ST. LOUIS — While many are mourning the Queen from thousands of miles away, one St. Louis woman was in London when the news unfolded.
Hannah Colon returned home on Saturday morning and said witnessing what she did, still feels surreal.
What started off as a spontaneous one-day trip in London for Colon and her friend, turned into a moment that will go down in history forever.
"I can't believe I was there at all for that day," she said.
For Colon, the shock still hasn't worn off.
"It was just a lot to take in," she said.
While Colon sat in the London Tea Room in Tower Grove on Saturday, she recalls every detail of what she experienced just two days ago.
"It was definitely surreal. It was a blessing to see it and also a really sad moment to be there for that part of history," she said.
Colon's friend, who is a flight attendant, asked if she wanted to tag along with him to London.
It was Colon's first time in England and they only had one day there, but it turns out that one day, was a pretty impactful one.
"We met some friends for high tea and while we were at high tea, they announced that the Queen had passed," she said.
Colon and her friends joined the thousands of people in front of Buckingham Palace, where flower after flower was placed on the gates.
"Obviously, this is the Queen of England, but it was a world thing. The whole world was mourning her death, so you could see tons of people from all over were there," she said.
Even though not everyone spoke the same language, Colon said, the crowd came together in song with "Amazing Grace" to remember a Queen who reigned for 70 years.
"It was more just everybody was in thought and was just trying to absorb what happened," she said.
Some, according to Colon, even climbed onto The Queen Victoria Memorial in front of the palace to get a better view.
"Everybody was just in shock, so a lot of people that climbed up there were just sitting and crying and watching," she said.
While it's a memory Colon will always have, she wanted to make sure her children had a piece of it too.
"I even sent my kids postcards on purpose, postcards of her face, so they could have a moment of that history too from England," she said.
Colon's sons even wrote their own condolences in a book for the Queen that the London Tea Room has on their counter.
While she's back in the states, Colon said, the events on Sept. 8, 2022, will always hold a special place.
"This is something I will never forget," she said.
While Colon was in front of the palace, she said, it was obvious the whole world loved Queen Elizabeth II.
She said a lot of people around her talked about what a great person she was and her impact on so many lives.
To watch 5 On Your Side broadcasts or reports 24/7, 5 On Your Side is always streaming on 5+. Download for free on Roku or Amazon Fire TV.