Clear to partly cloudy. Low 59F. Winds light and variable..
Clear to partly cloudy. Low 59F. Winds light and variable.
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by her husband the Duke of Edinburgh, waves to well-wishers as they ride in June 2002 in the State Gold Coach from Buckingham Palace to St. Paul’s Cathedral in London for a service of thanksgiving to celebrate her Golden Jubilee. Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest reigning monarch and a rock of stability across much of a turbulent century, died Thursday at age 96.
Children's drawings and a note from a nursery school to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II in front of the gates of Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, Friday.
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by her husband the Duke of Edinburgh, waves to well-wishers as they ride in June 2002 in the State Gold Coach from Buckingham Palace to St. Paul’s Cathedral in London for a service of thanksgiving to celebrate her Golden Jubilee. Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest reigning monarch and a rock of stability across much of a turbulent century, died Thursday at age 96.
Children's drawings and a note from a nursery school to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II in front of the gates of Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, Friday.
The passing Thursday of Queen Elizabeth II has touched people all over the world, including in North Texas and Hunt County – especially those with a personal connection to the United Kingdom.
Former Greenville resident Tracey Fentum, a frequent volunteer for a host of local causes and who was named Chamber Ambassador Of The Year in 2020, is a native of Great Britain and grew up on the Isle of Wight, England’s largest and second-most populous island. News of the Queen’s death at Balmoral Castle reached her some 4,700 miles away in Dallas as she watched updates from the BBC. Her emotions were still running high Friday morning.
Fentum said the future of her native country concerned her the most.
“At the moment a deep feeling of loss and a sense of hiatus is hanging over me as we wait for the funeral and move from what is so familiar into the unknown,” Fentum said. “Personally, I feel my country is currently like a boat set adrift on a sea of uncertainty, not knowing whether the monarchy will be sailing on calm or stormy waters. We are wondering, now the time has come, how King Charles III will measure up.”
Charles III returned to Buckingham Palace on Friday for the first time since the death of his mother and his accession to the throne, where he was expected to meet British Prime Minister Liz Truss and deliver a speech to the nation ahead of his official proclamation as king on Saturday.
For Fentum, Elizabeth II was the only ruler she and most British citizens had ever known, and she will leave an indelible mark on the country.
”Queen Elizabeth II has been a stabilizing and respected factor for our country for the past 70 years,” Fentum said. “During that time people have been born and died never knowing another monarch. She has been an incredible ambassador for our country. Also her influence in other spheres, including steering the monarchy through some tough times, devotion to Prince Phillip, her passion for horses, support for non profit organizations and more recently her appearance with Paddington Bear all have endeared her to us as individuals and as a nation.”
Two Greenville residents, former Herald-Banner reporter and columnist Carol Ferguson and her daughter Katherine shared a lifetime bond with Queen Elizabeth II.
For Carol, it began with how the women shared a birthday, April 21, Elizabeth in 1926 and Ferguson in 1929.
When Carol was 7, she and her mother listened to the radio broadcast as Elizabeth’s father, George VI, was crowned king. Growing up, Carol continued her fascination with Great Britain and the Royal Family, even owning and playing with dolls created to resemble Elizabeth as a princess.
Her love and admiration only grew as Elizabeth matured and took the throne. Carol and Katherine would send greeting cards to her birthday twin every year, and once, in 2018, the queen said “Happy Birthday” ahead of Carol’s 89th.
Actually, the greeting came in a letter sent to Katherine by the Queen’s Lady In Waiting, Susan Hussery, who noted that the queen received hundreds of such greetings each year and generally responded only to recognize those celebrating a 100th birthday or Diamond anniversaries.
“Her Majesty was, however, touched by your mother’s support for her over the years and thought it was kind of you to write as you did,” Hussery wrote. “I hope your mother has a very happy birthday on 21st April and I am to thank you again for your thoughtful letter.”
“The queen was a remarkable woman,” Carol said. “She had a dignity about her that so many others do not ever reach.”
Katherine wanted to do something special for her mother and in 1996 took her to London for the queen’s and Carol’s birthday.
“Even though it was not the queen’s official birthday, we got to see the cannon salute at the Tower of London, so that was cool,” Katherine said, sharing her mother’s appreciation for the queen’s strength, dignity and devotion to her country and people.
“She had a humble persona despite her royal status,” Katherine said. “We are never going to see another like her ever again.”
Greenville resident Kim Butcher and her husband, Corey, were in London on vacation and they awoke to news that Queen Elizabeth had died. They made their way to Buckingham Palace to pay their respects to the beloved monarch. Butcher provided a glimpse of the scene in London.
“The small crowd of around a thousand people was somber and reflective whilst some were in tears,” Butcher said in a social media post. “Many had lain flowers near the fence which I understand will be removed about every 12 hours and distributed elsewhere. Both coming and going from the palace, we saw a mix of activities and emotions. Some people were carrying on with their daily lives—running, going to work, getting coffee—while others were making what could almost be called a pilgrimage to lay flowers at Buckingham Palace in honor of the late Queen.”
Later, the Greenville couple heard that The Queen’s Shots were to be fired 1 p.m. at the Tower of London.
“Ninety-six cannon shots were fired—one for each year of her life. The 2,000-plus people were utterly silent as the shots rang out,” she said.
“While Corey and I continued to make our way around the city, we found ourselves outside of No.10 Downing, which was a hive of activity as cabinet members made their way to a meeting with the new prime minister. We asked a Londoner about the number of police officers present, and he said there were more officers about than normal although everyone we encountered was friendly and quietly respectful of the situation.”
She added: “We appreciate that we are witnessing history in a country where the majority of the citizens have never known another monarch even while we mourn the loss of Queen Elizabeth.”
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