In photos: Queen Elizabeth II's State Funeral in the eyes of a Filipino

MANILA, Philippines — Two months before Queen Elizabeth II died last September 8 in Balmoral Castle, Scotland, among the last people she met was a Filipina — May Parsons, the nurse who administered the world's first COVID-19 vaccine on December 8, 2020.

Last July 12, the Queen and then Prince Charles (now King Charles III) awarded Parsons the George Cross, the highest honor bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of enemy. Parsons was awarded as a representative of the United Kingdom's National Health Service and Social Care.

"Incredibly humbling to see the photos of the day and reimagine what that day has been like," said Parsons in an Instagram post, where she was photographed talking to the Queen, with the future King Charles III sitting beside his "mummy."

Related: Filipina nurse 'deeply honored' to receive highest award from Queen Elizabeth II

Parsons was among the few ones allowed to witness the Queen's State Funeral procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch, as seen on her Instagram stories. 

To give a glimpse of what happened during the procession, Filipino legal counsel Nicolo Bernardo, who is in London to visit his law post-graduate school King's College, exclusively shared to Philstar.com his snaps from yesterday's procession. — Videos by Atty. Nicolo Bernardo, editing by Philstar.com

Whitehall, which was on the route of the funeral procession 

Atty. Nicolo Bernardo

View of Westminster Abbey, venue of the Queen's State Funeral

Atty. Nicolo Bernardo

Flags were spread across the city as tribute to the late queen

Atty. Nicolo Bernardo

Police guarding the inner path toward the procession, where only a select few of the millions of visitors were allowed to view

Atty. Nicolo Bernardo

A Paddington Bear chalk tribute for the queen, with fans leaving flowers by the sidewalk

Atty. Nicolo Bernardo

Related: Paddington tributes to queen prove too much to 'bear'

Flowers and wreaths from mourners were laid in front of The Battle of Britain relief memorial in Victoria Embankment, just downstream from Big Ben. 

Atty. Nicolo Bernardo

Hogwarts? Nah! It's the Royal Courts of Justice

Atty. Nicolo Bernardo

King's College London

Atty. Nicolo Bernardo

Whitehall, which was on the route of the funeral procession 

Atty. Nicolo Bernardo

A Filipino visitor poses with a British guy clad in his nation's flag as they awaited for the State Funeral. Behind them is the famous London Eye.

Atty. Nicolo Bernardo

 

The iconic Big Ben and Houses of Parliament. The Big Ben tolled for every minute for 96 times to mark every year in Queen Elizabeth II's life.

Atty. Nicolo Bernardo

Guiding from above: The Queen, who just celebrated her Platinum Jubilee early this year, looks blissful as she was perched in a tribute image atop a London building.

Atty. Nicolo Bernardo

RELATED: LIVE: State funeral for Queen Elizabeth II