Queen Elizabeth II: People from NI in London to pay respects
- Published
Olivia Reid will be in London with her grandmother, Annette
"This will be a time that will live on for me for ever," according to eight-year-old Olivia Reid.
The Ballyclare Primary School pupil is travelling to London for Queen Elizabeth II's funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday with her grandmother, Annette Reid.
Admittedly "not a die-hard royalist", Annette, from Greyabbey, County Down, wanted to share a moment in history with Olivia, who has already decided she approves of the Queen's successor, King Charles III.
"To share this momentous time with Olivia is wonderful," Annette told BBC News NI.
"Although she is only eight, she has so many questions about Queen Elizabeth II.
"It is history in the making and at her age to be there in person and witness it, it's priceless."
Annette and Olivia will be heading to Buckingham Palace "to see all the flowers and tributes left for this great lady".
Annette Reid says the decision to take her granddaughter, Olivia, to London was "an impulse decision"
Olivia has written "a very personal note" to the Queen and hopes to lay it, along with some flowers, in London.
"She will take it all in, mull it around in her head and then the questions will come," said Annette, whose two sons, Aaron and Jonnie, will be watching on TV, hoping to see them.
"We are just going to go with the flow and see what we can achieve; just to be there is good enough for me.
"To be there at this time to pay our respects to our Queen, to take in the wave of emotion, it's something I will never in my lifetime experience again. It is an honour.
"Olivia is wise beyond her years and I am just thankful I can spend this time with her and guide her as best I can."
'The grandmother of our nation'
For Gary Davidson, from Bangor, County Down, the Queen's death has been like "losing a loved one, who was cherished by our whole community".
"She was very much the grandmother of our nation," he added.
Gary Davidson is going to London with Bangor Protestant Boys' Flute Band
Along with his flute band, who unveiled a mural for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in their area, Gary will fly out early on Monday morning and return later that night.
"I have been brought up around a very royalist family," he said.
"My mother would have collected Royal china, with plates depicting a vast history of the royals.
"I feel it is important to pay my respects in person to a monarch who has served our country greatly, even long before my birth.
"Our plan is to lay a wreath at Buckingham Palace as a mark of respect from ourselves and our community and we will try our best to get near Westminster Abbey for the service."
'We are so proud to be British'
In Belfast's Shankill Road area, the community "is grieving with the Royal Family for a Queen that led with such compassion and integrity through her reign, both personally and professionally," Julie Davidson says.
Along with other women from the Action for Community Transformation (ACT) group, she will be in London to mourn the Queen's death.
"Our community feels as though we have lost our own grandmother because we have such a strong connection with the British monarch - it is in the fabric of our very identity and even in this time of sorrow we are so proud to be British."
People have been paying tribute to the Queen on the Shankill
The community came together on Thursday for a service of thanksgiving to the Queen, but the ACT ladies wanted to be in London for the Queen's funeral "to pay our final respects as a thank you for her 70 years of commitment and service to her people".
They plan to sleep in the street on Sunday night, "to ensure that we will be there to see history unfolding".
A floral tribute made by some of the women and laid during a service of thanksgiving earlier this week
Among the group is Lisa Allen who will be wearing her mother's Elizabeth Cross, along with her daughter.
The Elizabeth Cross is granted to the next of kin of Armed Forces personnel killed on operations or as a result of terrorism, as a mark of national recognition from the Queen for their loss.
Lisa's father was an Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) soldier, murdered during the Troubles in Northern Ireland in 1987.
"My family are extremely proud of my father and his brother, who was also a UDR soldier," said Lisa.
"The Queen was always important and very much loved by the people of Northern Ireland and I know my dad would be proud of me and my daughter travelling to London and wearing the Elizabeth Crosses with pride."
While the women mourn the loss of the Queen, they are looking ahead with optimism.
"We know that the Queen has fond memories and hopes for peace building in Northern Ireland and we hope that our new King will carry on the same admirations.
"God save the King," added Julie.
Meanwhile, people have been continuing to arrive at Hillsborough Castle in County Down in large numbers to leave flowers and pay their respects to the late Queen.
The castle is the official residence of the Royal Family in Northern Ireland and has become a focal point for the public since the Queen's death.
The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) tweeted on Saturday afternoon, external that Hillsborough Castle "is exceptionally busy".
It asked the public to use the designated car park and "respect the coned no parking zones" in the village.
The castle's gardens are open, free of charge, from 10:00 to 18:00 BST until Sunday, but the NIO advised that the last admission will be at 17:00 BST on both Saturday and Sunday.
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