Ottawa-area woman grateful to mourn Queen in London

West Quebec woman a witness to history CTV's Colton Praill speaks to a Wakefield woman who is in England for the tributes to the Queen.

When Ellie Haine purchased her flight back to the United Kingdom, the dual British-Canadian citizen wasn’t expecting to be home for one of the most impactful moments of the British monarchy.

Instead, a brief trip to Cambridge has become a chance to stand beside thousands of others along Whitehall Mall in London, as the Queen makes her final journey from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall.

"I felt very emotional and I think it’s part of some British identity that the Royal Family is a big part of our lives here; coming home kind of gives me a chance to feel part of that," Haine said.

Monday, Haine had a front row seat to the monumental time in British history; taking in Buckingham Palace where the wait to mourn at the gates of the palace stretched for hours and the Royal grounds were awash in bouquets.

"It gives a sense of closure, I also feel like it could be a once in a lifetime opportunity," Haine said.

Mourners from around the globe are descending on the English capital in the lead up to the state funeral on Monday.

Casell Davis travelled from Rhondda, Wales for a chance to pay his respects Tuesday.

"It’s quite surreal to be honest, as soon as I walked into the area, it just hit me," Davis said.

Wednesday, Haine says she’ll be among the thousands waiting to see the Queen’s procession along the Royal Mile as she makes her final journey to Westminster Hall. Like so many others, Haine is hoping for a chance to pay one final tribute to her monarch, and get a glimpse of the new King, before returning home.

"I’m looking forward to having a chance to pay my respects to the Queen - in a way, by seeing her coffin go past - I’m looking forward to seeing the new King, that’s going to be something special too," she said.

One last memory she never expected to make, in honour of the woman seared into the memories of so many across the world.

"I am really glad to be home for it, you can take the Brit out of Britain but you can’t take the Britishness out of them," Haine said.