What Is Your Favorite Memory of the Queen?

My family did not yet have a television set when she was inaugurated. My parents both worked. We kids' after-school caregiver had a TV. I distinctly remember being sat down in front of that television and being told to "Watch this. It may not happen again in your lifetime."

The glee on her face as her horse Estimate won the 2013 Ascot Gold Cup. She loved her horses!

July, 1973. I was 9 years old and vaguely remember; I was talking about it with my Mom today. The Queen was in town to officially open the Calgary Stampede. My Mom was so excited because we were lined up along the side of the road to watch the Royals pass by. My Mom says she waved to the Queen and she looked straight at my Mom and waved back from the convertible she was riding in. It didn't matter that there were a few thousand of us lining the road and waving, my Mom says the Queen was waving at her.

In the last ten minutes I've found seven different versions of the joke that ends

"The Queen, perplexed, turned to Prince Charles [or her husband or her aide] and asked, "Why is this knight different from all other knights?"

Sometimes attributed to George Burns

Seeing her on the balcony with her family during the Platinum Jubilee. She was clearly touched by the throngs of people in the crowd, and her determination to be there in spite of failing health was evident. The look on her face reflected the love she had for them. Even more evident was the love she had for her family, especially her great grandchildren. She appeared to be enjoying the antics of Prince Louis, and like any other grandparent, realized that he was acting like most preschoolers. What a remarkable lady who will be missed worldwide.

I am glad she came to SF in April of 1983.

A highlight of my life and career was meeting the Queen when she visited Virginia in 2007.

She visited the hospital where I was doing part of my nursing training, in Edinburgh in 1979.
She passed right by us as we lined up outside for her.
The poor woman looked very tired, and was so tiny in real life.

My godmother taught her to drive during WW2.
They were both in the ATS, as was my Mum, at that time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auxiliary_Territorial_Service

My memory is really my Dad’s:

He was an MP at Checkpoint Charlie in the mid-1960s. When Queen Elizabeth II visited Berlin, he was assigned to assist with security/crowd control for her visit. He didn’t talk with her but they did wave at one another.

The story that he “guarded” the Queen made his local, rural NC newspaper. His mom saved the article for him, which he still has nearly 60 years later. We got it out and looked at it the other day when the Queen passed.

I myself have none but on Tuesday I went to Jerusalem for a weekly session with an English-speaking group, mostly expats from around the world. Of the 32 people present, 9 are British subjects as well as Israeli citizens. Of those 9, 2 had met the Queen. (what are the odds?). One friend who grew up in Canada was presented to the Queen when she was in high school. She curtseyed (badly she says), and still treasures the silver tray presented to her in commemoration of the visit. The other friend was still living in England who met her as part of a Jewish organizations delegation on the occasion of the Queen's silver jubilee. They shook hands and the Queen took time to have a short conversation with her.

Many of the reminiscences on tv this week have been about the Queen's good sense of humor and quick wit.

Well, not an actual memory of meeting her, I never have. But my uncle was in the USAF in England, my mom and I went to visit late 1974 - and brought back GBP.

Well, I'm saddled with Elizabeth as a middle name (from the Taylor one, not the Queen one) - so when I had to learn how to write my middle name about a year later, my mom gave me one of the leftover coins from the trip to practice with...

Swearing my oath to serve the Queen during my attestation as a police constable.

It always amused me when members of the public used to tell me, disparagingly, that I worked for them. My reply was always, "No, I work for the Crown".

I am glad she came to SF in April of 1983.

I remember that! I was a college student at the time. The queen was touring Silicon Valley and having lunch on our campus with the university president, some professors, and so forth, and there were a few seats for 'ordinary' students. You had to write an essay, and I didn't even think about doing that – I wouldn't be chosen, and if I was, what on earth would I talk about with the queen?! :-) ... but my roommate WAS chosen, and, yes, had lunch with the queen.