This Friday it rained Edinburgh. Nothing surprising, but the bleak weather today was one more reflection of the feeling of sadness that has left its inhabitants with the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who died this Thursday at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle.
The great love that the monarch felt for this land was reciprocal. Today thousands of people, many tourists, but also many residents of the city, have come to the holyrood palacethe official residence of the sovereign in Scotlandto pay their respects and to perform flower offerings that little by little have been covering the wall that surrounds the building.
“His death is very sad,” explains a shy Edinburgh woman who has preferred not to give her name to EL PERIÓDICO. For this woman, the most significant thing about the monarch who spent 70 years on the throne was her Calm down to face all situations, however difficult they may seem. “I never panicked,” he says, before emphasizing his historical relevance. “We must not forget his legacy,” she notes.
However, affection for Elizabeth II is not unanimous among the Scots. Euan, a young man from Glasgow, confesses that he does not care in the least about the sovereign’s death. He stands guard at one of the entrances to Holyrood Palace and confesses that he should not talk to the press, but ends up confessing to feeling part of that 50% of Scots who do not fervently support the institution (25% believe it is bad for the country and another 25% think it’s neither good nor bad, compared to 36% who think it’s good for Britain), according to the latest ‘Mail on Sunday’ poll, published in January 2020.
visit canceled
The queen’s death has also surprised many tourists who are on vacation in Edinburgh these days. “Is very touching all this that is happening”, explain Anne and Laurel, two women from Wisconsin (United States). This morning, the driver of the bus that took them to the palace has asked the passengers to keep two minutes of silence in memory of the sovereign.
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Arriving at Holyrood they have found that visits have been canceled as a sign of duel. Belén and Pablo, a couple from Huelva who will return to Spain tomorrow, have also run into this problem. The news of the death caught them returning from Inverness to Edinburgh. Despite receiving the email yesterday with the cancellation, this Friday they have decided to go to the palace to see the “atmosphere”.
Outside the gate, a group of visitors queue to photograph Buckingham’s official statement on the death: “The Queen passed away peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and Queen consort will remain at Balmoral tonight and will return to London tomorrow.” Thursday, September 8, 2022″.