TULSA, Okla. — As the world mourns Queen Elizabeth II, British citizens living in Tulsa are sharing their stories of growing up in the United Kingdom.
2 News Oklahoma spoke to one man who moved to the Sooner State just a few years ago. Andrew Squance grew up in southwest England but moved to Oklahoma after marrying an American from the Tulsa area.
"Most of the population of England that's like, she's all they've ever known," says Squance.
Squance says while he never met the queen personally, he still has fond memories of her. He says he’ll always remember when she came to town and the entire school went to see her.
"We lined the streets with little flags and we waved the flags and even those moments, you realize how big of a deal she is."
He says he's even brought some of his family traditions involving the Queen to his Oklahoma family.
"She does a speech every Christmas and we sit down at 3 p.m. and watch the Queen's speech. We do that as a family."
But Squance says when he heard of Elizabeth's passing, his sadness surprised him.
"I don't have a personal connection with her, but still, she meant so much to all of us Brits," he said. "Because she's been there for so long, and we kind of look up to her. She's just a rock and someone who is stable for the country."
As King Charles III takes the throne, Squance says he’s not sure what to expect. He says the Queen’s 70-year reign was one of a kind.
"There are kings and queens around the world but no one with the status and the level that Queen Elizabeth had. She was globally famous and globally known for everything she does and that's why I think this is such a huge deal not just for England but for the whole world."
Squance and his family watched the Queen's funeral on Monday.
“It was such a big event for the country. As soon as we woke up this morning, the news, that is all they were broadcasting,” says Squance.
Andrew says he and his family gathered in the living room and watched the Queen's funeral on television. They even stood and joined as the nation sang the National Anthem “God Save the King” during the service.
Ashley, his wife, says watching it was like watching history unfold.
“It’s cool and sad to think that we will never probably have a female monarch again, because the next line is two men. So, that was kind of an awareness we had. This is a big moment in our lifetime. We will never see again,” says Squance.
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