America is my home and my citizenship these days, but I spent my first 21 years in the United Kingdom and all my family (and of course most of my childhood friends) are still British citizens; most still call the UK home.
For all of us, news of the Queen’s death is, while not unexpected, still shocking and sad. More than a monarch, she was a kind of matriarch for the nation, and presided over enormous cultural, political, and economic shifts, always leading with service and dignity. She was truly an inspiration.
There are many great articles out there at the moment (see for example The London Times, and some great historic photos from National Geographic), paying tribute and looking ahead to a new era of British monarchy. And I won’t be able to add anything more fitting here, so I won’t try.
I will just say that I am sending well wishes, like many on this side of the Pond, to King Charles III and all the Royal Family, and the people of the United Kingdom.
The Queen did indeed live long and well, and she will be greatly missed.