DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — The historic reign of Queen Elizabeth II impacted so many lives in the United Kingdom, but also the lives of those now in Palm Beach County.
Elizabeth was a symbol of unity and strength to the people of the U.K. As soon as the world got word that the royal family was rushing to be by Her Majesty's side, there was cause for concern.
Veteran of the Royal Navy and Boynton Beach resident Tim Stergiou-Allen shared with WPTV how personal his relationship is with the Queen.
"She's just such an established part of society and I think that what people who aren't from the UK find it difficult to understand is why there might be this kind of royalty to the family or the queen," he said. "It's just something in our culture, it's in our DNA, I don't think there's any real way to describe it."
Stergiou-Allen spent several years in the Royal Navy and reflects on his time serving as a lieutenant.
“My oath was to the Queen, and the loyalty was to the Queen," he said. "She’s just always been an ever-present part of our lives. I feel like she’s almost the grandmother of our nation."
Lisa Ireland is also from the United Kingdom and now owns the British Depot in Lake Worth. She said the Queen's passing will impact her in more ways than one.
“She is the backbone of the United Kingdom, that goes without saying because of, not just her title, but that’s who she is—she’s a structure of the United Kingdom," Ireland said.
Despite being an ocean away, Ireland said it's as if the Queen was with her for her entire life.
“I can look at the Queen and think, if I’m going through something I can always refer back to just how strong a woman she is and has been," she said, "and that helps me to deal with my issues and my problems too.”
It's been 31 years since Elizabeth made her first visit to Florida. She made multiple stops during a two-week trip to the U.S. including the Florida Keys and Tampa.
On Tuesday, Buckingham Palace announced that the queen had died at age 96, after 70 years on the throne.
Her son Charles becomes Britain’s new king.
