The day I met the Queen of England is one I will never forget. Bequia was a hive of activity before the Royal visit, everything had to be perfect for the occasion and many hands pitched in to make it so. The flotilla of boats escorting the Royal tender looked festive, with their sails and flags snapping in the breeze, and the red carpets on the jetty and podium were in place. Everything looked freshly swept and clean and the day was gorgeous – bright and clear.
Pretty much the entire Island had turned out to witness the arrival of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Vanessa was perched on my father’s shoulders waving the country’s flag, and Rachel was held by Arleus as the Royals stepped ashore. Mac was in the forefront acting as Son Mitchell’s photographer, staying close to the Prime Minister in order to capture pictures of the Royal visit to Bequia.
After a welcoming speech by Mr. Mitchell the Queen spoke for a while to those assembled in Port Elizabeth, then the tree-planting ceremony began. In the stone planters made for the occasion the Queen and Prince planted flamboyant trees with the help of local ladies, after which the entourage made its way to the garden behind the Frangipani Hotel. This is where the tea party was to take place, and my mother and I were there, excited by the opportunity to meet the Queen of England!
The Sargeant Brothers, owners of a model boat-building business, had made a replica of the Royal yacht Britannia, and it was presented to the Queen when she arrived in the garden. She was appreciative of the unique gift, and graciously thanked Lawson Sargeant before moving on to the tea table. Prince Philip inspected the model boat with keen interest, and professing amazement at the work that had gone into such a detailed replica of the Royal Yacht.
With tea in hand, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip moved down the line of people fortunate enough to have been invited to meet them. Each person was introduced by Son Mitchell, first to the Queen, then the Prince. My mother was standing beside Son Mitchell’s old nanny, Amelia Duncan, and when it was her turn to meet the Queen she knelt down in a low curtsy. We had a good laugh about that curtsy later, Mom hadn’t been able to get back up and the Queen had to give her a yank to help!
The Prime Minister introduced me to her Majesty by saying that I was married to his cousin Mac, and that we had started a restaurant together. The Queen seemed truly interested, and asked, “and has it been a success?” to which I replied, “which Mum, the marriage or the restaurant?”. Queen Elizabeth threw back her head and laughed heartily, then said, “well, both I guess!” We chatted a while longer, and I thought she was one of the most gracious people I have ever had the good fortune to meet.
At the end of the Tea Party the Queen, after walking around a garden shaking hands (and in mom’s case giving a helpful yank), had not spilled a single drop of tea, her saucer was dry and her white gloves spotless. That image of perfect control has stayed in my memory, after all these years I still find it amazing. I will never forget meeting Queen Elizabeth, she was an incredible woman.
Last year, I returned to SVG after being absent for over 29 years and one of the pictures I was able to capture with my cell phone as it has been a prized family possession is one of my grandfather Vincent Glynn, as he assisted with planting the trees during the Queens visit that you are describing. I couldn’t believe my eyes that the picture our family hold seems to take place 30 seconds after the one you posted in this article.
I cannot find the date that this event took place and would like to ask if you could share it with me.
The date is Sunday October 27th 1985
Thank you. I didn’t keep a diary “back in the day”, nice to know the exact date.