Queen Elizabeth II is the only monarch most people in this country have ever known, and as the nation unites in grief, MM asked the people of Manchester for their thoughts and opinions.
Jessica Toomey, 41
“She was the nation’s grandma, wasn’t she? It’s no surprise at 96 but… She was around forever and we just thought it would be strange not to have her around. I liked having a Queen, I don’t like the sound of a King. I liked that everyone ultimately was answerable to this little old lady. I liked the idea of Boris having to bow to her – put him in his place!
I don’t think we’ll see anyone else like her. So principled, in today’s society. We don’t have it anywhere really. Politics or celebrities. She was one of a kind.”
Aimee Perry, 38
“I just feel a bit sad. It reminds you of your grandparents. It could be the end of the Commonwealth, which doesn’t really affect us that much. I think it’s just nice having the Prime Minister have someone to answer to. If there’s anything I like about the Royal Family it’s that.”
Alexandra, 49
“She embodies the values that a lot of us aspire to: family, faith… So it’s just really sad. It’s not so much her death, I’m just mourning who she was as a person, and I feel for the Royal Family, her children and grandchildren.
She was 96 but anybody who’s ever lost a parent or anyone close knows that you’re never really ready to say goodbye anyway – it’s always going to be a shock.
I suppose when I think of her I think of my own grandparents and what they embodied. It seems to me that people from this generation worked hard and everything they did was a service. For me, she also was a defender of the Christian faith, which I have as well. She was vocal about that and I think I relate to that very much.”
Main image courtesy of Jack Redden: The Union flag at Manchester Central Library flies at half-mast following the death of the Queen
