Recent mourning in the states belongs to a certain deceased, the Queen of England. On September 8th of 2022, we witnessed the end of an era. Queen Elizabeth II was the longest reigning monarch in British history, dubbed ‘Gloriana’, ‘The Virgin Queen, and ‘The Good Queen Bess’. A beloved queen, Elizabeth displayed acts of unwavering dedication and honesty to her people. Today we will ponder the effect of this loss on America and we’ll hear the thoughts of Peninsula students and staff on the matter.

Though she was not our Queen and did not hold any authority over the U.S. or even Great Britain, we find common American customs of respect used to honor the fallen monarch. Moments of silence fall over many stores such as Target, Walmart, and even local businesses to remember the Queen. As shown in various videos online, many customers stop in silence, while a handful of Americans pay no mind to the pause. Disputes over whether these actions are appropriate for the occasion have begun, along with various reviews of the Queen’s reign. To take a deeper look, local teens were asked how they felt about the matter.

When asked how the tragedy impacted Peninsula students, Junior Brianna Buzzard says, “Some students are upset, and some don’t care.” She also shares her predictions on the reign of King Charles, stating, “Only time will tell.”

Freshman Isabella Hansen finds that while “the death of the Queen is very sad, some are overreacting” over the British loss. Isabella is also undecided about the fate of the Queen’s successor.

When staff were questioned about the Queen, both Ms. Mahony and Ms. Schimschal said the death was sad, however, it “did not affect [them] directly.” Ms. Mahony claims that while many Americans grieve the death, “others don’t and that’s okay.”

While the majority believe that this loss does not affect most Americans directly, we should remain respectful of those it does. Whether you mourn the Queen or not, one fact remains; we have witnessed the end of an era.