The world is mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth, just a year after her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, died in 2021.
John Charles, 59, is a Dunedin resident who runs a group called Tampa Bay British, which organizes social gatherings for local ex-pats.
Charles moved to the states from the UK in 1987 and has lived in Pinellas County since 1993. He sells luxury cars and considers himself a "royalist," so he's greatly saddened by the queen's loss.
In this audio postcard, Charles shares his thought on seeing the queen as a teenager, and the impact she had on his life and so many others.
My name is John Charles. I grew up in North Wales, and I remember seeing Queen Elizabeth when I was 13 when she visited Wrexham for her Silver Jubilee tour.
I can remember her getting out of a black Jaguar, wearing her yellow dress and yellow hat.
Like many expatriates in Dunedin and Tampa Bay, we have only known her as our Monarch. And with her passing, it feels like a part of our life is gone.
She led an amazing and inspiring life. Her dedication and commitment to the crown and commonwealth cannot be surpassed.
She will be dearly missed. There was many of us saying, she gets to be with her duke again.
You can read more about Queen Elizabeth's death here.
