A memorial for Queen Elizabeth II has been set up outside of Ye Olde King’s Head, a British pub in downtown Santa Monica, following the announcement of her death on Thursday Sept. 8.
Customers and passersby stopped on Friday to write in a book set out on the memorial table along with an assortment of candles, roses and photos of the queen. Dusty Kerr, the restaurant manager, said they plan to send the book full of signatures and condolences to Buckingham Palace.
At the associated Ye Olde King’s Head Giftshoppe, Bakery and Coffee next door, managers Lisa Powers and Dympna Madeley were busy putting up additional British flags and moving around merchandise to make room for new commemorative memorabilia of the queen.
Madeley said that there has been a spike in sales of the pub’s Queen’s Cosmo cocktail since the news broke. She added that they have already sold one of the commemorative boards with the queen’s face on it that they had just gotten in and that more commemorative items were on the way. Powers said they were also waiting to receive up-to-date newspapers, magazines and other media from the UK about the queen’s passing.
“When something like this happens everyone comes to the King’s Head,” said Powers. “This is where all the expats come, everyone wants to be together – it instills a sense of community.”
The restaurant will be serving a special afternoon tea in the queen’s honor over the coming days and Powers said they plan to broadcast the funeral and memorial services as details emerge.
The restaurant is located in Downtown Santa Monica at 116 Santa Monica Blvd.
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