MIAMI – To many, Queen Elizabeth II was the epitome of royalty, and Miami bought a glimpse in 1991, when she came around.
The Queen of England’s first journey to Miami was marked by loads of pomp and circumstance, safety, media hoopla and naturally, by a crowd of excited royal watchers desirous to see royalty up shut.
Her majesty and her husband, Prince Philip each graciously shaking arms with Florida dignitaries.
Some nonetheless remember that day, and all she’s carried out.
“I just feel that it’s devastating news, that this has just happened, yes she had a good life, but she gave her live to us,” Wendy Churchill mentioned.
For Churchill, an ex-pat who helps run the British Marketplace in Davie, the queen was the image of somebody dedicated to service.
We talked along with her as she was watching the BBC break the news of the queen’s passing.
She seems to be again now on the longest reigning monarch with fond reminiscences.
“It was a woman to be proud of and I am very proud of that woman, and so is the rest of the nation,” she advised CBS4.
Queen Elizabeth II reigned for 70 years. She was a fixture within the British neighborhood in addition to overseas.
“It’s a sad day. It was sad to think about and now that it’s actually happened it’s even more sad,” Tina Becker mentioned.
It was in May of 1991 that the queen got here to Miami.
Former faculty principal John Williams had the chance to fulfill the queen.
While right here, she visited his faculty, Booker T Washington High School.
Williams says the college band performed for her and she or he stayed to observe a part of a drama play. Those are reminiscences Williams says he’ll all the time cherish.
“Just the idea that a queen would come to my school, and I was raised in Pahokee, Florida,” Williams mentioned.
Paul George, a historian at History Miami Museum recollects the go to.
“She was wonderfully gracious she came in an outfit that was red white and blue which was great.
Of course, they played where she went the British national anthem as well the American national anthem so it was one of those euphoric days,” he mentioned.
Part of the journey additionally included a cease at Vizcaya and later a dinner on the Royal Yacht Brittania with then-sitting President Ronald Reagan and former President Gerald Ford.
“I think it was just an uplifting thing that this legendary head of state and here she is 30 plus years later living until today, had come to Miami,” George added.
And it might be attention-grabbing to notice, Florida was as soon as a British colony, from 1763-1783.
Her go to is now a part of native and world historical past. Queen Elizabeth the second had the longest reign in British historical past.
She might be mourned across the globe as one of many final monarchs born to a basic age of European royalty
