Memories of The Queen

Sally Greenwood (née Hedges, NS ’57) shares below her thoughts upon her return from looking at the floral tributes to our late Queen in Green Park…

“I have been lucky to photograph our late Queen at various stages in my life, the first time being when I was still at school, and only 14, when we were at The Royal Windsor Horse Show. On that occasion, the Queen was accompanied by Princess Margaret and their children, Princes Andrew and Edward and Lady Sarah Armstrong Jones.

In 1976, just prior to the heatwave, I again had a camera with me when students were told that the Queen would be visiting the shopping centre in Oxford that had opened a few years prior. Interestingly there is just a handful of people in the crowd wielding cameras. I have heard that the Royal Family find it a very different experience nowadays that everyone is in possession of a camera on their phones. Once a sea of faces – now a sea of screens! It must be quite daunting. The second photograph I took on that day was more personal. I had rushed to a spot where I thought the car may be travelling, and I was the only one there! The wave was for me alone, and Prince Philip is having a chuckle alongside.

It’s not so easy for me to get into London now that I live in Dorset, otherwise I would have travelled up for the funeral as I did for Lady Diana’s. Tring, where I lived before, being just a short journey by commuter train, whereas planning a visit from Poole is a holiday or a long weekend. But I just had to be there, as soon as I could. Arriving at a campsite in Abbey Wood the day after the funeral, we took our bikes (although now both over 65 years of age – but they are electric!), and cycled the Thames Path into Greenwich, where we picked up an Uber boat which took us, and our bikes, swiftly up river and into the City. The barriers were still in place, as were road closures from the funeral just two days before. There was a stillness (which had disappeared the next day when we revisited on foot) and we could cycle on the pavement up The Mall (the Mall was still shut and closed off with

barriers) – incidentally, that was something that I have always wanted to do. All the Union Jacks were at half mast, Charles III having left already for Balmoral but still in a week of mourning. We made our way around St James and into Green Park to see the floral tributes, which was primarily our intention, and had our moment of reflection.

Symbolism has played its part, from the pouring rain on the day that our late Queen left Balmoral, the Queen’s scarf being draped over her little pony Emma in Windsor, and the double rainbows over Windsor Castle, signifying to some that she was reunited with her beloved husband, the late Prince Philip. Just moments after we left Green Park, the Pelicans of St James’ were going about their everyday business and mixing with mourners within site of Buckingham Palace. It brought a smile to all of our faces. Queen Elizabeth II would not want us to be sad for very long. Long Live King Charles III.

The following photos are included in the order that I refer to them in my ‘ditty’ above…”

In 1952, when King George VI died, I was undergoing special training at the London Metropolitan Police Training College at Hendon, in preparation for my posting to Malaya as an Assistant Superintendent of Police.

There was an urgent need for constabularies and others for roadside cordon duty during the passage of the funeral march. All of us on the course at Hendon Police College were required to join others for this duty. I had the experience of observing the Royal Family passing a few metres before me. A sad and sombre experience.

Coincidentally, on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation in 1953, as the Chief of Police of Pekan District, Pahang State, Malaya, I organised and participated in various celebrations – the fancy dress football match, the water sports and also a firework display.

David Brent (Be ’48)

On 16 December 1953, the Queen visited Fiji. She was greeted by Adi Mei, the 4 year old daughter of Ratu Penaia Ganilau, a Fijian chief and officer in the Fijian Army. Adi Mei presented the Queen with a bouquet of flowers from a lakeside high in the hills of Taveuni Island to the north of the main island of Fiji and the matangali [tribe] of Ratu Penaia Ganilau. The blossoms are very rare and are believed to be only growing on Taveuni Island and nowhere else. Adi Mei then performed a brief welcome ritual ceremony for the Queen.

In 1954 The 1st Battalion, The Fiji Infantry Regiment arrived in Malaya during The Emergency, the war against the armed insurgent communist forces. In 1956, I arrived at Batu Pahat, Johor State in Malaya to take over command of Batu Pahat Police District, where the Fijians were based. My military counterpart was Lt Col Ratu Penai Ganilau, CO of the Fijian Regiment. The Fijian officers mess asked me to paint a portrait of the CO, which I did, and it now hangs in the Officers Mess of the Regiment in Suva, Fiji.

Ratu Penaia Ganilau also asked me to paint a large size picture from a press photo of Adi Mei presenting the bouquet to the Queen, which I did. When I visited Taveuni many years later, I viewed my painting of Adi Mei and the Queen on the wall of the family home. By this time, Sir Ratu Penaia Ganilau was President of Fiji.

David Brent (Be ’48)

My dad and grandfather were both awarded “gongs”, MBE and OBE respectively. Coincidentally, they were both chartered civil engineers working in the transport industry, whilst being father-in-law and son-in-law. Thus my mum got two trips to “Buck House”.

My grandfather’s expertise was in rail signalling systems. I believe he was responsible for a major new system. He investigated the Harrow Rail Disaster in the early 50s, which was caused by an express train from Perth running through signals and hitting the back of a commuter train from Tring, so many of the victims that day would have been from Tring, Berkhamsted, Hemel Hempstead and other towns on that line. His award came in 1954, so quite early in HM’s reign. I don’t recall my mum talking about that day very often, so I can’t add much.

However, my dad’s MBE in 1987 was within my living memory. He had always hankered after working in the rail industry, but his new father-in-law wisely directed him towards a career within public highways, a decision for which he was very grateful over subsequent years as the rail industry contracted and new roads boomed.

But my dad’s particular expertise came in an unusual area: mini-roundabouts. And not just mini-roundabouts, but multi-mini-roundabouts. Those situated in Aylesbury and High Wycombe town centres, and near Denham under the M40, were all his work as County Traffic Engineer for Buckinghamshire until his retirement in 1988.

And so it came to pass that my dad was standing there with the other recipients at the Palace as the Queen made her way along the line. Not unnaturally, my dad was wondering: “How does she know who is who, and what their awards were for?” (She didn’t appear to have any notes to hand.) And more to the point, “What will we talk about? Has someone given her a "crash course" in the construction and implementation of multi-mini-roundabouts?!”

This dilemma was soon addressed. HM arrived in front of him, she smiled, and asked:

“And what was yours for?”

My dad was, not unpredictably, somewhat thrown off-balance by the informality of the question, but he managed to stammer:

“Er…services to civil engineering, Ma’am.”

HM beamed at him and announced “Jolly good!!!”, and moved on to the next recipient.

And that was it!

Andrew Bramwell (Fr ’74)

My aunt Janet Dendy (NS ’40) turned a youthful 100 years old on 23 July 2022. She had a huge birthday party, and the highlight was a card from HM The Queen (don’t forget, you have to apply a few weeks in advance these days).

She worked as a nurse throughout WW2 and trained and worked as a physiotherapist afterwards.

Jane Duncan (née Leslie, Ch ’78)

It is with great sadness that we all learnt yesterday of the death of our Queen, Elizabeth II, Patron of Berkhamsted School. Her example of integrity, dedication and service has been an inspiration to us all and a constant in our lives.

Brigitta Case President of The Old Berkhamstedians

30th June 1977 Wembley Stadium

I was chosen, as one of two representatives from Edinburgh and Heriot Watt Universities Officers’ Training Corps, to be in the Parade for Reserve and Cadet Forces in front of the Queen, for the Silver Jubilee.

We were sent down in a Sleeper, along with two people from each other OTC and Reserve Force in Scotland, and billeted in a drill hall in London for the night after the parade. Luckily, we were able to dodge sleeping in the drill hall, as I had relatives living in Ealing.

Our dress uniforms had to be spotless and crease-free, which was tricky after the train journey, but irons were, thoughtfully, provided. I was in the middle of a squad of 64 members of the TA in Scotland – tallest on the outside and shortest in the middle. We marched around the outside of the stadium before lining up in the centre. The Queen was driven round in a Land Rover to inspect us all.

My humiliation was that I somehow got out of step whilst on our march around the stadium, and I had an excruciating minute of trying to get back in step while all the rest of the squad hissed at me to GET IN STEP!

It was a very memorable and unique occasion for everyone involved!

Diana Moodie (NS ’71)

Coronation June 1953

The attached photographs are of my view of the Coronation Coach as seen from a window in No 1 Victoria Street, my father’s (Lincoln House 1920s) office. The School had a week’s break to celebrate the Coronation, and at 14 years of age (my 2nd year in Lowers), I was lucky enough to be taken to London, with my Kodak Brownie camera, to take these memorable pictures.

I think these photographs could have been the stepping stone to my career in photography, which carries on even now!

Peter John Gates (Lo ’56)

Some 35 years ago, I was asked to record, photographically, a visit by HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh to The North London Hostel for Commonwealth Overseas Students.

There were some 200 students, approximately, present. The idea was to arrange the students in a large hall in semicircles of 8, so that the Royals could move along and talk to each student. It worked beautifully, but to get a worthy photograph showing the Royals’ faces and the students was quite tricky!

It is a pleasant memory which illustrated the Royals’ devotion to The Commonwealth.

Peter John Gates (Lo ‘56)

In 1965 or thereabouts, I suddenly got an invitation to a Summer Garden Party at the Palace, with guest. I had no idea why I should merit this. At the time I was much involved with the Queen’s English Society (QES) – indeed I still am – and we have decided NOT to change our name, and I speculated that it was this which had ‘generated’ the invitation. For my guest, I, therefore, invited Anne Shelley, our Chairman at the time, to accompany me. She was quite delighted, although she was concerned that she had no suitable hat.

We duly turned up at the Garden Entrance and had a wonderful time, walking in the garden and queuing (and jostling) for tea. Then we all formed up into lines. Anne and I were lucky to be in the line along which the Queen would come. Guided by an aide, she stopped and spoke to someone

almost next to us. Then she sailed past us with a smile and spoke to someone two along. Our hearts sank.

I often wonder if she might have spoken to us had she known of the QES connection. Later, I found out that I had been recommended for the invitation by my neighbour on the landing of the block of flats where I lived. She, a widow in sad circumstances, had spent much of the war in the Home Office section which dealt with the records of people, mainly servicemen, held in Japanese prisoner-of-war camps. She would not/could not say much about this, but many of the stories she heard about the treatment meted out to these prisoners were quite horrendous. They gave her nightmares for many years. An MBE was awarded to her after the war. To have been within inches of Her Majesty was truly thrilling and has given me a memory I shall always treasure.

Michael Plumbe (Lo ’48)

Much to my surprise, in 1989, I was awarded an MBE for ‘services to nursing’. I had pioneered and rolled out the ‘Human MOT’, that is now known as the NHS Health Check. Having been briefed about what to do by an equerry, I approached the Queen as my name and Oxfordshire Health Authority was tannoyed across the palatial room.

I was relatively young (43), and perhaps because of that, the Queen quietly and gently asked me, “What did you get it for?” I whispered back, “Trying to prevent heart attacks and strokes in middle-aged people.”

At that, the Queen’s eyes danced with amusement and the radiant smile that so many people have commented upon I shall always remember.

Her immediate response was, “That’s a good idea!” (She was then 63 and so in our recruitment drive). I shall always remember that kind spontaneity, her emerald dress and her huge emerald brooch. She pinned the medal on me, and I staggered backwards.

Elaine Steane (née Fullard, Ho ’64)

Some thirty years ago, an American business associate snatched a short holiday over here with his wife. We lived on Hayling Island, with our office in Portsmouth. Their idea of a restful holiday was to visit London, so we took the train to Victoria and walked through the West End for most of the morning. Eventually, his wife said that sh would like to see the Queen’s palace, so we walked down Pall Mall and onto the Mall itself.

We ended up outside Buckingham Palace on a lovely day and stood on the corner of the North Gate enjoying the view.

After a while, I noticed activity on the Palace roof and also in the courtyard. I said to Tappy, his wife, I think something is about to happen for you that I’ve fixed in advance.

Sure enough, a few moments later, the police motorcycle outriders came down Constitution Hill and into the gate, followed immediately by a large Phantom VI Rolls Royce.

We were just ten feet away from the passengers who gave us a wave. (Tappy explained to us later that, before they left, she had told her friends that she was going to see the Queen.)

To this day, Tappy does not know whether this meeting with the Queen was a lucky happenstance, or whether I knew she was going to pass by, but we gather that the two of them ate out on the story for many years to come.

Tony Waring (SJ ’53)

The governors, staff, pupils, and parents of the Berkhamsted Schools Group were deeply saddened to hear the news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We send our condolences to her family, and those who worked with her. We recognise that her death leaves a gap in our national life, but we feel first for those who have lost a mother, grandmother, or family member. We join those in the UK and across the world who will want to pay tribute to Her Majesty’s extraordinary life.

In 2016, we were fortunate to receive a visit from Her Majesty, in her role as Patron of the School. All those involved were struck at her evident interest in those around her, her lively sense of humour and her care for the thriving and wellbeing of young people. Both during the visit and from her public life, we saw Her Majesty the Queen live out a life which was entirely in line with our values – to aim high with integrity, be adventurous and serve others. The entire school community can count itself fortunate to have been ruled and served by a monarch whose example of courage, integrity, service, and kindness was evident to all.

Our schools will mark the passing of Her Majesty with assemblies dedicated to reminding the pupils of her long life, her outstanding example, and her leadership. In our Chapel services in the coming week, we will pray for Her Majesty, for her family, her households, and her friends, recognising the Christian faith which marked her Christmas addresses. We will mark her life with the planting of an English Oak within our grounds, which we trust will stand for centuries as a reminder of her life, her contribution to our country, and her example as a human being.

Richard Backhouse Principal