The idea of the British Royal Family taps into a collective desire for something that seems extraordinary, as opposed to the banality of one’s own life, one expert says.

Manitobans are in mourning after Queen Elizabeth's death on Thursday. 

She has lived longer than any of her predecessors, seen a dozen prime ministers come and go and presided over six decades of British history - from postwar recovery to the death of Princess Diana and terror attacks on London.