Saskatchewan people react to news of Queen Elizabeth’s death

Mercedes Will was fighting back tears Thursday as she reflected on the life of Queen Elizabeth II.

“She was very dear to me in so many ways,” said Will, a member of the Monarchist League of Canada who visited the Legislative Building in Regina shortly after news of the Queen’s death broke.

“I always felt a deep, close connection with the Queen. For one, we both are horsewomen; she had a deep love for horses like I do. Sometimes when I was riding my horse, I felt like a queen.”

Queen Elizabeth II died Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland with family members by her side. Her eldest son will succeed her on the throne, becoming King Charles III.

“We were really surprised,” Sharon Knight said when asked how she reacted to the news the Queen had died. “We heard (Thursday) morning that she was ill, but having just sworn in their new prime minister only a couple of days ago, she looked frail but OK.

“Once we heard the family had all gathered, we did kind of suspect that there was something a little more serious.”

A Saskatoon woman named Erin spoke to 650 CKOM/980 CJME from London, where her family was preparing dinner when they heard the news of the Queen’s death.

“Things were sort of put aside and halted for a moment and we gathered around and started watching the coverage on the BBC,” Erin said. “(It was) very much sort of a cozy family moment.

“Obviously (it was) very sad and we were all sharing stories about the relatives and the friends that we’ve had who had actually met her over the years and the reasons that they met her.

“Obviously (it was) just sort of a sombre day.”

Erin said the family was well aware of the magnitude of the day — she called it “a very historical moment” — and they planned to take flowers to Buckingham Palace on Friday to pay tribute to the late monarch.

“I know that the Royal Family was very vocal about supporting Saskatchewan over the recent days (after the murders on the James Smith Cree Nation and in Weldon) and I think it’s important to support them as well,” Erin said.

Back in Regina, Bill Burfitt was among those who visited the statue of the Queen on horseback in front of the Legislative Building to pay his respects.

“It’s a bit of a momentous day for us because my son actually signed with the Canadian Forces and pledged allegiance to the Queen (on Wednesday),” said Burfitt, who noted the Queen taught people about duty and responsibilities over her 70-year reign.

People can sign books of condolence in the Cumberland Gallery at the Legislative Building (open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), at Government House in Regina (Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.), at Regina City Hall (starting at noon Friday) and at Saskatoon City Hall (beginning Monday).

A virtual condolence book is also available on the Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan’s website.

The books will be placed in the provincial archives after the period of mourning has ended.

Will was impressed with the way the Queen went through everything in her reign — war, peace, the deaths of family members — and did so with what Will called “grace and quiet authority.”

“She taught us how to be kind to each other, how to be respectable (and) how to show manners and consideration,” Will said.

“I always marvelled at how, at whatever event she went to — over the thousands of events she had to attend all her lifetime — she always took such interest in whatever they were performing in front of her and she would say lovely things to everybody.”

— With files from 980 CJME’s Gillian Massie