One of Queen Elizabeth's most ardent New Zealand fans is a woman living in New Plymouth.
Barbara Larsen, 86, has spent most of her life documenting the Queen's every elegant move.
Her phone has been ringing off the hook since the monarch's death was announced on Friday.
Well-wishers have been popping in to check in on the faithful royalist.
So far, she's kept a stiff upper lip.
"I could’ve just sat and cried when they told me because it's like part of your life's gone, isn't it?" she told Seven Sharp.
Her fascination with the late British monarch began as a young girl and only grew with age.
“The princesses were only 10 years older than me and we thought they were great, aye," she said.
"All of a sudden when TV came in. Well, Christ, that was wonderful. Black and white, too.”
Larsen has amassed a vast collection of memorabilia made up of books, magazines and crockery.
She also has "about 200 scrapbooks which I love" on all the royal weddings.
It's no amateur hobby, either. Her spare room also serves as a royal library – highly organised, up-to-date and free of dust.
"I would spend every day. I'd do at least an hour to two hours in my library."
She catalogues by family, feuds and frocks, but there's no denying she has a favourite - the Queen.
When news of her devotion reached London, Larsen was invited to a garden party where she once again came face-to-face with Queen Elizabeth.
"She came down the steps at Buckingham Palace ... and she smiled at me," she recalled.
"She’s perfect, aye? Her skin was beautiful, she looked beautiful and she was so friendly."
While she's saddened by the Queen's death, she knew it was time – her house is running out of space.
“I always wanted to last just a bit longer than her so I could finish the story, see, so I'll be right now. I'll have to get all the stuff that comes with it and that will fill up every shelf I've got," she explained.
Larsen said there "won't be another person like her that will ever rule us".
"She's one of a kind, I think. What a bloody good job she's done."
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