Britain is facing major changes with a new Prime Minister since Tuesday and a new King today.   This evening the sad news of the Queen Elizabeth’s death was announced that she had died at her beloved Balmoral where she enjoyed the peace and beautiful countryside.  It was a place where she felt normal and was able to walk and ride in the local environment where the locals respected her privacy and she had little fear of being recognised.  Recently I heard a talk by Grant Harrold, who as Charles’ butler for seven years, got to know her well and he recited the incident where an American tourist met her and her security officer while out walking.  When asked if she had ever met the Queen she replied that she hadn’t but he had, whereupon the tourist asked if the Queen would take a photo of her with the officer who “had met the Queen,” little realising that the photographer was the actual Queen.  When I was a child we were driving on a narrow road north of Crathie when a driver reversed back into a passing place and waved us on then we realised that the driver was the Queen with Prince Philip beside.  She was a humble person.
After a life of humility, selfless service and devotion to duty to the nation for 70 years she will be a huge loss as a “Rock on which modern Britain was built” to quote the new PM who was asked by the Queen on Tuesday to form a new government.  Whatever one thinks of the monarchy she was respected throughout the world for her grace and dignity and greatly regarded for her wisdom.