LONDON – Mourners from across the world, including Detroit, continue to wait in a five-mile long line to bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth II.
Pastor and gospel singer Marvin L. Winans from the Perfecting Church in Detroit near Van Dyke and Nevada Avenues is one of many paying respects.
“We’re here we were here last night. We had a concert along with another Detroiter Karen Clark Sheard and Donnie McClurkin to celebrate my brother BeBe’s 60th birthday. And so he decided to do a big because he was turning 60. And he wanted a concert here. So we all came for that. And then this happened with the passing of Her Majesty and just didn’t know how it would work out. But we knew we were coming and it was sold out and had a great time.”
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Winans said that his mother was 15 years old when Queen Elizabeth II took the throne. “She’s always been an inspiration. And you know, I noticed my mother, she said this, that it was a woman that took the place where all men were and it was an inspiration, even my grandmother, I remember her talking about the mannerisms and how they held it down. And she was just been a consistency throughout 70 years. "
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“You know, it’s amazing when you think about the monarchy and that the longest reigning kings and queens were two women, Victoria and now her majesty, Elizabeth,” said Winans. “It says something that maybe they don’t worry like we do. But every time she has always been consistent and the same.”