The atmosphere is heavy in the small English town of Ditton Priors on the border with Wales. And the thoughts of their Mayenne friends, the inhabitants of Simplé in the south of the department, a twin town for more than 25 years, bring only a little comfort. Since Thursday, the 670 inhabitants have been mourning their Queen Elizabeth II, who died at the age of 96 on Thursday September 8, 2022.
“Everyone is very sad because the queen is no more. It’s very difficult because not everyone who is 70 or younger knows another monarch.”, says the president of the twinning committee Stuart Tolson, joined by France Bleu Mayenne. But life must continue in the town, driven by the future reign of the new King Charles III. Stuart Tolson places a lot of hope in his new monarch.
“Here, everyone loves Charles, because he is a nice man who is very interesting and who works a lot for the environment. I think everyone is very happy that he is the king.“After the Queen’s funeral scheduled in about ten days, the village of Ditton Priors has planned to throw a big party for, says Stuart Tolson, “greet our new king“.