Her Majesty

I took this picture in 2013 when the Queen and Princess Anne visited Kendal. I fortunately found myself just in the right place at the right time to take the photo, when she stopped to accept some flowers from the person next to me. She really did seem delighted to be in Kendal on that day and spent quite some time on walkabout. This was only the second time I’d seen our monarch “in the flesh” but it was definitely the closest I’d been to her as the previous time she had been in the royal limousine, driving through Chester in the 1980s.
It’s quite amazing to think that my generation has known no other head of state than Queen Elizabeth II (up to this point). My grandparents were born when Victoria (the previous longest reigning monarch) was on the throne and saw Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, George VI and our present Queen all ascend to the throne. Even my parents generation lived through four different monarchs.
So, congratulations on your Platinum Jubilee ma’am. Enjoy the celebrations in your honour and reflect on a lifetime of service to your country. Long may you continue to reign over us.