In Memoriam: Her Majesty The Queen

For the past two weeks, tributes flowed, flowers were offered, solemn ceremonies unfolded, and private remembrances were shared as the United Kingdom and other realms, and indeed many people from the rest of the world, mourned the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The ceremonies in Edinburgh and London were the results of long years of preparation for the inevitable and included military, political, and civic elements to these royal events.

The lying in state at Westminster Hall, the oldest surviving structure of the Palace of Westminster, saw thousands of people, among them Filipinos, spend long hours on the queue for that brief personal moment of walking past the royal standard-draped coffin. The state funeral on September 19th, the first of a ruling monarch to be held at Westminster’s Abbey since George II’s funeral in 1760, assembled a unique congregation of kings and queens from other monarchies joined by NHS workers and staff of small charities. The hymns and readings, the lament from the lone bagpiper, the tolling of bells and the boom of guns, the vigil of princes, the sea of black punctuated by the red uniform of the Grenadier Guards, the steady beat of the drum providing rhythm to boots on The Mall, the flowers that lined the Long Walk at Windsor, and even the sight of Her Majesty’s horse and corgis along the processional route – all these and myriad other details comprised the long and poignant send-off to the one who personified 70 years of rightful reign and solemn duty.

I consider it a great honour and a huge privilege to have personally met The Queen on a few occasions during my posting to our Embassy in London. I was fortunate to have been formally introduced to her as a member of the retinue of Ambassador Evan Garcia and Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo when they presented their credentials. In the first instance, she asked how many Filipinos I am responsible for as Consul General, to which I replied: “About two hundred thousand, Ma’am.” The second time I was introduced to her, she immediately said: “You have quite a large number of your citizens here; that must keep you very busy.” Her sparkling blue eyes were one of my most vivid memories of both occasions, as well as the rare opportunity to ride in one of the royal carriages to and from Buckingham Palace.

The other instances – garden parties, the Royal Ascot, evening receptions for the diplomatic corps, a visit to the IMO – while not as up close and personal, were certainly memorable indeed, not just for the pomp and pageantry but for her presence, which has a way of electrifying the audience. But perhaps the most unforgettable occasion for us was Her Majesty’s Evening Reception in 2014.

Then Ambassador and now Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo decided that we were to don barong Tagalog instead of the customary “White Tie”. And so, clad with piña fabric on that cold December evening, Yen and I shivered our way to Buckingham Palace. The result was worth it, indeed. In a sea of formal tails and long gowns, attendees who wore national dresses stood out.

We were herded by palace ushers to stand in a small group with a knight and his spouse, and two ladies who wore decorations of the Royal Victorian Order. When the conversation in the hall suddenly became muted, we knew that the royal party had begun moving through the rooms to meet the attendees. As one does not speak to the royals unless spoken to, our group waited respectfully for them to pass through. Soon enough, we were in the royal presence as Her Majesty made her way to where we had been standing. She was already about to pass us by but, perhaps having caught sight of the barong in the corner of her eye, she turned to face us, pointed to me and said with a little smile, “Philippines.” I bowed, smiled and said “Yes, Your Majesty,” and off she went. Still in awe of what transpired, I turned to Yen and was surprised to see the Duke of Edinburgh right there before us. Prince Philip looked at me, turned to Yen and impishly told her while pointing at me: “I don’t know what he is wearing under that shirt, but I’m certain he is freezing.” Then he strode off with a chuckle. Completing the trifecta, the then Prince of Wales and now His Majesty King Charles III approached us and, in what seemed to me then as a very sincere gesture, asked how the post-Haiyan rehabilitation efforts in the Philippines were progressing. I replied that since the intention was to build back better, it had taken longer than anticipated. Wishing us success in our efforts he greeted the other members of our little group before moving on.

Alas, Her Majesty is now gone; the UK’s second Elizabethan Age has ended, and a new Carolean era has begun. But the memories of the longest reign ever will linger, especially among those who have until now known no other British monarch but The Queen. And it is to a huge extent due to her unflinching sense of duty, her grace and dignity, her capacity to adapt to the changing of the times, and her unique gift of making you feel important and listened to in her royal presence.

May Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II rest in God’s peace.