The death of Great Britain’s longest reigning monarch came as a shock to many, but not to all. Queen Elizabeth II had been in ill health for many months. Some speculated that the death last year of her husband, Prince Philip, may have contributed to her decline.
She celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, a celebration of 75 on the throne, earlier this year. Just this week, she welcomed her 15th Prime Minister to office, Liz Truss.
According to British laws of succession, her eldest child, Prince Charles will now be King Charles III. He released a statement shortly after her death was announced.
“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty the Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” he wrote. “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by the countless people around the world. During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.”
Across the pond, here in Norcross and Peachtree Corners, many ex-pats are mourning the loss — including Rukhsana “Roxie” Aguilar, proprietress of Taste of Britain, one of the most revered shops for British goods in the southeast United States.
“We are devastated. Her majesty was the spirit of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. Her loss will touch millions,” Aguilar said. “For those of us who admired her, there are no words, just sadness.”
Photo by George Hunter, at Taste of Britain
