said he landed in the U.K. around 10 a.m. local time and heard that officials were planning to close the miles-long queue to view the Queen's coffin.
"We got on the train as fast as possible to our hotel, I took a quick shower, grabbed my bag, grabbed all the protein bars and snacks and water I could grab and I just ran out the door," Singh said.
He said he arrived at the end of the line at 1:05 p.m. and left Westminster hall at 11:10 p.m., meaning he spent just over 10 hours in line.
Singh said it didn't feel like it had been that long, though he admitted he didn't sleep on the plane and was running on "the adrenaline of the moment."
Though he only got to spend a few minutes in the room with the Queen, he said it was worth it.
"It was a moment of complete hush and awe," he said. "Everybody in the room was quiet, everyone was respectful."
Speaking to CTV News Vancouver before his trip, Singh said he's interested in history and wanted to witness it, adding that Queen Elizabeth II is the only monarch he's ever known.
After completing his pilgrimage, he felt similarly.
"For some people, it was about the Royal Family, about the monarchy, about the Queen," Singh said Sunday.
"For me, it was about the woman, Queen Elizabeth II herself, but it was also about this moment. Such a huge moment in history … I'm going to look back and think, 'Wow, I was there.'"
Singh plans to be there for the Queen's funeral on Monday as well. He told CTV News he hadn't had a chance to decide on where he will watch the ceremony, but noted it might be difficult to get a spot along the route the coffin will travel, where some people have been camped out since Sunday morning.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Angela Jung.
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