Queen Elizabeth II: Memories from across Wales after death

Simone was emotional when signing the book of condolences with her son

People across Wales have been paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, following the announcement of her death.

From Cardiff to Caernarfon, people young and old united in an outpouring of grief.

Many shared memories of meeting the Queen as they signed books of condolence.

The Queen was the UK's longest-serving monarch, after reigning for 70 years.

Charles, formerly known as the Prince of Wales, will now be known as King Charles III.

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Simone and her six-year-old son Haroon signed a book of condolences at Cardiff City Hall.

She said: "Haroon knows everything about the Queen and fell in love with her during jubilee lessons.

"His father is Yemeni and born here, and I'm a Romanian immigrant, and the queen represents a lot to us.

"Haroon is Welsh and British, and I'm teaching him about his identity. Unfortunately the sad event has become an opportunity to learn."

Pupils at Ynysowen Community Primary School, in Aberfan, Merthyr Tydfil, asked their teachers if they could create a book of remembrance.

The Queen had strong links with the village, visiting after the mining disaster in 1966 which killed 144 people including 116 children.

After the Queen opened the school in 2012, it received a letter thanking them for the letters pupils sent to congratulate Queen Elizabeth on her Platinum Jubilee earlier this year.

Year six pupil Imogen says: "If they look at the book, they can probably know a little bit more about Queen Elizabeth and that she was really an inspiration."

Teacher Tara Nicholls said it had been a difficult time for everyone at the school.

She said: "We've had such links with the Queen through the Aberfan disaster, we've never known anything else, and it's just hit me."

Molly Bews, 20, was visiting Cardiff from Liverpool.

She said: "It's like when a grandparent passes... even if you don't know them that well, you get the feeling you don't know what to do anymore.

"She's been around our whole life, we don't know anything apart from the Queen."

Molly Bews said "for the young girls out there it will be different looking up to a man rather than a woman."

"Now that she's gone it's unknown waters, she's not there anymore."

"As a woman growing up knowing that it's a woman in charge it's always been kind of personal," she said.

"I like the fact that a woman's in power... it won't change anything now that we have a king but I think for the young girls out there it will be different looking up to a man."

Ashley Kirubakaren, 43, who was in Cardiff when he heard the news, said it was "important to be [at the gun salute]".

Ashley Kirubakaren from India said he would have loved to have seen the Queen in person

"We'd like to see it in person rather than watching it online. She was head of the Commonwealth countries, we are from India but still she was our head.

"It's really sad. We would have like to celebrate her hundredth birthday."

Paul Hansen-Williams, 48, was "bunking off school" with friends in Swansea city centre in 1989, when he came across a large crowd outside the train station.

The father-of-four, said: "Being nosey, as most kids are, I started squeezing through the crowd. There were a lot of people there".

Paul, then 14, said that directly behind the barrier, he saw the Queen.

Paul remembers a chance encounter with the Queen from when he was a child

"She was shaking hands, so I put my hand out and she shook it and then left - I was there for all of five minutes," he said.

Paul added that he felt "really sad" on hearing the news that the Queen had died.

"It does bring home to you that she has been around all through my life. She has done a lot for her country through her diplomacy and it's the end of an era," he said.

Carol Coyle, from Ely in Cardiff, said her adult children, who have special needs, were struggling to understand what had happened.

She said: "They say 'Oh, she was kind,' but apart from that they don't really know what's going on," she said.

Carol Cole said she has only ever known a Queen in her lifetime

"I don't think it will make a different whether it's a man or a woman, though I've only ever known a queen."

Sue Peat and Jo Brinkworth also signed a book of condolences at Cardiff City Hall, and said the news had left them emotional.

Sue (left) and Jo (right) both attended a garden party at Buckingham palace

Ms Peat said: "I came to sign the book today because of the tears I've cried yesterday.

"I'm going to write thank you for your dedication and for being there."

Ms Brinkworth added: "Someone so diminutive to have that command, world leaders were in her awe.

"She had fantastic parties, I was invited as a civil servant to one of the last garden parties before Covid."