Keys Video Advisory - Queen Elizabeth II Tribute Established in Key West

On Friday, Key West's Southernmost Point marker was draped in a royal purple sash and backdropped by a British flag in tribute to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, who died Sept. 8 at age 96 after 70 years on the throne.

Queen Elizabeth II's stop in the Keys during a voyage on the Royal Yacht Britannia in 1991 was a significant event for the island city. Mayor Teri Johnston said, "The queen is such an important icon in the world, and she’s such a strong woman and incredible leader, that we are here to pay homage to her. We join the world today in mourning the loss of such an incredible human being."

The red, yellow, black and white Southernmost Point marker is a 20-ton concrete monument that resembles a giant marine navigational buoy. It was installed beside the Atlantic Ocean in 1983 and designates the southernmost point of land in the continental United States.

The tribute installed by the city’s community services department is expected to stay in place through Her Majesty’s funeral on Monday, Sept. 19.