Sue Helmont, marketing director at AIG, speaks to Health & Protection about meeting the Queen as a small child following the Monarch’s passing at the age of 96.
Yesterday evening as the rain fell on Buckingham Palace, the Union flag was lowered to half-mast, and a simple message was attached to the palace gates which broke the news that the country’s longest reigning monarch Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had passed away earlier that afternoon.
During her 70-year reign, Television and the Internet have entered people’s homes, the Berlin Wall came down, man first stepped onto the moon, Britain has left the European Union and 15 prime ministers – from Churchill to Truss met the Queen to discuss affairs of state.
The news of the Queen’s passing followed an earlier announcement from the Palace that she had been placed under medical supervision at her beloved Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
But it was at another castle in Scotland where Helmont first met the Queen.
“It was at Rowallan castle. I was a small child at the time. I can’t remember how old but six or eight,” Helmont told Health & Protection.
“It was because we lived locally. My mother was in horticulture. We stood at the gate and handed over some flowers.
“I think as a child you don’t really realise the momentousness of what you’ve done and of course now reflecting on the news and many of us feel that we have lost somebody close. It feels like it was even more special to think that you had only the tiniest of moments – but it’s nice to think that I did.
“It feels extra special. I can’t recall the reason she was there – but it wasn’t a huge, great staged event.”
Helmont added there have been few women in this world quite as inspiring as the Queen.
“The way in which she led this country through good and bad times. She showed a leadership example you can only aspire to and was a great example,” Helmont added.
“Her long reign was testament to the way she conducted herself over that period of time – always with great dignity.”