THUNDER BAY – Fran Yeo says Queen Elizabeth II has been a part of the fabric of her life since she was a little girl.
On Monday, she joined about 80 others who gathered at the Waverley Park cenotaph for a ceremony honouring the life of the Queen, who died at 96 on Sept. 8.
Her funeral took place on Monday.
“We’re not so much royalists, but certainly Queen Elizabeth and the family have been a part of our growing up, and I respect what we have because we’re in Canada and the relationship there,” Yeo said. “I was very thankful that something was organized for her locally.”
Like millions of other Canadians on Monday, Yeo spent the early part of her day watching television coverage of the Queen’s funeral, recording much of the ceremony to be able to sit down and watch it in full later in the day.
“It’s a good time to pause. There’s a real change of an era, but I think too we know going forward there will be more change… Truly that was an amazing gift to have her for that time.”
Elizabeth II was born in 1926 and ascended to the throne in 1952, following the death of her father, King George VI.
Though the monarchy wasn’t universally beloved during her reign, Elizabeth seemed to be, serving for more than 70 years, making her the longest reigning monarch in British history.
Among her admirers was Katriina Myllymaa, the president of Branch 5 of the Royal Canadian Legion in Thunder Bay.
Myllymaa had to fight back tears as she delivered a short speech during the ceremony honouring Queen Elizabeth’s legacy.
“For many of us present here today, she’s the only Queen we’ve ever known, so her loss is felt deeply,” she said.
“Our deep feeling of respect for Her Majesty, and our memories, will remain firmly entrenched in our hearts and minds forever.”
It’s a big change, Myllymaa said, but that’s to worry about for another day.
Looking back, Elizabeth II’s reign offered a sense of stability to the world, and to the countries of the Commonwealth in particular.
“She was a very, very smart lady and she managed to keep everything rolling. Even when there was a lot of strife in the world, she somehow managed to get around it and keep us all happy,” Myllymaa said. “She was the Queen of Canada, so I think it was important to honour her. And also I think it’s going to be a big change for the Commonwealth and for the people of the UK, with a new king coming in, so I think it was important to show our respect to the Queen and the people of the UK and the Commonwealth.”
King Charles III will have big shoes to fill, with the passing of his mother, Myllymaa added.
“He’s going to have his work cut out for him, but just in listening to some of the stuff he’s talked about, he’s got some good ideas about things that we have to look at doing, with the environment and people from different groups, bringing us all together."
