LONDON-
Hong Kong was once a British colony. The Queen visited Hong Kong twice during her reign, and many Hong Kong people knew her. After the death of the Queen, some people from Hong Kong went to the gates of Buckingham Palace in London to mourn.
People, including Hong Kongers who have recently moved to the UK, mourn the death of Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace in London. After the news was announced, some Hong Kong communities in the UK decided to cancel the Mid-Autumn Festival activities to express their condolences.
Ms. Chen, who moved to the UK for a year, told VOA that the death of the Queen, who had been in power for 70 years, was a historic moment.
She said: "Because this queen is the longest (reigning), in fact, no one will know what will happen after that. Especially at this time, so many things are happening in the UK, and this happened. I think I have to come and witness it."
Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96. Two days before her death, she received Liz Truss, who was elected leader of the British Conservative Party, and was appointed as the new prime minister. Zhuohuisi, the 15th prime minister of the Queen's reign, said she would deal with soaring energy prices in the UK and support the public health system.
The Queen, who contracted Covid-19 earlier this year, said she was "very tired" after recovering from the condition. Miss Chen said that this made her a little bit expect that the Queen's health might be in question.
Brian, a Hong Kong native living in San Francisco, told VOA that he and his girlfriend had just traveled to the UK when they suddenly heard the news of the Queen's death on the same day, so they went to pay their respects outside Buckingham Palace.
He said: "We were still visiting the exhibition this morning, talking about the 70th anniversary of her reign, and still looking at her history. In the afternoon, we saw the news that she had passed away."
Brian said that for a long time during the Queen's reign, Hong Kong was a British colony and visited Hong Kong twice in 1975 and 1986.
He said: "That's why everyone calls her 'Shitoupo' (the proprietress). I think she has a certain place in the hearts of Hong Kong people."
Before the handover of sovereignty over Hong Kong, the head of Queen Elizabeth II could be seen on Hong Kong coins and stamps. Several schools and hospitals were also named after her, and the name is still in use today.
In recent years, more than 100,000 Hong Kongers have applied for BNO visas to move to the UK. With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching on September 10, some communities where Hong Kongers live in the UK are arranging celebrations. Mid-autumn festivals in London's Ealing and Colindale districts have been cancelled following the announcement of the Queen's death.
The Ealing and Northfields HK Club, the organizer of the event in Ealing, turned its Facebook profile photo to black and white, and said in an announcement that the Queen "did her life to serve the people" and would be "deeply saddened" by the Queen's passing.
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