Enduring friendship or brief encounter, meeting the Queen is always a thrill. Emma Pritchard finds some locals with their own royal tale to tell...
Jo Peck is Marketing and Communications Director at HPower, the Windsor-based events planning company behind this month’s birthday show HMQ90
“Organising events can be stressful at the best of times – and even more so when your client is the Queen. We’ve been planning her 90th birthday celebrations for two and a half years. You start with a blank sheet of paper and go from there...
The Queen’s 90th Birthday Celebration (May 12-15) will be a 90-minute display on the grounds of Windsor Castle, recounting Her Majesty’s life. We’ve lined up 1,500 performers and 900 horses – that’s a lot of beds, stables, food and fodder to prepare! They’re coming from all around the world – mountaineers from Canada, cowboys from Chile, Fijian Army Band and djigitovka dancers (trick riders) from Azerbaijan. There’ll be something for everyone. My highlight will be the Gold State Coach and other state carriages, which I’ve not seen before.
Worldwide around 6-8 million people will watch the show, so it all has to be perfect. Fortunately, it’s not our first royal event, so we know what lies ahead. We organised the Diamond Jubilee Pageant and also put on the Royal Windsor Horse Show every year – a highlight in Her Majesty’s calendar, as she’s a huge fan of horses.
This year the Show incorporates HMQ90, so it’s quite an event. The Queen will be there, as usual, entering her home-bred natives – Fell ponies, Highland ponies, Welsh Mountain ponies and so on – in the showing section. She always comes to watch, so you often see her – the arena is in her back garden, after all – and it’s lovely to catch glimpses of her enjoying the animals.
The warmth associated with royal events is wonderful. Everyone wants to be involved and there’s a huge sense of pride and privilege among the organisers and participants. I think it’s to do with the Queen’s longevity. She’s been around for as long as anyone can remember – and that’s well worth celebrating.
John Warren of Highclere Stud at Burghclere, near Newbury, is the Queen’s Bloodstock and Racing Advisor
“I’ve been advising Her Majesty for around 20 years now, and working with someone who shares my fascination with horses is wonderful. Over the years, the Queen’s knowledge has deepened greatly.
Creating the ultimate Group One thoroughbred is like producing an Olympic athlete – it can take decades to develop a superstar. The Queen likes to be involved at every stage of that journey: choosing the matings, managing and rearing the foals, deciding which of those to send to the racing stables for training and then analysing how the animals are coping on the track.
That’s how it was with Estimate, who was bred to mark her 80th birthday and won the Ascot Gold Cup in 2013. It was an incredibly proud moment for Her Majesty – not only because of all her input, but also because it made her the first reigning monarch to win the Cup in 207 years. We celebrated afterwards with the trainer, jockey and other guests at Windsor Castle, the Gold Cup centre stage on the dining room table.
Recently, Estimate produced her first foal and Her Majesty was there – she takes as much interest in her mares and foals as one would in a grandchild. With so many commitments, the Queen may not spend as much time with her horses as she would like – yet her unwavering dedication to the animals, even from afar, is tremendous. Indeed, it is a real pleasure when she does make her annual visit to the stables and quarterly trips to her stud farms.
The Queen is remarkable. It may be her 90th, but she’s already looking ahead to breeding and rearing the next line of royal studs. What an honour to be supporting such passion.”
Bill Kay is General Manager of The Poppy Factory in Richmond
“There’s one poppy in our factory that is particularly special. It sits proudly on display and each petal bears Her Majesty’s cypher. It was, in fact, handmade by the Queen.
She visited us in 2012 to mark our own 90th anniversary and, following a tour of the factory, had a go at putting together a poppy for herself. I think she must have been practising, as there was no fumbling, no mistakes. She did very well.
I wasn’t there that day, but I’ve been in her presence many times. She often attends the opening of our Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey with the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Harry. More than 350 plots are laid out, where ex-servicemen and -women can plant a cross in memory of fallen loved ones.
We make all of the crosses here in Richmond, along with corsages and around 130,000 wreaths – the buttonhole paper poppies are now produced in Kent. Each cross and wreath is lovingly hand-assembled by the 30 disabled veterans on the team.
Being associated with the poppy, such a poignant symbol, gives me immense pride – as does holding a Royal Warrant granted by the Queen. She is a real professional and gives time to everybody that she meets: a very special lady indeed.”
Jacqueline Todd is a volunteer at this year’s HMQ90 celebrations, taking place at Windsor Castle, from May 12-15
"Living in Datchet, I’ve lost count of the times I’ve seen the Queen. She’s always driving through on her way to Windsor. But it never palls – she’s the Queen!
However, I’ve only actually met her once. I was in my 20s and receiving my Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh. It’s 40 years ago now, but I remember it like yesterday. My grandfather bought me a new turquoise dress and matching camel coat and hat, and my mum came with me on that day.
There were several of us receiving certificates and Prince Philip came and shook all of our hands – for once it was the Queen playing the supporting role. She was smiling and put me at my ease, which was lucky, as the Duke stopped to ask what I’d done to earn the award. It was the highlight of my year.
Since then, I’ve always adored the Queen. She is a constant inspiration. I’m volunteering at HMQ90 and can’t wait to help celebrate this amazing woman. It’s a one-off chance to give thanks for all she’s done for the country over the years.”
Simon Durrant is General Manager of Epsom Downs Racecourse
"Her Majesty has been coming to the Derby for almost 70 years – not because it’s an official royal engagement, but because she wants to. There’s a moment when she arrives and you think: ‘Oh my goodness, I’m about to meet the Queen.’ But then you do and she seems so genuinely interested in your day that she puts you at ease. I get to greet her with the Chairman of the Racecourse – it’s my 30 seconds of fame. I shake her hand and, for that brief moment, it’s as if we’re the only two people there.
Epsom Racecourse
The Queen has an incredible passion for horses. She always visits the parade ring, chats to the trainers and asks the jockeys about the ground conditions and how they’re intending to run the race. Her knowledge is amazing – better than most people there, in fact, as she’s been coming for so long. Sadly, her Derby horses have never quite made it into the winner’s circle. Prince Charles has an entry this year, so there’ll be some friendly rivalry, I’m sure.
Epsom is unlike any other course in the world. In fact, if you wanted to create one like it today, you wouldn’t be allowed. It’s the undulations and cambers that make it so different. The Derby is run over one and a half miles, during which the horses climb the height of Nelson’s Column. It’s only open to three-year-olds, and it’s free to watch – it attracts people from all walks of life. I think that’s why Her Majesty so enjoys it: it’s unique.
For this 90th birthday, we formed a human mosaic to show off the Queen’s racing colours at our Spring Meeting, and for the Derby we’re privileged to have Her Majesty present the trophy for the first time. We’ll greet her with the National Anthem sung by 10-12 local choirs, and we’ve renamed the Coronation Cup the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Cup in her honour.
Ours may not be an official party, but that won’t stop us from giving Her Majesty a very special celebration."
Christopher Ashton-Jones and his wife Carmen run Sheen Botanical Labels in Haslemere
"My wife and I sell our engraved plant labels around the world, but the ones ordered by the Royal Household are particularly special. It’s an honour to know that items I’ve made are on display in gardens at Buckingham Palace, Hampton Court and Windsor Castle.
Her Majesty granted us a Royal Warrant in July 2002 and the certificate now hangs in our home. Being a Royal Warrant holder is an incredible privilege, enabling us to use the Royal coat of arms on our stationery and signage. It’s a rigorous selection process – the warrant reflects the quality of what we sell.
We’ve been fortunate to meet the Queen several times, but one particularly memorable moment occurred at the 2006 RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Her Majesty is incredibly knowledgeable and has a genuine passion for horticulture.
My wife and I had a stand on the main avenue and were proudly displaying a very rare Wollemi pine that had been propagated at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. The Queen knew exactly what it was and, even in the damp weather, seemed happy to stop and chat. She was wearing her famous headscarf, of course! Later we presented her with a small Wollemi to plant at Buckingham Palace, with a commemorative plaque. We haven’t exhibited at Chelsea since – nothing could beat that.
Our business is on the high street in Haslemere and we’re the only Royal Warrant holder in the town. Haslemere takes royal occasions seriously and this month we marked Her Majesty’s birthday with a giant tea party. The high street was closed for people to enjoy afternoon tea – kindly donated by fellow Royal Warrant holder Twinings. A classic car procession added to the fun.
The Queen brings great pleasure to so many people – even those who haven’t met her. She is a remarkable lady with an enormous personality that appeals to all generations."
