Memories of a kind monarch
Royal Borough: From personal anecdotes to links with the past, people share their stories
Mourners with flowers poured into the Long Walk outside Windsor Castle on Thursday, September 8 and all over the weekend as the town became a focal point for tributes to Her Majesty.
Claire Merison visited Windsor from Taplow on Saturday and said the
Queen has been ‘a constant’ in her life.
“I’m here to show my respect to the Queen who I’ve known all my life. She's been a constant,” Claire told the Advertiser.
“I bought roses because I knew she loved roses.
“I just want to take a few moments, perhaps go into the church and have a little bit of time for reflection.
“She gave her life to service, was hard-working and dignified.
“She was born into wealth and privilege but worked steadfastly and without fuss.
“She had faith and was a consummate professional.”
Windsor locals Chantelle Davies, Lisa Owen, Hayley Cleave and Sara Watson visited with their children, Connor, Henry, Alice and Piper.
All their husbands are part of the Royal Guard and were working at the time of
the visit. They have personal memories of the Queen.
Chantelle described one time when the Queen showed her care and compassion for her people and staff.
“When [my husband] was on guard, she’d be walking the dogs and it was a really hot day. She stopped to see if he was OK and if he needed any water,” she said.
“She was just like your nan. It’s nice to hear those stories about her.”
Meanwhile, Sarah Barnes, from Windlesham in Surrey, was there with her son, Hunter, who was born just after the Platinum Jubilee in February.
“It’s all a bit strange, coming into Windsor this morning – I wasn’t sure what to expect. There’s a lot of people around but it’s all very quiet,” she said.
“It takes a bit of time to get used to the fact that we have a King. It’s strange to think we’ve all only known a Queen, but this little one [Hunter] is going to grow up only having known a King.”
Adrian and Amanda Pike are among those who visited with flowers and praised the Queen’s dedication to upholding the values of the Christian faith, among others.
Adrian said: “I’m here to pay my respects to Her
Majesty who is exemplary, an example of the three Ds – duty, devotion and dignity.”
Amanda added: “I want to show my gratitude to a most wonderful lady and the enormous contribution she made to millions of people around the world.
“She also had a great sense of humour and as a Christian, she put her faith in action.”
Father Farhaz Magan, from Windsor, visited on Friday with his son Ezra, six. He wanted to observe floral tributes to the Queen on the school run, saying it was important for his child to reflect on the monarch’s life.
Ezra goes to the nearby St George’s Windsor Castle school, which lies right next to what was one of Her Majesty’s favourite residences.
“My son was very aware of the Queen and her role and was a little upset this morning (Friday) when we told him that she had died,” Farhaz said.
“So I thought it would be quite nice to put some flowers down and have a few minutes to reflect.
“I still remember not being much older than him when Princess Diana died and I did something similar, and I wanted him to have that experience.”
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