The King has now visited each of the UK’s four nations since his mother’s death; queue to see coffin is paused as wait reaches 14 hours
UK-based correspondents from European news outlets have written for the Guardian about how Britons will deal with political turmoil, Brexit, recession and the loss of the Queen.
Here’s an excerpt from Stefanie Bolzen, UK and Ireland correspondent for Die Welt, Germany:
The days we are living through mark a new beginning. Only time will tell what the post-Elizabethan era will bring. For the moment, what it does feel like is a juggernaut of one too many challenges coming at the same time, a surreal wave. The aftermath of the pandemic, which has left the UK with a lot of scars; Brexit finally being felt in real life, whether on the M2 towards Dover, in my local Sainsbury’s, or in the port of Larne; Russia’s war on Ukraine; a fourth prime minister in six years. And now the death of Elizabeth II, who seemed to many immortal.
Reporting on the UK as a foreigner often makes it easier to take a step back, to see “the big picture”. Since last Thursday, though, this has become a challenge. The 24/7 coverage of the Queen’s death is all-consuming with layers of events, history and traditions to process. It would not be fair to suggest that these layers are somehow serving to sugarcoat the crisis in this country. Elizabeth II was a historic figure, she symbolises a century that transcended Europe’s borders. What I do notice, however, is that the foreign media cover this long period of ceremonial mourning with less servility. Hardly any British media, for example, dared comment on King Charles III’s rude gesture of impatience during the acclamation.
The actress, known for her role in the BBC hit series Killing Eve, will participate in a procession of national honours as part of the service on Monday.
She joins the delegation as a member of the Order of Canada alongside musician Gregory Charles and Olympic gold medallist swimmer Mark Tewksbury.
Oh was granted the honour recently in June 2022.
Canada’s delegation to the funeral will be led by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and also include governor general Mary Simon as well as former prime ministers and governor-generals.
The group is due to depart for the UK on Friday, ahead of the service next week.
Details of the delegation were made public on Thursday during a special address given by Trudeau during a special session of Canada’s House of Commons.
It was previously announced the day of the Queen’s funeral will be marked in Canada with a national day of mourning.
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