NORFOLK, Va. — In the UK, and right here in Virginia, people are mourning the loss of Queen Elizabeth II.
"All my family are back in the UK at the moment in mourning," said Dr. Helen Crompton, a professor at Old Dominion University.
Originally from Yorkshire, England, she's lived in the U.S. for the last 15 years. She said she heard about the late monarch’s passing from her sister.
"Great sadness. At 96, we knew she wasn’t going to go on forever, yet everyone hoped she would," she said. "She was such a remarkable, steadfast and wise presence in the world that is so chaotic at the moment."
Crompton said she was lucky enough to meet the Queen at her university. She distinctly remembers her iconic matching outfit and small handbag.
"I was just so… ‘Wow, she just looks as fabulous as she does on the television.’ And she had that presence about her, and she always had this big smile."
Crompton isn’t the only one in Virginia who has spent a brief time with Queen Elizabeth.
Senator Tim Kaine said he remembers her visit to Jamestown in 2007 when he was serving as governor.
The Queen came to Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg on May 4 of that year, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement. She got a tour of Jamestown Island and then ended the day with a reception at the restored Governor's Palace in Colonial Williamsburg.
"It was a magical visit. One of the things I most remember about the Queen was just how gracious she was with interacting with pedestrians and folk who came out to see her in Richmond," Sen. Kaine said.
She arrived just weeks after tragedy struck at Virginia Tech. A gunman shot and killed 32 students and faculty members on campus.
"She specifically asked if she could meet with family members who had been affected by the shooting," Kaine said. "The visit was mostly a celebration, but there were some people who were really undergoing a lot of pain, and she really wanted to be with them for a few minutes. It said a lot about her character."
She’d visited the area once before in 1957 for the 350th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement.
Crompton said Queen Elizabeth's death is an end to a long era.
"She's had an amazing reign and an amazing life, and I think we'll be looking at her with an admiration for years to come," Crompton said.
She said King Charles III has big shoes to fill.
"It's a hard act to follow," said Crompton. "God save the King. I hope he does an amazing job like she did."
Although Queen Elizabeth lived and ruled an ocean away, condolences across the U.S. are flooding in.
Here in Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a statement, "Today, we sadly mourn the loss of a transcendent leader, Queen Elizabeth II, who admirably presided over the United Kingdom for over 70 years and was deeply beloved by her people. Throughout her reign, she showed steadfast compassion towards the United States during trying times, especially following the September 11th attacks. Virginians fondly remember Queen Elizabeth II’s many visits to the Commonwealth of Virginia including in 1957 for the Jamestown anniversary, 1976 for the U.S. Bicentennial celebration and 1991 to Arlington National Cemetery. Her most recent trip in 2007 when she visited the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond, Jamestown's 400th anniversary celebration, and Virginia Tech was a particularly important part of Virginia’s history. As governor, the Queen's consistent tenderness for the Commonwealth and Virginians will never be forgotten."
Virginia State Police tweeted two photos, one from 1957 and one from 2007, saying they fondly remember providing security for her.
"Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch. She defined an era. In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her. Queen Elizabeth II led always with grace, an unwavering commitment to duty, and the incomparable power of her example. She was a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock Alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States. She helped make our relationship special. The seven decades of her history-making reign bore witness to an age of unprecedented human advancement and the forward march of human dignity. Her legacy will loom large in the pages of British history, and in the story of our world," President Joe Biden said in a statement.