‘End of an era’: From Posh Spice to tearful expats, the queen’s death is being felt in Miami

When the news came that Britain’s Queen Elizabeth had died at 96 on Thursday, it wasn’t a total shock. The monarch, who reigned for 70 years, had been in ill health and lived a long, rich life.

But losing such an icon is both sad and historic.

For South Florida locals, her passing hit hard even thousands of miles away.

Patricia Kawaja, who runs a local website for expats, BritishFlorida.com, had been watching reports of the queen’s declining health since 7 a.m. on BBC.

Photo gallery: Queen Elizabeth Through the Years: The British monarch’s Life in Photos

“She was the PR flagship of our country our whole lives and she never set a foot wrong,” the Edgewater resident said through tears. “We will never have a monarch rule that long again. It’s not possible mathematically.”

Kawaja, who met Elizabeth in a lineup during her official visit to the Bahamas in 1985, already posted a tribute on her website: “Rest in peace, my beloved Queen. Long Live King Charles,” said the post. “Am deeply sad, emotional, in tears.”

To honor the queen’s legacy, Kawaja is meeting at the Miami Yacht Club on Watson Island on Friday with a handful of Brits to “sit around and hug and comfort each other.”

More tears are flowing over at the Cauley Square Tea Room down in The Goulds, which is closed Friday for a day of mourning.

The quaint, too-too space, which houses various portraits of the Queen’s many royal events, is the ideal place to mourn this weekend.

“We do feel the loss here in Miami,” said owner Veronica Gobin. “It’s not just the loss of an individual, but a person who has made such a profound impact on traditions, and led us to who and where we are today.”

The high tea destination plans to serve a special treat that the queen, who had a well-known sweet tooth, would have loved: a chocolate ganache cake, served with another of Her Majesty’s faves, piping hot Earl Gray. Be sure to raise a pinkie.

High wattage locals are, too, feeling the sting. Pop star turned designer Victoria Beckham posted a black and white snap of the young queen along with touching words: “Today is a very sad day not just for our country but for the entire world,” said the caption. “She will be remembered for her steadfast loyalty and service and my thoughts are with the royal family at this incredibly sad time.”

Though not English, other stars paid their respects.

Music icon Gloria Estefan showed her fans an old picture of herself with the queen, calling her death an “immeasurable loss.” The star also relayed that she felt “privileged and honored” to have performed for Elizabeth on two separate occasions.

The pic she showed was from the queen’s 75th Royal Variety Performance annual fundraiser in Edinburgh in 2003 (Luciano Pavarotti and Dame Edna were co-headliners).

Mayor Francis Suarez paid his respects by retweeting the Royal Family’s announcement.

“Today marks the end of an era with the passing of HM Queen Elizabeth II, a reign marked by her selfless record of service to the UK, the Commonwealth, and the world,” he wrote.

Florida Sen. Rick Scott chimed in, too, releasing an homage to not only a great woman but a strong uniter of nations:

“For the past 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II has represented dignity, stability and wisdom as the leader of the British people. Even as the world has undergone immense political and cultural change, her leadership has remained steady,” Scott’s statement read. “Under her reign, the United States and United Kingdom significantly strengthened our special relationship, and our shared ideals of democracy and freedom spread to countless nations. The Queen’s death is an immense loss for entire world. Today, Ann and I join many others to mourn the loss of Queen Elizabeth II, remember her legacy and pray for the Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom.”