LONDON – The crowd outside St. Paul Cathedral in London went wild Friday as the Royal family made their way up the stairs for the start of the Thanksgiving service to honor Queen Elizabeth II’s long reign.
“I think I’ve imploded several times -- it’s just incredible,” one bystander, Sam Foster, said.
“So who was your favorite?” Local 10 News anchor Nicole Perez asked another watcher, Katy Moss.
“Oh, it’s got to be Kate all the way – all the way. I love her,” Moss said.
The service was meant to honor the Queen and pay tribute to her reign and commitment to public life. And although the Queen was not in attendance, the public showed up for her anyway.
“I knew that she wasn’t going to be here today, but that doesn’t matter because her family is representing her,” Margaret Tayemoba said.
Over 400 key workers, armed forces members and charity volunteers were in attendance and were recognized for their contributions to public life, as well as Prime Minister Boris Johnson alongside his wife Carrie, who did a reading from the Bible during the mass.
The crowd gathered at every corner around the cathedral for the start of the service and stayed well after it ended with the same goal -- to spot the royals just one more time.