Many were more likely amassed to grieve and support each other through a devastating loss. Queen Elizabeth II reigned throughout most of our lives as a steady and unwavering constant.
In recent years, the explosion of digital media has brought instant celebrity to untold numbers. Almost anyone these days can be admired or deplored by millions within minutes of uploading a clip to TikTok or Facebook.
This level of attention was not sought by Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor. It was thrust on her at the age of 25 when the world literally stopped and turned its full gaze on her, the young and beautiful Queen.
A 2.2kg crown was placed on her head, and she bore the weight as well as the attention - with all the criticisms and, yes, privileges - for seven decades. Her unstinting service to duty projected and protected the royal family as an uncommon pillar of permanence in a world of drifting values.
In her passing, many may sense a foundation dislodged and their world suddenly less anchored. Such was her secure hand on an establishment ambiguously known as The Firm.
The reactions from people around the world, celebrity and not, reflect the respect and regard held for her. Even in an age of instant fame and change, she embodied qualities that most of us admire and perhaps should strive for more often.
