RIP Queen Elizabeth

The news about Queen Elizabeth II’s death brought a rush of memories to this aging expat.

Our mother brought my elder sister and me to London for the coronation in 1953 and we spent the night in the small park across the street from Westminster Abbey and had a good view of the dignitaries arriving for the ceremony.

Many years passed and my brotherin-law was knighted by the queen. He told us that she good naturedly used the ceremonial sword to keep him on his knees after he started to stand up too soon.

Later still, as British ambassador to Ireland, he was summoned to the royal yacht to brief the queen on the situation in that country where his predecessor had been blown up by the IRA. He found her to be well-informed, peppering him with questions and showing great concern.

She was not all corgis and the royal wave. She cared deeply about the country, the people and the trials we all face in life. In her own way, she helped us rise above them.