My Memory of Our Beloved Queen

Our beautiful Queen Elizabeth has gone on to her reward, although at times it must have seemed she would live forever. The TV now is filled with news reels and past appearances, and of course the funeral, it will take a long time for the dust to settle down. My personal favorite is when she and Paddington Bear are having tea and sandwiches. I love it! It proved that she was human too.

And how many of us are named for her, myself included. My first in a long row of names is Elizabeth.

But I will tell a little story of some pomp and ceremony on October 6 1964 and a little 7 year-old-old Nova Chaisson.

I don't remember with a lot of clarity all the details of the day. But I clearly remember my grandmother putting me on a school bus to make the trip to Charlottetown to see the Queen of England and her entourage IN PERSON!!

The driver was a neighbor Jackie Doucette, a rather cranky man and that bus was packed with high school kids. I was still walking to the one room school in Rollo Bay at that time, no buses. It was before the consolidated schools were ready and bussing was a thing. He promised Momma he'd look after me, and I'm not sure how comfortable she was, but she was determined that one of us would see the Queen.

I'm sure it was an awful long drive and I was not a good passenger, as I easily got motion sick, and in fact I still suffer from it.

But through the streets we went and in the bus it seemed we were up so high. That was my very first bus ride! And for some reason I seem to remember that it was dark and rainy, but it may not have been.

I do clearly remember though, the loud beautiful music, and all those people, everyone seemed so big and tall and I was so little. The crowds were so big they were hardly moving.

During the ceremony when the Queen was speaking, and the lights all seemed so bright, Jackie hoisted me up on his shoulders, and boy, that made a difference! We were probably quite a distance from the stage and the crowd was thick, and I'm sure I didn't actually hear a word. I was only 7 after all. What did I know? But I remember that the whole affair made an impression, the crowd was shouting and whistling and clapping, she was so loved.

As an adult I wouldn't call my self a Royal watcher, but I have a mild interest in their goings on. They are born into quite a job, pretty far removed from what we do here on PEI, and have I watched "The Crown?" You bet! Twice! I respect the Monarchy and I'll get used to having a King.

I was always proud to say that I saw the Queen once, as miniscule a sighting as it might have been. Like Harry Bruce, "I was there." Will I ever see King Charles in person? Probably not. And I'm sure he doesn't care if he sees me.

But let's send best wishes to him, and our love to our Queen, may she rest in everlasting peace now.