The loss of the United Kingdom’s longest-serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II is being felt around the world, including here on campus.

Announced by Buckingham Palace Thursday afternoon, news of the Queen’s passing caused a tidal wave of emotion for many people in the United Kingdom, including junior Haley Ward’s cousin, Emma Neaderland, who witnessed the news firsthand studying abroad.

“When the news first broke, it was in a BBC tweet that was immediately retracted, so most people thought it was an accident and the Queen hadn’t died yet,” Neaderland said. “Minutes later, the news was re-published and we found out it was true. Immediately, screaming and sirens could be heard around the city. Some random guy on the road fell to his knees screaming that the queen had died.”

Just arriving in London, Neaderland experienced a culture shock with the Queen’s death.

“We don’t have a royal family,” Neaderland said. “We aren’t used to this world that we only hear about in books, movies, and old history. At Buckingham Palace, many people were gathering around the gates, placing flowers in them as a sign of respect.”

The news would immediately make its way to American news stations, and British student, senior Jazze Stewart, felt shocked by the passing of who she considered such a monumental figure.

“It’s crazy,” Stewart said. “My whole life I’ve known her, and now she’s dead. I’m British, and my whole family lives in London, and I’ve lived in Canada and other places where the Queen ruled. She’s been a leader to me my whole life, and I felt like I knew her.”

Sophomore Bea Dunlop thinks some of the social media posts regarding the Queen’s death are distasteful. 

“When I went on Tik Tok, I found so many people making jokes about her,” Dunlop said. “I had been sad to learn that she died because I’m from England. I found it quite disrespectful because she was a queen who ruled England, as well as a good person. She did so much for us. She showed me what it was like to be a good person and how to be a true leader.”

Humanities and African American Studies teacher Sarah Wiseman believes the Queen made an impact throughout Britain’s imperial age.

“Queen Elizabeth was so important from my perspective because she presided over the decolonization of the British Empire,” Wiseman said. “Decolonization, especially in Africa, can’t be underestimated in its importance to the changing of the geopolitical landscape of the 20th century.”

Wiseman hopes people understand this historical significance, not only in her role globally, but also in the strides she took for women in power.

“A big part of her legacy will be how she maintained stability and trust in the British Royal Family during times in which it could have easily been overthrown by a parliamentary system that had no need for a monarch,” Wiseman said.” She never shared power with her husband, and was the second longest-ruling monarch in British history. With that, the proof is in the pudding that women can do big and hard things and be good leaders.”

Timeline created by Athena Tseng and Rin Ryu.