Lionel Gougelot 8:07 p.m., September 11, 2022
Three days after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, goodies bearing the image of the monarch are still stored in shop windows.
Goodies that tourists and Brits snap up like hotcakes.
And if a new king has ascended the throne, the myth of the queen remains (for now) intact.
But the emotion of the British who have been heard since the death of the queen on Thursday, proof of their attachment to the royal family.
A special bond that also passes through small objects.
Memories, tastes say that they are traditionally torn apart.
And all the more so in this historic period, as our reporter Lionel observed in London.
At the cash desk in the souvenir shop, Joan clutches the collector's T-shirt she has just bought to her chest, bearing the likeness of the late queen, with the inscription "forever in our hearts".
"It's my way of showing that we can't forget it", she justifies with Europe 1. "I did it for my holidays and it is part of our lives."
Soon objects with the effigy of Charles
Customers like Joan, Ismael, the manager, have seen hundreds of them a day since Thursday.
"It's madness," he confides to our microphone.
“Customers would fight for all the objects around the image of the queen, for fear of not finding any more. , we're already out of stock. I have to order again as soon as possible. It doesn't stop."
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Elizabeth tops the sales of memorabilia from this shop near Buckingham.
But there are quite a few objects for the moment with the effigy of Charles.
"We looked at what was starting to come out in the effigy, but there is not much", launches Belgian tourists.
“I think that out of respect for the death of the queen, we are not going to talk too much about King Charles yet”, launches another.
"Besides, I think she's more liked than him."
Orders for furniture, portraits and other Charles T-shirts will arrive next week, assures Ishmael.
And for the manager of this shop, there will necessarily be a clientele for that.