Dozens came out to Imperial Theatre in Saint John on Monday morning to watch the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

Staff at the theatre decided to open their doors for free to anyone who wanted to drop in and watch.

Angela Campbell, executive director of the theatre, said soon after the Queen’s death, staff talked about ways they could honour her life.

“We thought the best thing that we could do would be to open the theatre to the general public and allow them to come together for the funeral,” Campbell said in an interview on Monday morning.

Royalty has visited the uptown Saint John theatre on at least one occasion in recent memory.

The now King Charles III visited the Imperial in 1996, two years after the theatre’s official reopening.

“As we thought about our own personal experiences with the monarch through the years and the incredible life the Queen has led — she has touched so many generations — we thought there are definitely people who would want to be with friends and family,” said Campbell.

Dozens gathered at Imperial Theatre on Sept. 19, 2022, to watch the funeral for Queen Elizabeth II. Image: Brad Perry

The theatre’s executive director estimates about 70 people came out on Monday morning to watch the Queen’s funeral.

The funeral did not begin until 7 a.m., but people started coming inside the theatre at 5:45 a.m., where they were offered coffee, tea and snacks.

Campbell was asked what she thought about so many people coming to watch so early in the morning.

“I think that Queen Elizabeth has just had this extraordinary impact on the world,” she said. “I think she was well-respected and she lived with such grace that people just want to honour her life and everything that she’s done.”