Two Italian punks, dressed in the ironic iconography of God Save the Queen from the 1977 Sex Pistols, looked puzzled at the effervescence of excitement in front of them.
“We came by chance and we are surprised that there are so many people here before anything has started,” said Stefano Bolognini, 28, a musician from Brescia.
“Does everyone in England support the monarchy like that? We have a president of the republic who we can change regularly, so it’s pretty amazing for us.”
Patricia Walters, a retired nurse aide, said she was worried about what might happen next. “I’ve always loved the queen since I was young. She’s great. But I’ve taken half the rest of the family off my list,” the 79-year-old added.
“Charles shouldn’t be the king, he should go to William, and Andrew is still there in the background even though all his rights and privileges should be taken away. The royal family is supposed to be flawless, but they are not “.
Mrs Walters has spent a few days in London with her 12-year-old grandson Jack and 45-year-old daughter Kelly Edwards, attending some West End shows and stopping at Buckingham Palace before returning to Swansea on Wednesday. in the evening.
Ms Edwards, a psychiatric nurse, said: “It’s a great day to be here, even though the jubilee celebrations haven’t started yet. Just seeing the change of guard is great and all these crowds make it even more fun.”