Portsmouth September 2022: City and nation mourn loss of Queen Elizabeth II but new beginnings arise

Her Majesty passed away peacefully at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle on September 8. Britain’s longest serving monarch was on the throne for 70 years.

Heartfelt tributes came pouring in from residents, readers and institutions across the city for the beloved royal. The day after her passing, hundreds gathered in Guildhall Square for an emotional vigil.

SEE ALSO: Portsmouth residents pay tearful respects to Queen Elizabeth II at city vigil

Dozens of flowers were laid on the steps. Rosemary Coey-Archer, 68, of Southsea, had tears in her eyes when she recalled the memories of a true national treasure.

She said: ‘When I heard the news I was absolutely devastated. Even now I’m trying not to cry. I’ve known the Queen to always be the monarch, so it's hard to find the words to describe it all. I didn't know her, but it still feels like a personal loss.’

Royal Navy veteran Lisa Atkinson, 57, from Locks Heath, said she attended jubilees and weddings in the service, and the reality of the Queen’s passing hit home. She added: ‘She’s always been a constant and with everything that's happened in the past couple of years, this was the last thing we needed.'

Political figures paid their respects to Queen Elizabeth and issued their own tributes. Portsmouth City Council leader Gerald Vernon-Jackson said she was an ‘incredibly knowledgeable woman’ and her death was a ‘huge loss’.

SEE ALSO: Impromptu shrines and tributes pop up across Portsmouth for Queen

‘She dedicated her life to serving the people of this country and the Commonwealth and she was a rock through difficult times,’ he added. Just seven years into her reign, Her Majesty made the first of several visits to the Guildhall – reopening the venue in June 8, 1959, after it was rebuilt following the Second World War.

She also frequented the naval base, D-Day commemorations and the Historic Dockyard. The Queen also came to the city for her Silver Jubilee in 1977, and Golden Jubilee in 2002.

Professor Graham Galbraith, the vice-chancellor of the University of Portsmouth, described her as 'the heart and backbone of our naval city and of our nation'. The Queen’s close ties to Portsmouth were highlighted in parliament on September 11.

Penny Mordaunt, Portsmouth North MP, brought tributes in the House of Commons to a close, and said Her Majesty left a living legacy of ‘triumph over tribulation’, ‘cheerfulness over challenge’, and of ‘dedication and determination’. The UK entered a 10 period of national mourning.

Many Portsmouth residents joined celebrities such as David Beckham to see Her Majesty lying-in-state at Westminster Hall between September 14 and 19. Approximately 250,000 mourners joined the five-mile queue, which lasted up to 16 hours at times.

One of them was Alan Cooper, The News’s former head of print, of Southsea, alongside his wife Marion. He said: ‘Some gruelling 13 hours later, I emerged from the Palace of Westminster after one of the most awe-inspiring moments of my life. The hardships along the way vanished in an instant.’

Military personnel based in Portsmouth and across the UK served at the funeral. Young sailors from HMS Collingwood, as young as 18, bore the coffin at her state funeral – undergoing four days of 12-hour drills in preparation.

The two-and-a-half tonne gun carriage carrying the coffin was escorted from Westminster Hall to the funeral service at Westminster Abbey on September 19.

Mourners from Portsmouth attended the service in person or watched live streams in their homes and in places of worship such as Portsmouth Cathedral. Hundreds again gathered at Guildhall Square the day before the funeral, laying flowers while The Salvation Army band performed renditions of ‘Abide with me’, ‘The Lord’s my Shepherd’, ‘Lord of all hopefulness’, and the National Anthem.

The day of the service, Portsmouth stopped and fell silent – with the hustle and bustle of Commercial Road replaced by stillness and quiet. Most spotted walking in the streets were on their way to Guildhall Square to watch the funeral.

Among them was Reg Aires, 18 – completing his basic training for the British Army – wearing his uniform as a sign of respect. The silence at 11am was unanimously adhered to.

With every moment of great sadness, there is a new beginning. King Charles III succeeded the throne and will be crowned on May 6, 2023. Portsmouth saw many other new beginnings as well. Kristos Serani left Rhodes, Greece, to establish a new restaurant in Southsea.

The owners of The Centurion pub, in Crookhorn Lane, Waterlooville, began a new £382,000 refurbishment. Portsmouth welcomed thousands of new students embarking on their new educational journeys.

A bright yellow sunflower represented the merger of two schools, Penhale Infant School and Newbridge Junior School, in Fratton, the last of the ‘wooden walls’ of HMS Bronington, once captained by King Charles, were set for refloating, and a fox got settled in its new residence in North End.

Even amid tragedy and loss, new beginnings always start, with light at the end of the tunnel.