As the death of Queen Elizabeth II shocked the country of England, Simpson students and Faculty reflect on their own personal opinions of the event.

Brian Steffen, professor of multimedia communications, said he has always had a fascination with the United Kingdom, which is why he visits England frequently.

The form of government was also a point of interest for Steffen. “It was kind of a mind blur that they had one person who was the head of state and another person entirely who is the head of government, but who serves at the pleasure of the head of state.”

The late Queen’s death represents a period of change for the country. Her eldest son, Charles III, taking over her royal duties as King has sparked some controversy among individuals.

“More than anything, I feel sorry for him,” Steffen said. “I do think from the time he was born, his family knew that this was the eventual King of England, which meant that your childhood was never going to be normal.” 

Another reason he feels sorry for Charles is because of how long he has waited for this moment, but he will never be remembered the way Queen Elizabeth II was.

The line to see the late Queen’s coffin stretched five miles long last Friday, showing the respect people all around the world have for her and the royal family.

Junior Ben Reynolds had the opportunity to travel to London this past May Term with the study abroad program. 

“It was kind of crazy to hear. It immediately made me think about when I was there and how much the people admired her,” Reynolds said.

The late Queen Elizabeth II was the only queen most people all over the world ever knew, reigning for over 70 years. Many hold a deep reservation for her and the monarchy as an institution.

Britain loved the late Queen because she had the ability to put everyone at ease, containing a famous sense of humor while also maintaining a proper appearance.

“From my experience, the people there loved the royal family. When we visited the Queen’s palace, there were tons of people outside,” Reynolds said. “It was cool to see from an American’s perspective how the royal family is perceived there.”

The new power King Charles III holds will create new opinions and new levels of respect for the royal family. 

Many people attending the funeral procession have spoken out in protest over members of the royal family.

The royal family has had its fair share of heat in the press over the years, given King Charles III’s relationship with the late Princess Diana and his remarrying to Queen Consort Camilla. 

Even with the Queen’s death sweeping the press and taking the focus off of past scandals, Steffen believes King Charles III will constantly be in the newspapers. Everyone will be keeping a close eye on his actions and the work he will do for the country.

“Ultimately, it is pretty sad just from seeing what it means to a whole country and how much they are mourning,” Reynolds said.

Queen Elizabeth II gained respect from people all over the world and her work will not be forgotten as people mourn her passing.