'She's my Queen': couple from Ebb and Flow First Nation travel to London for Queen's funeral
A couple from Ebb and Flow First Nation in Manitoba have travelled to England to pay their respects to the Queen in person.
Matthew Houle and his wife Pearl Baptiste-Houle are in London to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away Sept. 8 at the age of 96.
"My wife is a royalist, I couldn’t let her come by herself," said Matthew.
It's not the first time the pair have gone to London for royal reasons.
"We came out for the royal wedding of Prince William, and for the birth of baby George, we're practically family," said Matthew. "And we're here now for the Queen."
The two have been making a trip of it for the last few days, exploring London, visiting Buckingham Palace and other sites.
Matthew Houle and his wife Pearl Baptiste-Houle are in London to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. (Source: CTV News Winnipeg)
They are planning to watch the funeral in Hyde Park, where large screens have been set up for public viewing.
"When we were here for the royal wedding there was like a million people around us. I'm sure they’ve taken that into account," said Matthew.
He says it's a historic moment, and they just want to be a part of it. "I think this right up there with Neil Armstrong on the moon and the Berlin Wall coming down. I think it's like top in the last century or two," he said.
For Pearl, it's the culmination of a lifetime of loving the Queen.
"I've been a follower for 50 years … she's my Queen," she said.
The couple did try to attend the public viewing of the Queen Lying-in-State at Westminster Hall, but the lineup was too long.
"When we got there it was 18 hours maybe for the wait," said Pearl."
"I talked her out of that, she was going to go stand in line that long," said Matthew.
They say the entire community of Ebb and Flow back home has been following along with their journey.
"They're basically following us. In a sense, I brought my whole reserve here," said Matthew.
The Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will begin Monday, Sept. 19 at 11 a.m. British local time, or 5 a.m. central.
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