Queen of Our Hearts

It is with great sorrow that RTBI learned of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

She was an inspiration to all and a lifelong example of service to the world and the many communities she impacted. We are grateful for all the support she has shown over the years and deeply saddened by her passing. Thank you Ma’am, the whole world will greatly miss your influence, spirit and determination.

The thoughts of Round Table Great Britain & Ireland are with her family, the Commonwealth and all those who mourn her passing.

As many of you know, our very own Captain Chris Bush, of the Adjutant General Corps, played a part on the day of Her Majesty’s funeral. In his own words…

How to begin. How can I put into words the magnitude of the emotion, pain, honour, and pride I have felt over the last 10 days? About a year ago I saw an email asking for volunteers for Operation London Bridge, I gladly put my name down on the list of potential candidates, as one does, and promptly forgot all about it. In the past, I had equally been on the official volunteer list for Prince Phillip's funeral, so it was nothing out of the ordinary for Defence to prepare (after all she was 96). But as shocked as we all were to hear the news of Her Majesty’s passing, it was only surpassed by receiving a call to say “come into work first thing Saturday morning, you need to be in London asap.” There began the most important mission of my career, an opportunity to officially represent my Regiment at the Queen's funeral.

Seldom in life will such fleeting moments stay with you for a lifetime, but it dawned on me at that moment, that I would be the last Officer of my Cap-badge to salute the Queen. You cannot overstate the magnitude of 4.1bn viewers choosing to spend the last journey with Her Majesty; a monarch, a leader, a mother, or simply just our Queen, over half of all the people alive in the world (51.4%) watched her final journey to Windsor for their own reasons. As you can imagine, this was rather nerve-wracking, and I take my hat off to the pallbearers who truly had the most intimidating job. After 9 days of extensive training, repetition, repetition, and even more repetition, we were ready on the morning of D+10.

Leading my contingent toward the long walk I allowed myself to soak up the atmosphere as much as I could without losing composure. The solemness of the band was countered with the joy and support from the crowd seeing our approach. We began our long wait until the hearse and procession came into sight. Ordering a Royal Salute and seeing the Queen's coffin only 2ft away, my chest nearly burst with the pride and honour I was trying to contain in that fleeting moment.

The reality of this moment hasn’t had a chance to develop yet, but I believe that every member of the Armed Forces that day paid a fitting tribute in the only way we can, to recognise her lifetime's devotion, to mourn our loss and to immortalise her significance in our lives. Rest in peace, Your Majesty. Long live the King.

IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE QUEENS PLATINUM JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS

Past National President, Marcus Jones reflects on a truly memorable weekend earlier in 2022.

The Platinum Jubilee Celebration within Windsor Castle this summer witnessed over 500 horses and 1,000 performers create a 90-minute piece of spellbinding arena theatre that included actors and artists, musicians, international military displays from the Commonwealth and Europe, even our own Armed Forces, dancers and global equestrian displays performed live to an audience of over 5,000 each of the four nights. The production took the audience on a gallop through history from Elizabeth I to the present day. With moments of humour, great theatricality, pomp and pageantry, this was a spectacle like none other.

Leading the narrative was ‘The Queen’s Players’, a group of actors and artists especially brought together for the event and based on the travelling players of the Elizabethan period. With some of the UK’s greatest performers a part of the troupe, the audience was in safe hands as the show unfurled to an amazing array of artillery displays at speed, horses & riders from all over the world showing their expertise. But of course, the main event was to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Our Late Majesty the Queen, she smiled with that sparkle and warmth whilst she watched one of her favourite past-times, her love of horses.

To be invited to the Royal Box was something I will never forget, it was a real honour to share with my partner Jane, Past President Bruce Bennett, and Lynn. We were treated and spoiled at the highest level and made to feel very special. It was especially poignant this year after loosing my mother who was devoted to the Queen all of her life and would have been proud of the fact such an invite had been received.

That is why this last weekend we also queued 14 hours to pay respects to simply one of the greatest leaders of the modern era, Her Majesty Elizabeth The Great (my personal title for her)! I think we could all agree on her impact on all of our lives. THANK YOU MA’AM,

Britain’s longest serving monarch helped raise more than $2 billion for over 600 nonprofits, working tirelessly as a supporter and patron of charities and organisations across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

The British Red Cross

Taking up patronage way back in 1949, Elizabeth II’s influence and donations helped support disasters and tragedies including a recent package for the National Emergencies Trust Coronavirus Appeal and the Tonga earthquake appeal in 2022. "In giving her support to DEC appeals," wrote Saleh Saeed, the group's chief executive officer, on the organisation's website, "Her Majesty not only helped personally, but also inspired countless others to offer their own help and let people know that even in their darkest times, she and many others across the UK, care and are there for them." Shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Queen made a private donation to help Ukraine and its refugees. Known as the DEC, the organisation coordinates fundraising efforts for 15 of Britain's top charities during times of international crisis.

The Royal College of Nursing

The Queen first became involved with this organisation in during World War II and was instrumental in opening a new library for the group the next year. "During her reign the Queen visited nursing staff in hospitals and in the community, taking the time to speak to them and to listen to their experiences," Pat Cullen, chief executive for the Royal College of Nursing, said in a statement on the group's website. "She saw nursing evolve from World War Two and the Blitz to the dynamic and modern profession it is today." The organisation represents nearly a half million nurses, student nurses and nursing support workers in the United Kingdom and internationally, campaigning to raise the profile — and the working conditions — of the nursing community.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II: TABLERS’ REFLECTIONS

We caught up with some Round Table members to get their personal reflections

Ash Gardner - Attending HRHs platinum jubilee was one of the most special moments I've had in table. It makes me proud to be part of our wonderful movement and was one of many 'once in a lifetime' 'money can't buy' experiences afforded by Table

Dickie Holland - When I was invited to Her Majesty The Queen's garden party at Buckingham Palace as the new president of RTBI, I jumped at the chance. Little did I know that the event on May 15, 2018 would be the last one any President of RTBI would attend. There were literally thousands of guests from all over the country and it was incredibly humbling to speak with some of them and hear of the many different reasons they were there. It was an honour and a privilege to have been invited in the first place and for Her Majesty to open up her home and garden to all of us was a real testament to her bond with the people. She truly was an inspiration to us all.