Queen Elizabeth II: Travelers arriving in Philadelphia learn of the Queen's death in-flight
PHILADELPHIA - For travelers arriving to Philadelphia International Airport, news of the queen’s death came from an in-flight announcement.
"The pilot said, ‘Sorry about all the entertainment, but we’ve got some very sad news.’ Simultaneously, we both said the queen has died," Oxfordshire, England resident Susan Dowdall said.
"Thought it was interesting that he ended with ‘God Save the Queen’ and now it’s ‘God Save the King,’" said Claudia Tang, who is living in the U.K.
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Passengers aboard British Airways flight 67 got the news a couple of hours after leaving London’s Heathrow Airport. When they touched down in Philly, the only monarch they ever knew was gone.
"All my lifetime, she’s been the queen. And that’s been it. And, to think Charles is now King. So, we come away having a queen. And, go back to England now with a king," Dowdall added.
"I’m of an age where she’s always been my queen. When I was born, she was queen, so she’s been there a long time," said Rugby, England resident, Michael Riddle.
For U.S. citizens now living and working the United Kingdom, the Queen’s loss is profound.
"70 years of monarch rule really establishes a cultural identity for the British. The monarchy is viewed as both an old establishment, as well as a more culturally established identity," Alex Higdon, living in the United Kingdom, explained.
Many royal watchers are now asking what kind of monarch King Charles III will become.
"You would hope somebody that’s in touch with the people and understands what the typical experiences like," Higdon added.
"I think he needs to pull the country together. I think he needs to show leadership and be like the Queen, really. Be stable, because she was guiding light. She was always there. She was always true to what she believed in," Diane Riddle said.