Vanessa Nanthakumaran, a 56-year-old woman of Sri Lankan origin, will be the first to attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral at Westminster Hall, in the United Kingdom.
Tens of thousands of people are reportedly queuing to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II as her coffin makes its final solemn journey.
According to international media, Vanessa Nanthakumaran of Sri Lankan origin became the first person to wait in the queue that began forming on Monday for the funeral in London.
“I just really wanted to be part of it. My family is a “great admirer” of Britain’s royal family. It is sort of like payback. Whatever they did for the Commonwealth, we have to appreciate what they did, and for the independence, they eventually gave back when Sri Lanka wanted the rights back,” the 56-year-old Londoner told international media.
On Thursday (08), the United Kingdom’s longest-serving monarch, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral aged 96, after reigning for 70 years. She died peacefully at her Scottish estate, where she had spent much of the summer.
The public in the UK will be able to file past the coffin 24 hours a day until the monarch’s funeral on Monday- September 19.
Sri Lanka has also declared a day of mourning on Monday, the 19th of September, in view of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. (NewsWire)