It's been 10 years since I've been to London. A fact that really would have disgusted my former self.
But a couple of kids, an Auckland mortgage and of course a pandemic make it a costly and sometimes traumatic experience - I'm looking at you LAX transit.
So I've been curious as to how much had changed in this city that I adore.
Many events in the UK have been postponed, but some are wondering if the Queen would have wanted them to go on. (Source: 1News)
Since 2011 there's been four new prime ministers, Brexit, Covid-19 and right now the country is staring down a cost of living crisis, coupled with an energy crisis.
READ MORE: Opinion: King Charles well prepared for role, but challenges remain
But all of that, for the moment, has been pushed to the side as the UK says farewell to the only monarch most have ever known. The grandmother you just always thought would be there.
Some commentators say the loss of the Queen will leave Britain searching for a new national identity. A woman who has sat above them, unimpeachable and much admired around the world.
It's often said that this truly is the end of an era. One that began before World War II. The end of the second Elizabethan age has many remembering those glory days.
The Queen represents the last connection to the war which is a huge source of pride here. She's also a symbol of the last vestiges of the empire, having been on the throne as many of its former outposts moved to their own independent futures.
You can sense Brits sense of self is closely aligned with their royal family. Crowds pack into The Mall for the big occasions, and they gathered to mark all of the Queen's major life milestones from her wedding and coronation to her recent Jubilee, and now for her death.
They're unifying moments because she held the unique position of having the same relationship with absolutely everyone in the country.
She was Queen to them all, and the intense scrutiny on her life gave many a feeling of a personal connection to her too. For someone they may have only ever seen on the telly they knew an awful lot about her.
King Charles III has already been out in the crowds, showing a King who is tactile and interested in his public. It's now his slimmed-down royal family who'll be wanting to generate the same level of respect and adulation Queen Elizabeth II managed to maintain.
It'll be a tricky balancing act of embracing change and holding on to tradition but judging by the crowd's response, everyone is eager to invest in it.
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