Queen’s funeral felt like the end of an era, say Clarendon royal watchers

Cecelia Campbell-Livingston/ Gleaner Writer

As the world watches the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, one Clarendon woman says this moment feels like the end of an era in her life.

Ava Tomlinson, a resident of Longville Park, says she shares fond memories of the queen and the royal family.  

So deep is the connection that her family took pride in that a relative resembled the queen.

“I always felt my late grandmother Ivy Campbell resembled her. I grew up seeing a picture of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip in my grand Aunt Alice Cross's living room in Sanguinetti,” she shared.

Tomlinson said the photo had pride of place on the wall inside the house.

She recalls that as a child she never missed a royal function in her home.

For her, this occasion was different, however, this one she said comes with a feeling of finality.

Another Clarendon resident June Carnegie, who lives in Sanguinetti, described the funeral as a great historical event, which she could miss.

Carnegie said she was impressed by the vast armed forces and the presence of world leaders at the funeral.

“But, as my part as a Jamaican now, it's not looking good for you seeing it's not beneficial to us. We are not getting anything from it, if we were free we would not pay so much to go there and we are under her rule. We should be free to go without having to go through so much,” she said of her mixed emotions.

Nadine Campbell Simms, who hails from Clarendon and now lives in England, was one of the many viewers hooked to the television screen watching the service.

Campbell Simms noted that she attended the lying-in-state service for the queen.

She said she felt a sense of loss while watching the funeral.

“[She was] an iconic figure. I feel part of history as she was also a historic figure. I grew up hearing about the Queen, and although I never met her, I admired her for always speaking boldly about her Christian faith and also the manner in which she conducted herself in public in the face of challenges,” she shared.

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