WXII 12 News talked with people from the Triad who are currently visiting England after they learned about the death of Queen Elizabeth II.QUEEN ELIZABETH II:The death of the Queen is being mourned in Britain and around the world. The country's longest-reigning monarch passed away Thursday at the age of 96.Large crowds gathered outside of Buckingham Palace in central London, while tributes poured in from across the country and the world. Queen Elizabeth ascended to the throne in 1952 — when she was just 25 years old. During her many decades on the throne, she worked with 15 prime ministers, traveled the world on royal tours, attended countless engagements, and met with 13 sitting U.S. presidents during her lifetime, kindling a string of cordial relationships that helped strengthen the ties between the two nations. Britain's new King Charles shared a statement following his mother's death."The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family. We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world. During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held."TRIAD REACTION:WXII 12 News talked with Vince Scanlon Thursday, who is from the Triad and is currently in England for vacation. He said, "I saw a new prime minister and then the death of the queen. It’s been a historic week."Scanlon said he had lived in England more than 40 years ago."She’s been a part of me my whole life of course because she’s been on the throne for 70 years," he said. "And when I lived here 40 years ago, she was a part of the everyday life. And she was just a wonderful face for the entire United Kingdom. I think a lot of people here are devastated by this news."Scanlon also talked with locals to understand how they felt, and said, "They all spoke to how difficult this is. They’re the ones that used the words like devastating."Colin Taylor, who lives in England, and Scanlon introduced to WXII 12 News, said he and his friend "both cried because it was such a shock."Taylor told WXII 12 News that the queen reigned for most of people's lives, so all they knew was Queen Elizabeth II. He said she symbolized stability in a world that is constantly changing, which gave many people in England a feeling of safety and comfort.After she died, he said many people are now faced with significant uncertainty."Everywhere we look, she’s on our currency, every piece of currency, stamps and everything, so it’ll be a huge change on everything," he said.WXII 12 News also talked with Rachel Gauthier, a junior at Wake Forest University, who is studying abroad in the United Kingdom.She said she learned about the announcement after she recently began her international trip."Immediately, I was just kind of shocked. It was very surreal hearing about her death," Gauthier said.She added, "Already a lot of stuff is closing tomorrow. I had some plans to visit some sites like Edinburgh Castle and those are all closed due to the mourning period."