It was my first week working for LivTours. I was in Rome, waiting for a bus to go back to the apartment when the headline: “The Queen has died” popped into my timeline.
The news hit the world a week ago, on the 8th of September, 2022. It’s quite sad to think of a world without “Lilibet” featuring on the daily pages of the media.
Following Queen Elizabeth II’s death, the United Kingdom’s government declared National Bank Holiday today, Monday the 19th of September. The day we will all say our final goodbye to the lovely grand mothers figure and British Queen. Many other countries around the world are also respectably mourning the Queen’s death and declared Public Bank Holliday. Mostly countries under the commonwealth Realm.
The Queen’s Life of Dedication
Queen Elizabeth II, was Head of State of 14 countries in addition to the UK since 1952; Australia, The Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St. Christopher and Nevis, St Lucia and Tuvalu.
She was loved and respected by her people and until the moment she died, She was the longest-reigning female monarch in world history, with her reign lasting over 70 decades. Crazy to think that more than 819 million people around the world watched her full Royal trajectory.
If you ask my generation, most will quote the crown when talking about the Queen and her Royal family. It’s a crash course on their history, influence and what they actually mean to the world. Facing the other side of the coin, my grandmother’s generation would probably be the one to give us a full scope on having a 25-year-old become the Queen of such a powerful empire.
You see, there is a HUGE difference between being 25 in the ’50s and being 25 today. Kids back then would have had a whole routine of responsibilities and followed another level of traditionalism. Let’s agree that they had to carve a much more dense world without Father Google than we do now. Imagine becoming The Queen of England and not being able to search: “How to be a Queen”. It would have been tough on many of us, right?
Even though Elizabeth II was born a princess and was well raised, educated and well trained to MAYBE one day become the Queen, She didn’t expect that to happen. Or not so soon, at least. One important factor to remember is that Elizabeth II had to lose her dad to be elevated as Queen. That would not have been easy on anyone. Same as what is happening now with King Charles III losing his loved mother.
Why did the world love the Queen?
First, She was A QUEEN and we all know how royal that is. She lived in the Palaces of England her whole life. If you are not part of the 1% group holding half of the world’s wealth, that would be something we will only see in history books or in modern times, on the internet. We learn early in history that only powerful people live in Palaces and these people represent power over 7.75 billion people. They run countries and they make decisions that would affect our lives as a community.
Her face is also featuring the currency of 35 countries in the world. Think for a minute that people in 35 countries would see Elizabeth’s face on a daily basis. More than once, actually. She was part of their lives.
When times were much different than in modern days, the Queen went to work as a mechanic to prove that a woman could be just as “capable” as a man.
Queen Elizabeth II has united nations. As a Christian Herself, She was also a global icon to the Christian community, setting an example for peace and traditionalism when She remained a pacific and unifier influence on many political issues.
The Queen’s State Funeral in London and Windsor
Being a tourist visiting the UK this week means seeing and experiencing an important mark in British history. From the 8th to the 19th of September, the whole country will be paying their respects to their Queen’s life and trajectory.
Hearing from our UK guides, this weekend is a moment of grief for them. The Queen has been a huge part of their daily lives since the beginning of their careers. For the past years, they have run thousands of tours every year, talking about the Queen and The Royal Family, and explaining its importance not only to their country but to the world.
From now on, they will be changing their narrative about Windsor Castle to “this was Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite home, and now her forever place.”
National Bank Holiday
Be aware that all the Museums, Art galleries and Public Sites in London (and the UK) are closed this Monday.
As this is an important moment of grief for the UK, the whole country will be paying their respect to the sovereign and taking time off work. That means the majority of businesses, including guided tours, retail, restaurants, bars, cinemas and theatres have either cancelled their operations for the day or will operate at irregular hours to respect the Queen’s funeral. Some will resume after 5 pm.
For those who would like to skip the crowds and not take part in the event, spending the day at your Hotel Spa or going for a walk out of Central London, could be your best option for this very sad Monday in London. Life begins again on Tuesday, the 20th of September when a world without Queen Elizabeth II, goes on.
Our LivTours family send our love to the people of the UK, especially our UK Guides and the Royal Family at this difficult time of loss.
Laine Alcantara | Bachelor in Social Communications and Travel Content Creator for LivTours.
