Queen Elizabeth came to Miami and made a schoolgirl feel special. Here’s what happened | Opinion

Back in 1991 , I came this close to the Queen of England.

When Queen Elizabeth announced she would pass through Miami, I was among the pool of reporters assigned to cover her short visit. I couldn’t have been more thrilled to be among the pack shadowing the queen, then 65.

Predictably, she was scheduled to make a stop at an inner city school in Miami, Booker T. Middle. I can still see the queen walking in the courtyard from classroom to classroom. She was in a blue flowered dress, her handbag at her elbow. In my mind’s eye, she wore gloves.

Everyone coming in contact with her during the visit, including journalists, was strictly told of the royal protocol: Do not approach her. Do not touch her. Do not speak to her unless she speaks to you first.

But . . .

On that day 31 years ago, the queen entered one classroom where students waited to present her with a gift. The excitement was palpable, not only among the students, but reporters and photographers, too. We were about 20 feet from authentic royalty. The queen’s staff and school administrators, stood in the back of the classroom, from which of all the desks had been removed.

Suddenly, like a bolt of lightning, a young girl, obviously enchanted and overcome with seeing not a Disney princess, but a real-life queen, ran up to Elizabeth, held her hand and looked up at her lovingly, as if wanting her blessing.

Silence fell over the classroom. Teacher, principal, entourage and reporters were taken aback. You could hear the gasps. Didn’t that girl get the memo? She didn’t care. Neither did the queen.

The queen sweetly held the emotional girl’s hands in hers, asked her name and grade, wished her well and, as if nothing untoward had just occurred — and despite her handlers’ shock — continued her meet-and-greet, just like a queen for one and all would do.

While working as a reporter for the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Herald Editorial Board member Luisa Yanez was among the pool reporters who covered Queen Elizabeth’s visit to a Miami school in 1991.

This story was originally published September 8, 2022 at 4:40 PM with the headline "Queen Elizabeth came to Miami and made a schoolgirl feel special. Here’s what happened | Opinion."