One of his cousins was in deep mourning when she went into labor on Friday and gave birth to a baby boy.

Dr. Sarah Loguen Fraser may not have been a household name in the United States at the time of her death, but when word reached Puerto Plata, there was deep mourning.

"On behalf of the RFL and the whole Rugby League family, I express our deepest and most sincere condolences on the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The whole sport is in deep mourning at this extremely sad news," he added in a statement.

Aptroot said the community was in deep mourning and he opened a condolence book at two local town halls and online.

And politicians, many from Mr. Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party, made their final appeals to voters before an election Sunday, in the shadow of deep mourning.