I am 86 years old and I still remember the day I was in the children's choir to sing for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip the they visited Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) in 1954 during their Commonwealth tour just after the Coronation. I was one of 100 children chosen to be in the choir. Then, the following day, I was lucky enough to be in the Girl Guides guard of honor for the royal couple when they opened Parliament in Colombo at Independence Square.
I am now a US citizen and visited the UK during the Queen's Silver Jubilee and King Charles' Coronation.
I was outside the entrance Windsor Castle where Queen Victoria Memorial is. The Queen’s Lady In Waiting noticed me managed to get HM to walk over to me. Just spoke few words and I wished HM a very happy 90th birthday. That was the only time I ever met HM and I am glad I happened to be there on that glorious day in Windsor she was such a nice person.
In 1971, I was a 23 year-old Aussie girl working at the Maritime Museum in Bergen, Norway in a short- term exchange position, after I had finished my law studies at Melbourne University.
I saw an advertisement in “The Times” for a nanny in London and as the timing was right, applied for the role. Lord and Lady C accepted my application and selected me as their nanny.This was the standard live-in situation and opened up an amazing world to me.
My two charges, were Anna and Edward, then aged 7 and 5 years.
Edward attended…….. a small school within walking distance of our home in Chelsea.
Prince Edward was at that time in Grade 6 at the school.
Each day I would walk to the school, knock on the front door unless the 6th grade monitors/prefects were already waiting at the door and say:” Please may I have Edward C…….”
Prince Edward was on duty on many occasions. It was not so much a meeting with royalty but a recurring business-like encounter. However, I was thrilled every time.
Lady C was at that time President of the NSCPCC. A fund raising event was held in the form of sales of tickets to the Premiere of “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”. In the theatre, Lady C sat next to Princess Margaret, Patron of the Society and asked me to sit next to her (Lady C) with the children on the other side of me. I was surprised, as I thought it more appropriate that the children sit between Lady C and me. I was not introduced to Princess Margaret but was actually only approx. 3 feet away from her for the entire duration of the screening.
Later when I worked as a solicitor in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, I met Lady Ruth Parker who was a tenant of H M the Queen, at Sandringham. Lady Parker invited me to a number of events including a church service at Sandringham. On this occasion the Queen was present and I was in awe. It was such a thrill to sing “God Save the Queen” while the Queen was present among this relatively small congregation. I was not introduced to Her Majesty, but in being at such close quarters with her and seeing her at such close range, was incredible.
Fast forward Christmas 2013 I chatted for about five minutes to the then Duchess Of Cambridge now Princess of Wales. I asked Catherine what’s Prince George’s doing and she said he’s so excited about the colourful colours of the Christmas wrapping paper and the unwrapping of the Christmas presents it was Prince George’s first Christmas.
I briefly worked at Windsor Choir School Christmas 1986. Their was tradition of giving Christmas gifts to the BRF and I met the Queen in the quadruple main entrance Windsor Castle I remember it so well cos an MP for Cornwall was sadly killed in a car crash 22nd December 1986 it was big news at the time.
The Duchess of York was making a speaking appearance at a local college in Massachusetts. My daughter and I went to hear Her speak. After Her presentation we went outside to catch a glimpse of Her. We found ourselves at the stage door. There she was with Princess Eugenie waiting to get into Her car. She stopped and walked over to us. She shock our hands, thanked us for coming and then signed our programs. I curtseyed, something I had practiced since I was a little girl. Never thinking I would actually get to meet royalty. It was truly a thrill not only to meet Her but to see how lovely and down to earth She is. My daughter had to drive home I was still shaking!
Iam not surprised how the queen camela reacted the little girl feeling becouse she is queen of half the world as a matter of. Fact how queen respectively respond the peoples of u
My daughter attended St Andrews, overlapping with Wills and Kate for 2 years. They were both very well-liked by other students who were fiercely protective of them. Wills was actually seen around town more than Kate was. I even saw him more than once when visiting. I was at a table next to his at Ma Bells one night when a waiter dropped a spoon on the floor. Wills leaned down and picked it up without making the slightest fuss. In that second, he won my heart!
In the summer of 1990, I once saw Prince Edward at an event for Children at a theater in London and one of the photographers was kind enough to take a photo of me at the event, even sending me a copy in the mail. That same summer I saw the Queen and her lady in waiting (American married to British lord) leaving the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. I have a photo.
I loved reading all your experiences! My only experience of seeing a royal was the Queen Mum being driven past our youth club (or rather, behind it, on a dual carriage road!) but she noticed our group of youngsters and waved to us! This was in the 70s.
I am 86 years old and I still remember the day I was in the children's choir to sing for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip the they visited Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) in 1954 during their Commonwealth tour just after the Coronation. I was one of 100 children chosen to be in the choir. Then, the following day, I was lucky enough to be in the Girl Guides guard of honor for the royal couple when they opened Parliament in Colombo at Independence Square.
I am now a US citizen and visited the UK during the Queen's Silver Jubilee and King Charles' Coronation.
I was outside the entrance Windsor Castle where Queen Victoria Memorial is. The Queen’s Lady In Waiting noticed me managed to get HM to walk over to me. Just spoke few words and I wished HM a very happy 90th birthday. That was the only time I ever met HM and I am glad I happened to be there on that glorious day in Windsor she was such a nice person.
In 1971, I was a 23 year-old Aussie girl working at the Maritime Museum in Bergen, Norway in a short- term exchange position, after I had finished my law studies at Melbourne University.
I saw an advertisement in “The Times” for a nanny in London and as the timing was right, applied for the role. Lord and Lady C accepted my application and selected me as their nanny.This was the standard live-in situation and opened up an amazing world to me.
My two charges, were Anna and Edward, then aged 7 and 5 years.
Edward attended…….. a small school within walking distance of our home in Chelsea.
Prince Edward was at that time in Grade 6 at the school.
Each day I would walk to the school, knock on the front door unless the 6th grade monitors/prefects were already waiting at the door and say:” Please may I have Edward C…….”
Prince Edward was on duty on many occasions. It was not so much a meeting with royalty but a recurring business-like encounter. However, I was thrilled every time.
Lady C was at that time President of the NSCPCC. A fund raising event was held in the form of sales of tickets to the Premiere of “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”. In the theatre, Lady C sat next to Princess Margaret, Patron of the Society and asked me to sit next to her (Lady C) with the children on the other side of me. I was surprised, as I thought it more appropriate that the children sit between Lady C and me. I was not introduced to Princess Margaret but was actually only approx. 3 feet away from her for the entire duration of the screening.
Later when I worked as a solicitor in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, I met Lady Ruth Parker who was a tenant of H M the Queen, at Sandringham. Lady Parker invited me to a number of events including a church service at Sandringham. On this occasion the Queen was present and I was in awe. It was such a thrill to sing “God Save the Queen” while the Queen was present among this relatively small congregation. I was not introduced to Her Majesty, but in being at such close quarters with her and seeing her at such close range, was incredible.
Sincerely
Barbara Carthew-Wakefield
Tasmania
Australia
Fast forward Christmas 2013 I chatted for about five minutes to the then Duchess Of Cambridge now Princess of Wales. I asked Catherine what’s Prince George’s doing and she said he’s so excited about the colourful colours of the Christmas wrapping paper and the unwrapping of the Christmas presents it was Prince George’s first Christmas.
I briefly worked at Windsor Choir School Christmas 1986. Their was tradition of giving Christmas gifts to the BRF and I met the Queen in the quadruple main entrance Windsor Castle I remember it so well cos an MP for Cornwall was sadly killed in a car crash 22nd December 1986 it was big news at the time.
The Duchess of York was making a speaking appearance at a local college in Massachusetts. My daughter and I went to hear Her speak. After Her presentation we went outside to catch a glimpse of Her. We found ourselves at the stage door. There she was with Princess Eugenie waiting to get into Her car. She stopped and walked over to us. She shock our hands, thanked us for coming and then signed our programs. I curtseyed, something I had practiced since I was a little girl. Never thinking I would actually get to meet royalty. It was truly a thrill not only to meet Her but to see how lovely and down to earth She is. My daughter had to drive home I was still shaking!
Iam not surprised how the queen camela reacted the little girl feeling becouse she is queen of half the world as a matter of. Fact how queen respectively respond the peoples of u
United kindom is a traditional kindom
My daughter attended St Andrews, overlapping with Wills and Kate for 2 years. They were both very well-liked by other students who were fiercely protective of them. Wills was actually seen around town more than Kate was. I even saw him more than once when visiting. I was at a table next to his at Ma Bells one night when a waiter dropped a spoon on the floor. Wills leaned down and picked it up without making the slightest fuss. In that second, he won my heart!
In the summer of 1990, I once saw Prince Edward at an event for Children at a theater in London and one of the photographers was kind enough to take a photo of me at the event, even sending me a copy in the mail. That same summer I saw the Queen and her lady in waiting (American married to British lord) leaving the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. I have a photo.
I loved reading all your experiences! My only experience of seeing a royal was the Queen Mum being driven past our youth club (or rather, behind it, on a dual carriage road!) but she noticed our group of youngsters and waved to us! This was in the 70s.