Minutes before it was officially announced that Queen Elizabeth II had “died peacefully” at the age of 96, CNN international correspondent Scott McLean was somewhat taken aback by a rather blunt assessment of the monarchy by a British bystander.
Speaking to people gathered on the street near Windsor Castle, McLean tracked down a young woman named Kate and asked her to give her “first reaction” to the news of Elizabeth’s failing health.
“I think it is pretty sad when anyone gets in that situation,” Kate responded before adding she’s “not, like, the biggest fan of the queen or just like the monarchy in general so I wasn’t, like, that upset or overwhelmed by it.”
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McLean then wondered why Kate felt that way, prompting her to cite “British colonial history” and “quite shady” events surrounding the royal family, such as Prince Andrew’s underage sex scandals.
“So yeah, I’m not really their biggest fan,” she concluded.
“Fair enough. Nice talking to you,” McLean replied before making his way to a vacationing American couple for a somewhat more sympathetic take on the situation.
Moments after McLean’s segment, it was then announced that the queen had “peacefully” passed away at her Scottish country residence, surrounded by her family, including her children and heirs.
