Dubai: Residents, tourists lay flowers for Queen at QE2

Dubai: Residents, tourists lay flowers for Queen at QE2

UAE - The mood was sombre in the lobby of the cruise liner QE2 on Friday as several people turned up with flowers to pay tributes to Queen Elizabeth II. The British Embassy in Abu Dhabi announced on its Instagram page that the general public would be able to offer condolences at the QE2 from 10am to 6pm and advised people to expect queues.

“She was truly the queen of our hearts,” said Gary James, who has been living in the UAE for over three decades. “She was a big part of our life and it only felt right to come here and pay respect to her.” Gary had arrived with his wife Amanda to lay flowers at a bust of the Queen. “What I loved the most about the Queen was her decorum,” said Amanda. “She was a very private and reserved person. No big display of emotion.”

The world’s longest reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 on Thursday. Senior royals had gathered at her Scottish estate in Balmoral after concerns grew about her health earlier in the day.

Inundated with calls since the news broke, the management of QE2 moved the bust from the ship’s first-class