The Queen and Me in 1954.

For those who read the news and know what goes in other parts of the world other than in their own particular spot in the woods; you may know that at the moment we in Australia are enjoying a visit from Her Majesty The Queen and her Consort Prince Phillip. This event brought back this story from my childhood and I thought to share it with you.

It was the beginning of the year in 1954 and the young Queen in England, who had been crowned the year before was now visiting all the British Colonies to meet her subjects. Even though I was quite small at this time I still remember all the grown ups saying that she was very young and that she had had to leave her two small children behind in England, while she made this huge trek across the world.

In 1954 I was a little girl of six years of age and boarding at school in Ballarat, and I remember well all the excitement that permeated the school when it was announced that Ballarat was to receive a visit by the Royal Entourage and that the cars were to pass right around the high walls of our school!

The nuns at my school got very busy and had a sort of platform ledge built all around the inside of the walls so that we girls could all get a good view of the Queen as she passed by. A bird's eye view so to speak. It was so exciting we were given little flags to wave and practiced how to get up and down from the platforms. We were a very well practiced school in everything we did in those days. In fact we enjoyed quite a reputation for this and for winning in all sorts of fields as the nuns really liked us to shine!

The day the Queen was visiting Ballarat finally arrived and we enthusiastically took up to our positions around the fence. I remember I could barely see over and some one put something extra beneath me like a box or some such and then I had a great view!

The police cavalcade arrived first followed by all the big black cars which motored slowly around the corner from Sturt Street to pass in front of us. I think they may have been on their way to the Begonia Festival but I cannot be sure about this. The Queen was sitting in the back of a huge black shiny car with a flag flying proudly from the bonnet. I waved and waved, could barely contain myself; I was so excited to see this young girl who was our new Queen.

So there I was looking at the Queen who was obviously looking back and waving to us . And what is more she really was looking at us because later one of the nuns told me that when she saw this snowy haired little girl waving at her she had asked who I was. How exciting was that? This was because she said that I reminded her of her little girl whom she had had to leave at home while she visited Australia. Princess Anne. And it seems she was quite delighted to learn that we shared the same name. Anne.

So that is my story about me and the Queen. A fleeting moment but quite memorable to me...

author: a.a.gallagher

25th October 2011