The death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 Sept., which brought to an end the seven-decade reign of Britain’s longest-serving monarch, was mourned in Cayman and throughout the world.
Although she was 96 years old, her passing came as a shock to many, as she had not appeared to be in ill health, though she had cut back on a number of her public duties in recent years.
Her last official engagement had been carried out just two days earlier, at her home in Balmoral, Scotland, when she met with the incoming prime minister Liz Truss to ask her to form a new government.
The first inkling the public had that she was seriously unwell was a statement issued by Buckingham Palace around noon, British time, on the day of her death, saying doctors were concerned about the monarch’s health and had placed her under medical supervision.
The seriousness of her condition became apparent as the media reported that senior members of the royal family were rushing to be with her.
At 6:30pm UK time – 1:30pm Cayman time – the palace announced, “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.”
Shortly after, Charles, who immediately became king upon the death of his mother, said in a statement, “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. We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved mother.”
Her death certificate, released later in September, listed her cause of death as old age.
In 2015, the queen had passed the milestone held by Queen Victoria and became the longest-serving British ruler in history. This year marked her Platinum Jubilee – 70 years on the throne – which was a cause for celebration in the UK and the Overseas Territories.
During her reign, Queen Elizabeth II visited the Cayman Islands on two occasions, in 1983 and 1994, greeted both times by large crowds who were delighted to get a glimpse of the queen or, for a few, shake her hand and have a brief chat.
Even before her death was announced, crowds of people had already begun arriving outside Buckingham Palace in London. Eventually, thousands of flowers, and many Paddington Bears – a nod to the queen’s appearance with the cute teddy bear in a Platinum Jubilee broadcast – were left at the gates of the palace.
Here in Cayman, flowers were left at the gates of the residence of Governor Martyn Roper – the queen’s representative – and on the steps of the Government Administration Building, in memory of the late monarch.
Cayman, like the UK and its Overseas Territories, entered a 10-day mourning period. Flags were flown at half-mast and condolence books were available for signing until the day of her funeral on 19 Sept., which was declared a public holiday.
The day after her passing, scores of government officials and dignitaries gathered at Government House for a 96-gun salute to honour the late queen.
The queen lay in state in Westminster Hall for four days before her funeral. A quarter of a million people are estimated to have viewed her coffin and paid their respects. The waiting time for public mourners at one point reached 25 hours.
Premier Wayne Panton and Roper flew to London to attend the viewing and the state funeral.
The queen’s funeral drew world leaders, celebrities and friends, who were among the 2,000 people in attendance. According to some reports, up to 4 billion people watched the funeral on television.
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