Mourners from Northern Ireland line the Queen's funeral procession route

Crowds lining the streets of London for the Queen's funeral. Pic PA
Crowds lined the procession route through London Credit: PA

Mourners from Northern Ireland have spoken of how they wanted to be among the millions lining the streets of London to pay their final respects to the Queen at her state funeral.

A group who travelled from the Shankill area of Belfast said it was a "once in a lifetime experience".

Despite having a hotel room booked, they slept on The Mall to ensure they'd have a spot to view the event from.

"It was a very long night, but it was all worth it," they added.

Hillary Lewis MBE, who attended the service in Westminster Abbey, said the power of the ceremony was incredibly moving.

"It was such a moment in history," she told UTV.

"It was so reverend, there was a great reverence about the place. And it was a lovely simple service just highlighting the Queen's faith."

The late monarch’s coffin was transferred by gun carriage from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey for a service, before travelling through London to the Marble Arch.

From there the Queen’s coffin was transferred to the Royal Herse and was driven to Windsor Castle for a Committal Service at St George’s Chapel.

Among those lining the route were several people from Northern Ireland.

“When you look at the span of the Queen’s reign and the fact that she was still going 30 years after retirement age, I reckon her reign has spanned six generations and that’s just fantastic. How could you not come and pay homage to that?” Lesley Magee told UTV.

She'd travelled to London on Thursday to file past the coffin lying in state, before returning to Northern Ireland for work and then flying to the capital again for the funeral.

Sharon McKelvey from Bessbrook in Co Armagh was visibly emotional.

“It has just been absolutely amazing, we couldn’t not come here. We are part of Britain and we are proud to be British and we just loved our Queen.

“We were here for the Jubilee which was fabulous and we are just devastated at her passing, but very confident that our new King will do us proud.”

Rev Mervyn Gibson pictured behind former First Minister Arlene Foster at the service Credit: PA

Orange Order Grand Secretary, Rev Mervyn Gibson, minister at Westbourne Presbyterian Community Church in Belfast, was inside Westminster Abbey for the service.

He said it was "done to perfection".

"I found it a very moving ceremony," he said.

"To be there when the Queen's coffin was passing with her family behind, it was so sad to see.

"I felt an affinity with not only those in the abbey, but the hundreds and thousands outside."

Mr Gibson said he found the ceremony's first hymn and the piper playing at its end to be particularly "poignant".

He added: "I do funerals. They are my stock-in-trade.

"I found being in the congregation on this occasion very meaningful.

"It was still a very personal service for her majesty."

Mr Gibson was invited to the service after being made MBE in June in the Queen's final Birthday Honours.

“I love the Queen, love the Queen,” another mourner called Leslie said. He'd travelled to London with nine of his family, including his children and grandchildren.

“There’ll never be another Queen. When I went down to see her coffin, I said ‘the Lord bless you and we will meet again’.”

The RUC were represented in the funeral procession, with Stephen White one of those present.

“An absolutely amazing experience, and the more I walked along in the march the more it dawned on me there were so many historical things happening,” he said.

Joseph Mills who was a Lance Corporal in the UDR explained what it meant to him.

“It meant the world to me because I served the Queen and almost died for the Queen,” he said.

“You had to pay your respects and I was very happy to pay my respects as she served us for 70 years and she served the whole people no matter who they were or where they were from.”

Trevor Shields travelled to London from Newtownards.

“Where I come from the Queen is just a very, very special woman,” he said.


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