English pubs in Melbourne’s central business district were largely empty as they broadcast the funeral on big screens. Rick Tonk, from West Yorkshire, was watching at the Charles Dickens Tavern with his parents. “We’re going to spend some time here, just enjoying the atmosphere and being able to say goodbye,” Tonk said. “It was very official, for many people around the world. They will be watching.” He said it was strange to be so far from home as such a historic event unfolded, and while the Queen’s death was not a complete shock, it felt like it had come out of nowhere. “It’s really the turning of a page, the dawning of a new era — just saying goodbye to the one person who’s been our monarch for so long,” Tonk said. Tavern owner John Davie said the coverage leading up to the funeral had “diminished” interest in Australia. “The coverage she had until probably the most important day of the lot probably didn’t do her any favors,” Davie said. “Whereas in the UK people queue for days to pay their respects. I think people here are a little burnt out. It’s a lot to take in.” The pubs may have been quiet, but Australians across the country – both monarchist and republican – tuned in to watch. Some just wanted to “watch the historic moment”, while others admired the ceremony. “Imagine being responsible for the seating plan for this,” tweeted Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute. People watch the Queen’s funeral in Federation Square in Melbourne. Photo: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images Earlier in the day, some churches held small services so as not to conflict with the funeral. Reverend Jennifer Furphy, 68, of St Agnes Black Rock, led her congregation in prayer for the Queen, read extracts from some of her Christmas speeches and spoke about what her death meant. “We talked about how we really wanted to honor her memory and her Christian faith and how she had lived a life of service to her country and the commonwealth,” Furphy said. “The parishioners here are immigrants from England, they have family there and real connections to the culture. I think it was important to honor that.” Furphy said it was a moment in history she wanted to respect, while also acknowledging that for many First Nations Australians, the crown and its tradition are reminders of a painful colonial past. For many Australians of her generation, especially working women, the Queen was also a symbol of strength, juggling her role as monarch and mother. “I always felt the Queen was a good leader and I always felt it was good to be led by a woman,” Furphy said. “It will be very different to have a king now.” Kate Kelly

Paris

The French republic has shown remarkable interest in the death and funeral of Queen Elizabeth II over the past 11 days. Emmanuel Macron paid an emotional and respectful tribute to the British monarch, saying that to the French she was just “the” queen, and tweeted a black-and-white film of Elizabeth on the Elysee and successive presidents, with the simple message: “Thank you, Your Majesty.” The film began with the Queen wishing for a long-lasting friendship between the two countries. TF1, one of the main French TV channels, broadcast a special edition called L’Adieu covering the entire funeral with an official French translation and a British commentator, who admitted to singing God Save the King in the studio when it was sung in the Abbey of Westminster. The channel had several reporters along the route of the march. Paris Metro station George V temporarily renamed Elizabeth II 1926-2022. Many people in France felt that the French reaction to the queen’s death raised the question that Liz Truss, the UK prime minister, seemed unable to answer: is Macron “friend or foe”. Peter Ricketts, the former British ambassador in Paris, was on French television saying Truss had made a “serious mistake”. “It’s time to fix this and confirm that we are friends and allies,” he said. People watch the Queen’s funeral at the Cricketer pub in Paris on Monday. Photo: Michel Euler/AP Several national and local newspapers once again devoted their front pages to the royal farewell. The headline of Le Parisien was “Elizabeth II: the funeral of the century”. The newspaper reported: “Every word is looking to London today, where the Queen’s funeral will be held.” The front page of Le Figaro carried a photo of the coffin and the headline “The whole world gathers in memory of Elizabeth II”. French journalists interviewed people outside the abbey, on the cemetery route and in pubs along the route. It did not escape the attention of commentators that the hearse stopped at Wellington Arch, a reminder of the Duke of Wellington and the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte and the French at Waterloo. Some remarked with clear admiration for the British phlegm and ability to wait patiently in line for long periods. Kim Wilsher

New York

Attending the Queen’s funeral at the Churchill Tavern in New York. Photo: Adam Gabbatt It’s been nearly 250 years since the US declared independence from the British monarchy, but in New York on Monday morning there was plenty to suggest there is some affection. A mix of enthusiastic American royals, flag-waving British tourists and local TV journalists packed the Churchill Tavern, a British bar a few blocks south of the Empire State Building, to watch the queen’s funeral as the crowd observed an hour of silence. as the monarch was sent on her way. Despite the early hours – Churchill opened at 5.30am. – seating was in short supply, with standing room only as people continued to arrive. Mourners were welcomed outside by a life-size figurine, and a somber, respectful atmosphere. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen the bar quiet for an hour and 10 minutes before, never – nor would you ever want to – but there was something very surreal about it, and very respectful and deeply moving, actually,” said Sinead Naughton, an Irish woman who owns Churchill with her British husband. A typical midtown Manhattan establishment, with a long wooden bar stretching to one side and scattered seats across, Churchill stands out from other dens with its pictures and paintings of Queen Elizabeth. Naughton said many regulars were British and the bar had been open for every major British event since it opened 11 years ago. Naughton said she felt we “had to” open for the funeral. Early on, there was chatter among patrons, but as the Queen’s coffin was carried into Westminster Abbey, the bar fell silent. At 6 a.m. when service began, there was only the occasional clink of coffee cups from the bar as staff kept patrons fueled up. Some of the attendees were dressed for the occasion, including Jean Shafiroff, who wore a large black hat. Safirov, an American who serves on the board of several charities, said she had met Prince Harry in 2019 at a charity event in London. He attended Margaret Thatcher’s funeral in 2013 but said “the Queen’s funeral is a more difficult invitation to commission”. He said: “Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II has been a great role model for all people around the world. Her 70 years of service were extraordinary. We need more role models like her.” Adam Gambat

Kenya

The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on Monday was met with a fairly muted response in Kenya, in stark contrast to the reactions that followed news of her death, which sparked mourning and outrage in the east African country. Kenyan President William Ruto attended the Queen’s funeral alongside other world leaders and the service was broadcast on major news networks. But while her miscarriage caught much of the world’s attention, it didn’t garner much national interest. On the streets and online, it was mostly business as usual. Britain’s longest-serving monarch has become queen in Kenya after receiving news of her father’s death while on a royal tour with her husband, Prince Philip. Some Kenyans fondly remember the Queen’s “fairytale” first visit. “It’s the end of an era,” said Paul Ochieng, 49. “We grew up watching the Queen and she became queen here, so there’s a little place for her.” Guests watch live coverage of Queen Elizabeth’s funeral at the British High Commissioner’s residence in Nairobi, Kenya. Photo: Monicah Mwangi/Reuters But for others, it was a poignant reminder of Britain’s brutal colonial past, when almost 1.5 million Kenyans were forced into detention camps and subjected to torture and other atrocities in the 1950s during the British empire’s crackdown on the Mau Mau – Kenyan freedom fighters who opposed colonialism. The violent suppression of the Mau Mau took place at the beginning of Elizabeth’s reign, and many of the crimes were committed in her name. Faced with legal pressure, the UK government agreed in 2013 to pay £20 million to Kenyan torture victims. “We are being shot to mourn someone who looked out for our collective plight,” said Suhail Omar, 24, a Kenyan researcher at the British Colonial Museum. “The fact that Kenyan leaders saw fit to declare national mourning is an indication of the ongoing cycle of colonial violence we continue to face.” Caroline Kimeu

India

Just as the response to Queen Elizabeth II’s death was muted in India, there was little commotion surrounding her funeral. Unlike other South Asian countries that sent their heads of government to attend the funeral, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi did…