Earlier today (15 September 2022), Councillor Julian Gallant, leader of Ealing Conservatives travelled into London to pay his respect to Queen Elizabeth II and joined the queues to see The Queen lying in state at Westminster Hall.
EALING.NEWS spoke to Councillor Gallant, who represents Ealing Broadway ward, about the journey and experience of being there and which is being seen on TV and online by millions of people across the country and world.
What time did you start your journey to get there and who did you go with?
I started at Southwark Cathedral at 8am. I’d actually de-tubed nearer to Blackfriars Bridge and had to walk about a mile eastwards before joining the queue. Colleagues were hoping to go in a group on Friday but that wouldn’t’ have worked for me.
How long did you have to wait?
The whole queuing up took about 6.5 hours. It moves in phases, sometimes almost stationary, at other times your times we are walking at full pace. It gets very slow once you’ve crossed Lambeth Bridge and joined the “snake” section.
What was it like?
A good experience, unlikely to be repeated. The organisation is impeccable, with lots of volunteers helping. You start in a very British way, keeping yourself to yourself, but after an hour I was talking to fellow mourners. I made friends with a student from Hong Kong, an Australian Air Force officer and a parish councillor from Burton-on-Trent. The whole world is in that queue.
What did The Queen mean to you?
The Queen was an extraordinary presence. She took the throne 13 years before I was born. She has virtually written the manual on what a modern constitutional monarchy – and frankly non-executive presidency – should be. She may have enjoyed certain privileges of great wealth but all that is overshadowed by her immense and overriding sense of duty to the peoples of the Commonwealth.
Why was it important for you go there?
I simply had to go there. I had to pay my own respects but above all I wanted to do that with everyone else.
