Members of the royal family gathered for the procession of the Queen’s coffin in London

Among the crowd were people with connections and origins from other Commonwealth nations.

“Despite my Pakistani roots, I was born here and feel part of the Commonwealth at some stage, many years ago, but I still have this affinity for the royal family,” said one individual.

“I thought this was the ultimate opportunity to pay my respects,” Soyfoo added. “Everybody keeps saying, ‘The Queen, God bless her soul, she worked tirelessly, so selflessly’ (and talk about) how she brought the nation together no matter what creed, color, community you’re from.”

“She gave us so much,” said Chris Imafidon, a British Nigerian professor. “She wasn’t just a monarch high up there, she was humble. She worked with my charity downtown and invited our students to come to the palaces.”