The passing of a queen, the only monarch many have ever known.
The United Kingdom mourns the passing of Queen Elizabeth II with reverence, sadness and of course, British pageantry.
Marcus Yam is on the ground in London to bring a visual perspective as England says goodbye to the queen.
Windsor
The hearse arrives covered in flowers thrown by onlookers. A woman holds back her tears.
The gloomy sky reflected on its large windows. Procession turns right onto the Long Walk towards Windsor
Advertisement
The road leading to Windsor Castle, which will be the final resting place for Queen Elizabeth II.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
The Queen has arrived home.
A man watches a procession bearing the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, slowly making its way towards the road leading to Windsor Castle.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
A funeral procession bearing the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II slowly makes its way towards the road leading to Windsor Castle.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Green Park
The last sunset before QueenElizabeth II’s funeral.
Evening glow brings warmth.
Advertisement
Members of the public pay their final respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II by placing flowers and other tributes in the memorial designated areas in Green Park.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Thousands gather at Green Park to offer their final tributes. To pay their respects.
A maze of memorials. A trove of personal notes. A floral farewell.
A young girl carry’s flowers and a stuffed animal as members of the public pay their final respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II in Green Park on the eve of her funeral in London.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Inside Westminster Hall
Enter the chamber. A solemn farewell.
Advertisement
After hours waiting in line, they pay their respect to Queen Elizabeth II as her coffin lies-in-state inside Westminster Hall.
Members of the public line up to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II as inside Westminster Hall.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Queen Elizabeth II coffin is guarded by the Royal Guards.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
A nod, a salute, a bow or praying hands. The slow walk out.
A glance backwards. Then into the cold dark night.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Advertisement
Security is tight around Westminster Hall.
There are some who are not waiting in line to pay respects to #QueenElizabethII lying-in-state.
Police keep the peace and help direct foot traffic as the public gathers outside Westminster as others wait in line to view the Queen Elizabeth II lying-in-state at Westminster Hall.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Members of the public gather outside Westminster.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
A couple with their arms locked together stroll away from the crowds outside Westminster Hall.
Their smiles bring warmth, even as the sun shines and the cold breeze blows behind them.
Advertisement
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Along the River Thames
A bevy of swans float along the River Thames alongside members of the public waiting in queue to make their way towards Westminster Hall to view Queen Elizabeth II lying-in-state.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Members of the public wait in queue and make their way along the Thames River to view Queen Elizabeth II lying-in-state at Westminster Hall.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
David Cookson checks on his sleeping daughter Clementine while in queue along the Thames River.
He shushes calmly for her to go back to sleep.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Advertisement
Others pace, drink coffee, eat pizza, joke around, for at least 5 hours to view Queen Elizabeth II lying-in-state at Westminster Hall.
Many parents speak of the importance of involving their children in this British history.
Members of the public use their mobile phones to make a picture and catch glimpse of the procession for the hearse bearing Queen Elizabeth II passing them and making its way to Westminster Hall in London.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Many note the importance of the longest reigning Queen.
The hearse bearing Queen Elizabeth II travel along a procession route towards Westminster Hall.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Members of the public watch as the hearse bearing Queen Elizabeth II travels along the procession route towards Westminster.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Advertisement
To pass the time, hair is braided as members of the public pass the time camping out along the route where they will catch a glimpse of the procession for the hearse bearing Queen Elizabeth II.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
“She was a great queen, she was important as a woman. As a feminist it’s good for the boys to see that as young men.”
— Annabel Haken
Annabel Haken, and her son, Thomas, 4, sit along the procession route. Haken said that she brought her three boys to experience how the nation is grieving. She wanted them to understand “how important the royal family is to the British people.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
They mourn, memorialize and respect.
Members of the public pass the time camping out along the route where they will catch a glimpse of the procession.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Few express indifference about monarchs. But the legacy is history.
Advertisement
Memorial items left behind on trees along the route of the procession.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Buckingham Palace
Members of the public look on as the hearse bearing the late Queen Elizabeth II arrives at Buckingham Palace.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Palace guards march in formation after the arrival of Queen Elizabeth II’s hearse at Buckingham Palace.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Rain pours but does not deter.
Hair pushed aside, faces glimmer wet. Someone yelled, “Long love the queen!”
A woman looks on after Queen Elizabeth II’s hearse arrives Tuesday at Buckingham Palace.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Advertisement
Camera flash sparkles the scene. Proper applause
.
Chloe Charlton, 8, and her mother, Rachael, traveled from York to observe the funeral events for Queen Elizabeth II.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
A hearse bearing the late Queen Elizabeth II arrives.
Everyone looks.
A growing memorial for Queen Elizabeth II at Green Park in London.
Marcus Yam is a foreign correspondent and photographer for the Los Angeles Times. Since joining in 2014, he has covered a wide range of topics including humanitarian issues, social justice, terrorism, foreign conflicts, natural disasters, politics and celebrity portraiture. He won the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news photography in 2022 for images documenting the U.S. departure from Afghanistan that capture the human cost of the historic change in the country. Yam is a two-time recipient of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Journalism Award, notably in 2019, for his unflinching body of work showing the everyday plight of Gazans during deadly clashes in the Gaza Strip. He has been part of two Pulitzer Prize-winning breaking news teams.
