The Queen: Portsmouth comes to a standstill as city stops for the state funeral

But the reason people stayed at home was not a happy one, nor was it enforced – but the emptiness along Commercial Road showed just how important the Queen’s funeral was to the city.

Most shops were shut, with the usual hustle and bustle of Commercial Road replaced with stillness. Shutters were down. Pigeons waddled around undisturbed compared to usual Monday mornings.

Sunday saw services of thanksgiving held in Portsmouth, Fareham, Gosport and Havant, and on Monday nothing detracted from the televised event in London that will have seen possibly billions of people across the world stop what they were doing and watch.

In the morning about 300 people gathered in Guildhall Square today commemorate the Queen and watch the funeral on the Big Screen in the company of others.

Joanne Cook, 38, arrived early in the morning to see it.

‘We’ve come down here to Guildhall Square to watch everything, we got down here early to watch the funeral and be a part of the community,’ she said.

‘She’s been with me my entire life. Growing up in a naval family I was always involved in events to do with the Royal Family so it’s been really close to my heart.’

During the funeral Commercial Road was eerily desolate, with only a handful of people walking through the high street - the only open shops were Boots, Subway and German Doner Kebab.

Bruce Perry, 70, was walking towards Guildhall to watch the funeral, he said: ‘I had a feeling it would be this year but I don't know why. She seemed to go downhill so quickly, especially since Philip died.

‘It’s funny how much it means to everyone, I was looking at a photo of me two years old at the 1953 Coronation, she’s been with me almost my entire life.’

His wife Linda, 69, added: ‘She's always been there, for everybody.

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‘Before we walked down Commercial Road we were stopped by a woman saying, “if you're going down, there's no shops open”, she was panicking.’

Alex Chadwell, 19, a business management student said: ‘I think The Queen was a symbol of good for everyone in the country. I liked her stubbornness.

‘I find there's something - not humorous exactly, but I think she held her own a lot and didn't let people push her over, she came from a different time.

‘I think it's probably the last of the royals, from now on it might be downhill. I was surprised to hear of her death, it was shocking to see the news.

‘I think she'd had enough and it was her time to come, I think it's so nice that she went up to Balmoral and that's where she wanted to be.

‘She did so much and she was still doing way too much towards the end of it and she's had her way of passing.’

Reg Aires, 18, is completing his basic training for the British Army, and said: ‘I bet her death shocked the whole of the UK.

‘She meant a lot to me obviously, you know - I’ve never had a king. It's weird saying “God save the King” now

‘I'm wearing my uniform for her today, to show my respect.

‘Today’s a bit weird but it reminds me of the first time in lockdown.

When Linda Pullen, 45, was asked how she reacted to the Queen’s death she said that she felt: ‘Sadness, It hasn't hit me yet. I'll probably cry in a quiet place at home, that's it.

‘The high street has never been like this empty before, not since the coronavirus.’

Oliver Pierce is 18 and studies music. He said the Queen's been ‘here our entire lives, it’s sad that she’s not here any more, instead she’s just someone I grew up with.’

Max Bennett 18, game design student fondly remembers her at William and Kate’s wedding in 2012.

He said: ‘I remember it being a big event, and this is one of my first memories of her.’