PEOPLE across Barry and Penarth have paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II after her death yesterday.
The flags outside the Civic Centre in Barry were at half-mast in respect and flowers were laid.
The 96-year-old died peacefully at Balmoral yesterday.
Half mast flags outside the Civic Centre
Sue Griffin said: “We are devastated, it is absolutely terrible news.
“I have grown up with her and the word won’t be the same without her.
“We have to take time to compose ourselves and everyone is feeling the same sadness.”
Flowers laid outside the Civic Centre where people wrote their own tributes
Mary Ferriday expressed that she is taking comfort that the Queen is reunited with Prince Philip after his passing last year.
Phil Rhys, shop keeper of The Old Sweet Shop on Penarth Pier, said he had first heard the news from pier master Dave O’Hanlon.
“Yesterday me and Dave were sat outside and then all of a sudden Dave got a phone call from his partner who was crying," he said.
“We actually loved the Queen and it’s a love your either born with or your not.
“You looked at the Queen like how you look at your grandma and I love the tradition of being British.
“The anxiety of the world at the moment is horrible and she was a constant for this country that is no longer there.”
Dave O’Hanlon and Phil Rhys took their hats off in respect
During the jubilee Mr Rhys raised a flag on his flagpole outside his shop in celebration.
Dave O’Hanlon, pier master for Penarth Pier, said: “We were and still are shocked, she was so lovely.
“It was sort of expected but it is still so sad to see the end of her reign.
“I am going to miss seeing her face – every time you saw her on telly she was smiling, even the last picture of her with the prime minister she had that smile.
“She has met so many different people across all those years, can you imagine what her Facebook would have looked like.”
Ian Campbell expressed that the country will be mourning her loss for a long time and that she was a good and faithful servant.
Selection of flowers laid
Ruth Heppenstall said: “I first saw her when she was a little girl when she was princess Elizabeth along with Princess Margaret when they came through Barry and our school waved our little flags.
“That was the first time I saw her and it is a day I will never forget, she will be sorely missed.”
A sombre Penarth today
Jayne Mathews expressed that today is a very big day for everyone because she was our Queen for 70 years.
Hazel Sewell said: “I follow her horses and will continue to do so.
“I’ll be following them in a couple of weeks at Cheltenham.
“My shock was when they called Charles King – it was the invisible passing of the crown.”
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