British expats on the South Shore remember the queen's strong leadership, sense of humor

PLYMOUTH – The mood was somber in downtown Plymouth the day after Queen Elizabeth II died as British expats gathered at Shelly's Tea Rooms and British Imports to remember Great Britain's longest-serving monarch.

The queen died Thursday, Sept. 8, at age 96 in Scotland. Her son, Charles III, is now king of the United Kingdom.

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“I cried the whole day yesterday,” Jacqui Hawk said outside Shelly’s Tea Rooms on Court Street.

Hawk was out with Christine Carey, Angela Howells and Wendy Baird, all of English birth, for an afternoon sherry on a late-summer afternoon.

“We made these plans a month ago, so this is very appropriate for us to be here today,” Baird said.

The women shared warm memories of the queen,  saying she was a leader with strong ethics and a sharp  sense of humor.

The queen celebrated her 70th year as monarch at the beginning of this year. She was one of only a handful of world leaders in history to reach that milestone.

Tea time: At Shelly's Tea Rooms, the English are here, and they come bearing tea

Howells said 80% of English citizens  were born after Queen Elizabeth II took  the throne.  That group includes British Imports owner Unity MacLean, who has operated her business for 40 years at 1 Court St.

“She was very maternal,” she said. “She was everyone's mother or grandmother.”

Although MacLean immigrated to the United States in 1982, she said the effect of the queen’s death has not been dulled by distance.

“It’s a sad time for us,” she said. “She was quite a stable presence.”

Queen Elizabeth's reign brought  her face to face with world leaders, including 13 of the last 14 U.S. presidents (the only one she did not meet was Lyndon Johnson).

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Unlike many politicians and celebrities today, the queen never wrote a memoir or spilled the tea, so to speak, on confidential information.

“I would love to know what she knew,” MacLean said.

Up the street at Shelly’s, owners Sean and Michelle Sinclair were more than willing to sit down and reflect on  the queen's legacy and their feelings about the loss.

“It still feels a bit surreal, a bit weird,” Michelle said. Part of that feeling comes from being in America as her home country collectively mourns, she said.

She said people who have  visited the store since the queen's death have been tearful about  the loss, including many American-born customers.

Sean said he admired Queen Elizabeth II's commitment to Great Britain.

“She made sacrifices she didn’t necessarily need to make,” he said.

As with the others, Michelle spoke of the queen's wit.

“She had a very English sense of humor,” she said. “It was very dry.”

With Charles' ascension to king, MacLean and the others said they felt confident he would emulate his mother’s example, even if he is not as celebrated.

“I do think he’ll try to do his hardest,” MacLean said.

In whatever way Queen Elizabeth II is remembered in the short term, MacLean said her influence and importance will last well beyond current events.

“She definitely had an understanding of right and wrong,” she said. “She never let us down.”

Old Colony Memorial reporter David Smith can be reached at drsmith@wickedlocal.com.

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This article originally appeared on wickedlocal.com: British expats on the South Shore pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II