Local people share their favourite memories of the Queen

From chance meetings to TV cameos, V2 listeners share their favourite memories of Her Majesty.

From her childhood trips to Bognor, to races at Goodwood and shows at Chichester Festival Theatre, The Queen was a keen visitor to West Sussex. The streets would be lined with people as she made her way to Arundel Castle, where she'd often stay for the night alongside Prince Philip.

As we prepare to lay Her Majesty to rest on Monday, the bank holiday gives us time to reflect on and recall our favourite memories of the Queen. From those of us lucky enough to meet her, to others who adored her Paddington sketch, V2 radio asked our listeners what they remember most about The Queen. 

"Very warm, lovely Queen."

"As young girl, our band played for the Queen and Prince Philip.

"My 2 friends and I, all girls, played the trumpet fanfare after they emerged from the community centre in Cosham near Portsmouth where they received the freedom of the city. I think I was 12 or 13. So 1978 or 79ish.

"We played a fanfare for the Queen. She spoke with us briefly after. Very warm, lovely Queen."

- Jo Austin, Cosham, whose memory features in our cover image.

"[She] showed at a young age what a great personality she had."

"The most impressive memory I have is her promise on her 21st birthday to serve the people all her life. This showed at her young age what a great personality she had."

- Detlev, Hilden

"The Queen came to Chichester...my school was chosen to greet her."

"The Queen came to Chichester in 1978 by the royal train, my school was chosen to greet her as she came out of the station.

"We had made wristbands with flowing colours from tissue paper in red, white & blue which we waved as she came out of the station.

"For a child to see a Queen was exciting and there was lots for cheering. The queen smiled and waved, she’s always had an amazing smile.

"Her visit that day was to the army barracks."

- Joanne Brain, Chichester 

"I was very lucky to get a chance to see her at Chichester Festival Theatre."

"My memory of the Queen is when I was very lucky to get a chance to see her at Chichester Festival Theatre nearly 5 years ago.

"Because I’ve worked at Chichester Festival Theatre, I became a V.I.P & when the Queen went inside Chichester Festival Theatre, she sat 4 rows behind me.

"It was really wonderful."

- Joseph, Bognor Regis

"When the Queen entered the Olympics."

"My favourite memory is when the Queen entered the Olympics with James Bond out of a helicopter!"

- Trevor, Crawley

"[The Queen] appeared to be most interested in what she saw."

"Some forty years ago I was a medical scientist working at the King Edward V11 Hospital at Midhurst, of which the Queen was President and visited from time to time.

"She came to open the new Medical Research Institute to which my blood analysis laboratory was attached.

"My wife Annie (my assistant) were told to quickly stand in the corridor as Her Majesty was about to pass by. She stopped and enquired what went on in there.

 "My microscope light was still lit and she came in and asked what I was doing I explained that I was examining a blood slide to look for signs of anaemia and other blood diseases and she asked to look down the microscope.

"She appeared to be most interested in what she saw. My wife Annie and I were most impressed at her interest. A lasting memory."

- Jim and Annie Strudwick, Midhurst

"Prince Edward stuck his fingers up at me."

"I was a kid 5 or 6 and the Queen was in Edinburgh travelling down the Royal Mile in a gold carriage, my school was on that road so all the pupils were given British flags to wave as she passed, except me.

"On my way to School I noticed a Royal Standard flag on the back of a motorbike, it wasn't easy but I snapped it off to wave at the Queen.

"What I didn't know then was it was the Lion Rampant symbol of the Scottish crown, so as she passed everyone waving the Union Jack except me, the Queen noticed me, looked over and said something, next thing Prince Edward stuck his fingers up at me."

- Lawrence, Edinburgh

"Watching her Christmas speech was always part of Christmas."

"The silver jubilee was the best, proper street parties and such a community spirit, watching her Christmas speech was always part of Christmas."

- Sara, Crawley

"My mother met her twice in one day."

"My mother met her twice in one day in 1950. I wrote to the Queen enclosing a newly written book on cruising in 2014 and received a letter back from her Lady in waiting.

"During last week I was at Buckingham Palace the night of the death of the Queen and was one of the lucky 2000 members of public at her first memorial service held in St Paul's Cathedral last Friday."

- Roger Mallock, Ford

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