I have some thoughts on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 96.
For most living people, she was the only monarch they knew. As Canada is a member of the Commonwealth, she was our Queen too. During her reign, there were 12 Canadian Prime Ministers, 14 US. Presidents and 15 British Prime Ministers including Liz Truss who she swore into office only two days ago in what proved to be her final public appearance. Indeed, her physical appearance alarmed many observers. When the Royal Family was summoned to Balmoral one had the sense the end was near.
The closest I ever came to being in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II was at Hyde Park in London on on the 50th anniversary of V-E Day in May 1995. From a distance, I could see the Queen, Prince Philip, the Queen Mum, Prince Charles and Princess Diana along with William and Harry who were young boys. Other luminaries included British Prime Minister John Major, Labour Party leader Tony Blair, Vice-President Al Gore and wife Tipper, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien along with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin only six months before his assassination.
Under the circumstances, I choose to remember a lighter moment which happened when the Queen and Prince Philip visited my hometown of Thunder Bay, Ontario in July 1973 - the year after I was born. Legend has it that the Queen's posterior was touched by Thunder Bay's Mayor, the aptly named Walter Assef. The City of Thunder Bay's official website notes that Assef "made news when photographs appeared to show him exercising a certain familiarity with Queen Elizabeth during her visit in 1973".
If this breach of protocol did occur, it did not prevent Prince Philip from referring to Assef as "that jolly mayor in Thunder Bay". Perhaps Prince Philip was amused because Assef introduced the couple as "his Royal Highness and his lovely wife." The same could probably not be said for the Queen who never did return to my old neck of the woods in Northwestern Ontario.
However, the Queen and Prince Philip did visit the area in 1959 when Thunder Bay was known as Fort William and Port Arthur. The occasion was the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Royal Couple would have lunch at the Royal Edward Hotel as described in this local news report broadcast in 1980.
In the final analysis, I must agree with John Lennon. Her Majesty was a pretty nice girl even if she didn't have a lot to say. R.I.P.
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