Queen Elizabeth II: People from Northern Ireland recall special memorials on her 100th birthday
People from Northern Ireland who were close to the royal family have been recalling their memories of Queen Elizabeth II, on what would have been her 100th birthday.
King Charles and Queen Camilla began a poignant day of commemorations marking the date in honour of the nation’s longest reigning monarch, who died aged 96 in 2022.
The royal couple arrived at the British Museum on Tuesday to view final models of the national memorial to her. The royal family later gathered at a special reception at Buckingham Palace.
The King paid a heartfelt tribute to his “darling Mama”, but said much of life today would likely have “troubled her deeply”.
Lady Mary Peters, who knew the Queen personally, was among those who paid tribute to her.
“I met Queen Elizabeth II many times both in my role as lord lieutenant of Belfast and when I became a Lady of the Garter in 2019," she told the News Letter.
“In fact, my appointment to the Order of the Garter was at Queen Elizabeth’s II request and for that I am deeply honoured.
“I have lovely memories of Queen Elizabeth II and especially of her graciousness, her spirited independence and humour.”
A Co Antrim man whose parents were both personal friends of the Queen also paid tribute.
Rory Campbell's mother, Lady Moyra Campbell, was in the Buckingham Palace girls guides troop with the Queen as a girl, a maid of honour at her wedding and an extra lady in waiting for the monarch.
His father, Commander Peter Campbell, worked as a private secretary for the Queen for two years from the late 1950s.
“Mum and Dad would have gone and stayed with her, or with the Queen Mother, a lot,” Mr Campbell said.
He was particularly moved to think of how she unexpectedly became Queen aged only 25 when her father, King George VI, died in 1952.
She felt this was wrong, and despite being an unknown young woman stepped into the role, saying to herself: “I have a role as a servant, I have a duty.”
He recalls a story from when his father was working for her as a young naval officer.
The queen had walked off with a place name stuck to the seat of her dress, and he gingerly approached and ripped it off. “She looked at him, but said nothing."
When she later asked what happened, and he explained, she just smiled.
“You were dealing with a total human being who would do the washing up at the end of the dinner,” he added.
Lord Lieutenant of Antrim, David McCorkell, said it was “amazing” to be celebrating 100 years from her birth.
“When you think how much she touched the lives of so many people and that really to most of us, she was there for all our lives,” he said.
Shortly after he was appointed he attended a reception at Buckingham Palace attended by about 40 people.
“But she had time for everyone,” he said. “And she was always interested. And particularly, I think she was very interested in Northern Ireland, and probably would have liked to have visited more over the years. But she was always interested to inquire about what was going on here.”