Gibraltar mourns the death of Elizabeth II: this is how they honor the figure of their queen on the Rock

Gibraltar is also mourning the death of Isabel II. The Rock, for which its diplomatic relations with Spain have been tense, is a British colony and, therefore, the celebrations of the traditional National Day, which was to be held this weekend, have been suspended.

Also read: Charles III enters Buckingham for the first time as king: the British people clothe their new monarch

Likewise, the flags will fly at half-staff, except for the temporary moment for the proclamation of accession of the new King (which will be on Saturday, September 10), until the day the State funeral is held in England.

In addition, all Gibraltarians have access to a book of condolences in the foyer of The Convent and will pay their respects to the Queen with a 96-gun salute, fired by the Royal Gibraltar Regiment from Her Majesty’s Naval Base.

“We were your Rock, and you were ours,” wrote the chief minister of the rock, Fabian Picardo. For his part, the Governor of Gibraltar, David Steel, expressed his regret in a statement in which he stated that Elizabeth II “has been a beacon of strength, hope and goodness. Despite our great sadness, we can reflect on what blessed we have been to live during the time of a monarch who has cared deeply for everyone, collectively and individually.”

In 2012, the situation between Spain and the United Kingdom was so tense that the Queen Sofia almost at the last minute canceled his presence at the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the arrival of the grandmother of Harry y Guillermo to the throne Act to which the youngest son of Isabell II and his wife would also attend.

Years ago, in 1981, the announcement of the visit of Prince Carlos y Diana Spencer to Gibraltar on the occasion of their honeymoon caused the king and queen Juan Carlos I and Sofía declined the invitation to attend their wedding. The Spanish was the only European royal house that did not send representation to the link of the princes of Wales.

It should be remembered that Isabel II’s only official visit to Spain was in 1988, when she referred to Gibraltar as “the only problem left between us”.

The Duke and Duchess of Wessex, the last to visit Gibraltar

On the occasion of Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, her son Eduardo and his wife, Sofia, visited Gibraltar last June. Before his arrival at the Rock, the Government of Spain transferred its “discomfort” to the United Kingdom due to the visit of the Wessex, according to what was reported to Europa Press diplomatic sources: “Spain considers that the visit is not opportune”.

Despite this discomfort, Eduardo and Sofía maintained an intense agenda in Gibraltar, which included a visit to the Moorish Castle, a medieval fortification also known as the Moorish Castle; a tour of the center of the town, covered in British flags; and a walk along Main Street, from number 5 Convent Place, seat of the British Government in the colony, to the Town Hall.