SCITUATE – Great Britain native Pauline Souther became emotional when talking about the life of Queen Elizabeth II.
“I’m here to pay respects to the queen,” the 62-year Scituate resident said as her voice broke. “I’m a U.S. citizen now, but she’s still the queen to me.”
Souther was one of several people who gathered Saturday at the Richardson-Gaffey Funeral Home in Scituate for a memorial visitation service that honored Queen Elizabeth II, who died at age 96 on Sept. 8 following a seven-decade reign of the United Kingdom. The funeral home’s service coincided with the public visitation in Westminster, England, for the queen.
“We thought it would be nice to open our doors to give people an opportunity to pay their respects to the queen,” said Richardson-Gaffey Funeral Home Manager Sara Collins. “Part of our job and part of what we do here in the community is to offer a place for people to come together as a community to grieve and to be together, especially in the time of tragedy and loss. Although we aren’t in England, we’re here in Scituate, and if there is anyone that would benefit for a place to find comfort or grieve together, we wanted to offer that to them.”
In one room of the funeral home was a memorial paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. There was a large portrait of the queen with a kneeler in front flanked by flowers and candles. In another room, where tea was served and a video screen displayed a slideshow of the queen’s life and her famous quotes, there were several tables with flower centerpieces and remembrance cards with a picture of the queen.
Souther, who still has her English accent, recalled when she was a child in Norfolk, England, the royal family – including then Princess Elizabeth who was later elevated to the throne as Queen Elizabeth II – would pass through their village on a train when returning to their home in Sandringham from Norwich. The village’s residents would come out hoping for a glimpse of the family as the train passed.
“If we knew they were coming we would be out the street,” she said.
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One day, the train stopped unexpectedly, Souther said.
“The (train) windows came down, they waved, then off they went,” she said. “I never forgot that. It was such a special memory.”
Accompanying Souther at the service was Jean Young, also a native of England. Young, who was born in Liverpool, grew up as a British subject. She moved to America with her American husband and children and became a dual citizen. Young has been living in Scituate for 57 years.
Her father was a British consul assigned to Panama, where she lived with her family as a child. While there, Young saw Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to the country.
“I waved to her,” Young said.
She and her parents also met the Duke of Edinburgh.
“I shook his hand,” said Young. “We had to wear white gloves. My mother took her glove off and said she was going to frame it.”
Virginia Lima, of Scituate, also stopped by the funeral home to pay her respects to Queen Elizabeth II.
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“I can’t be in London and I’m sad, so this is a good way to show my love for the queen,” she said. “I so revered her.”
Lima said she is of British and Irish heritage and that her 95-year-old mother, Marilyn, is a royalist who influenced her lifelong admiration for the queen.
“I admired how she was dedicated to her role as queen,” she said. “As a little girl, she trained to be the queen. She was thrown into the role as a young lady.”
Young said it seems as if the queen was ready to end her reign.
“It’s almost like she did her 70 years and then she said, ‘OK, I’m going back now to Philip,’ ” she said, a reference to the queen’s late husband.
Souther said she was planning to get up at 4:30 Monday morning to watch the queen’s funeral.
“I’ll probably be crying my eyes out,” she said.