Proud to call her my beloved third grandmother

MOST people are unable to remember a time when the Queen was not our monarch, but there are a few of us who can recall the day she ascended the throne. Though I was only five, I remember being with my mother in Marks & Spencer in Oxford on February 6, 1952, when a man ran halfway up the stairs before shouting across the ground floor: ‘The King is dead.’ By the time of the Queen’s Coronation on June 2, 1953, we were living in Canada and a generous neighbour allowed us to watch the historic event on his TV.

ABBY ASHBY, Coniston, Cumbria.

I WAS a toddler when the Queen ascended the throne. I have admired her all my life and will miss her cheerful smile when she met her subjects. I served her in the Army and can be classed as a staunch monarchist. My affection for the Queen will always be with me, but I will also support His Majesty King Charles III. The Queen is dead, God save the King.

JOHN BOWYER, Lincoln.

DEVASTATED doesn’t do justice to the emotions I am feeling. As a five-year-old, I attended a street party in 1953 to celebrate the Coronation. With the Queen’s passing, I feel I’ve lost a part of me. She was there for the whole of my life and I’m proud to call her my third grandmother.

IAN FULLER, Harrogate, N. Yorks. HER Majesty was a part of many people’s lives. I was eight when she was crowned and remember the street parties celebrating the start of what was to be a long and glorious reign. The news of her death caused many tears — even the heavens cried until, remarkably, a rainbow appeared over the Union Flag at half-mast. A mirroring of the sorrow we all felt at the passing of a special human being. Rest in peace, Ma’am, we thank you and will miss you all of our days.