High Sheriff of Northumberland and his Chaplain share their memories of the Queen

This week, they have shared their memories of the former monarch. Canon Hughes has also spoken about the new King, Charles III.

Canon Hughes, former Vicar of Berwick, said: “There was Trooping The Colour on Horse Guards in her presence as a young Guardsman; on sentry duty at Windsor as she walked past with her corgis and wished me good afternoon and I was proud to be in her presence during three garden parties at Buckingham Palace.

“I conducted the service for her Royal Review of my regiment, The Queen’s Own Yeomanry, at Windsor along with Colonel James Royds, now High Sheriff; Susan and I were introduced to her at a Buckingham Palace reception and I successfully petitioned for her to visit my parish at Berwick, which she did.

“I was present at a presentation of new colours by her to my first regiment The Coldstream at Windsor, the very colours which she later granted to Berwick and that now hang in Berwick Parish Church, and I greeted her at Alnwick Castle and took photographs in my Army Press Officer capacity.

“The Court Circular would make a small mention of each memorable event, along with all her other duties in other places that very same day. I have always marvelled at her stamina, as a Vicar I would wilt after shaking hands with a couple of hundred parishioners at a church door.

“May you rest in peace and rise in glory Ma’am. Thank you for your life of service and duty, making the world a better place than you found it when thrust onto the world’s stage at the tender age of 25.

“Now we say ‘God Save The King’ to Charles III. As a young Guardsman I would ‘Present Arms’ saluting him as he passed by me at Windsor and London; we exchanged words at Parachute Regiment events and I attended an event with him in Saint Paul’s Cathedral and The Guildhall with my wife Susan, herself a parachutist.

“He presented me with my MBE at Buckingham Palace and I recently dedicated a memorial to our Guards Parachute Company and G Sqn SAS members at The National Memorial Arboretum with his support.”

Colonel Royds said: “In 1977, just a few weeks after her Silver Jubilee at the age of 19, I was being sworn into the lowest ranks of the British Army to do my basic training in preparation for Sandhurst.

“I made a pledge to the Queen and earlier in her life she would have made the same pledge to her father King George VI when she herself was sworn into the ranks of the Armed Forces. For service people it is personal – we pledge our service and duty to the Monarch rather than the Government of the day.

“We met on two occasions and the second of these was when she opened the law courts in Bedlington in 1986.

“My TA colleagues and I provided her with an Honour Guard. It was one of the proudest moments in my life and as we shook hands I was left dazzled, tonged-tied and utterly speechless.

“History will judge Her Majesty in glorious and reverential terms.”