THE QUEEN PASSES: End of an era

 It is a sad day today at the Red Cardinal nest.

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth 11 passed away peacefully at her Summer home, Balmoral, in Scotland, aged 96.

During her remarkable reign of 70 years, and her entire lifetime of service, the Queen was distinguished by her grace, dignity, kindness and unwavering dedication to the monarchy and the British Commonwealth.  

Many people have known no other monarch during their entire lives.

I have some small childhood memory of her coronation in 1953, and better memories of her Commonwealth tour in 1954, the first visit to Australian shores of a reigning monarch.

She brought to Australia the beautiful Coronation gown, and wore it to the Opening of Parliament in Canberra.

Her Majesty was born Princess Elizabeth in 1926, and appears to have been a pretty and confident little girl.

At 96, the Queen's passing was not unexpected, yet it was a shock to us all.  The Queen has been a constant in our lives, a reliable and calming figure, always there.  I have been thinking back over my life, and how I perceived her along the way.

During her early reign, the Queen was a glamourous figure, when formal gowns, jewels and tiaras, were worn on many occasions.

Look at her tiny waist, and she had already borne her first two children.  She is wearing the fringe tiara which she wore at her wedding, and which was later worn by Princess Anne and Princess Beatrice at their weddings.

Every inch a Queen, meeting Marilyn Monroe, then a Queen of Hollywood.

1954 Australian tour

Her Majesty visited Australia 16 times, and usually arrived wearing yellow, an acknowledgement of our National floral emblem, the Golden Wattle.

My parents brought we children to Brisbane to see the Queen during the 1954 tour.   I remember her going past in yellow, with a little yellow hat.  Was it the day of the above picture?  Alas, I do not actually know.

Australian artist, Sir William Dargie, painted this portrait during the first tour.

The Queen wears her Wattle Dress, which featured throughout the tour.

An official gift to the Queen from Australia was a Wattle Brooch:

Featuring white and gold diamonds, the brooch has been worn on all subsequent tours, and sometimes in the UK.

Long-term readers of the blog might remember I bought a replica of this brooch during a Buckingham Palace tour in 2016.

Her Majesty escorted by Brisbane Lord Mayor, Alderman Roy Harvey, 1982.

Many tours later, the Queen was here again in 1982, and the Red Cardinals were invited to a Civic Reception at City Hall.  I was fortunate when she paused about a metre from us to speak to the person beside me.  Her brooch is partly covered by the bouquet in this photo, but it astonished me with its large and brilliant diamonds.  Her petal soft English complexion also was very appealing to we sun-kissed Queenslanders.

A Queen, a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother.

Devotion to duty and a radiant smile, right to the end.

Farewell Your Majesty, may you rest in peace.

God Save the King.