MIAMI (WSVN) - As the world mourns Queen Elizabeth II, South Floridians continue to open up about the lasting impression the monarch left during her 1991 visit to the Sunshine State.
Thirty-one years ago, when the queen request a trip to Miami in May, Manuel Soto was the director of protocol for the city. He organized a tea party at the iconic Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.
“It was a major event; we had over 800 VIPs at Vizcaya,” he said. “The person from Vizcaya, the historian was with her so he could answer all her questions, but she was very impressed with the house and with the grounds of Vizcaya.”
The queen briefly interacted with children like Uriah Goldfinger, a student at Coconut Grove Elementary School, who at 12 defied orders to keep calm and quietly carry on as the monarch moved through.
“I bowed when she walked past. I blurted out, ‘How long have you been queen?’ And she responded with, ‘Too long. Look it up in your reference books,’” he said.
The queen and Prince Philip also made a stop in the Florida Keys and met late Monroe County Mayor and Conch Republic ambassador Wilhelmina Harvey.
Back in Miami, the royals stopped at Booker T. Washington Middle School, now Senior High School, in the Overtown neighborhood.
The principal at the time, John Williams, said they left quite an impression.
“The Queen of England came to the school. It was really big for the Booker T. family,” he said, “so they were excited, as well as I and the alumni of Booker T. Washington.”
The queen wrapped up her visit with a gala aboard the royal yacht Britannia. Former Presidents Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford and the first ladies were just some of the guests taking in the glitz and glamour.
But the queen’s South Florida visit was not without its critics. The Miami Herald reported there were protesters along her route, including some who said city leaders snubbed South African President Nelson Mandela on his visit the year before.
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