09/10/2022
The day I shook hands and spoke with Queen Elizabeth II.
I imagine many Canadians have memories of Queen Elizabeth II, with the many visits she has made to Canada. I guess I was one of them, and she did leave me with a lasting impression. One that only seemed to get stronger as I grew older and I realized the choices she made and how they impacted her life.
I grew up in Hinton, Alberta and was a member of the local Cub Scouts organization, and we had an opportunity to go and meet the Queen in Jasper. She was traveling through Canada on a special train that was making stops at certain communities coast to coast, one of which was Jasper. Apparently this was a big deal, but as a young 6 year old boy we had no idea of the significance of this, other than the fact that we got to pile into a bus, drive to Jasper and hang out. If it meant we had to meet somebody who we were told, was important, that was OK too.
Arriving in Jasper, we all assembled along the boardwalk in our uniforms, opposite the statue of Jasper the Bear, and waited for the train to arrive. There were quite a few of us, and the line stretched for some distance. I realized that we weren’t the only group of Cubs and scouts there, several communities were represented by the line-up. What we all had in common was that we were waiting for somebody we had never met, but judging from the number of people crowding the waiting area, we figured must be really important.
We were darn lucky to be on the inside of the roped off area, because there were a lot people on the other side of the ropes. It must be our uniform, and maybe the badges I had earned. My daydreaming was interrupted by the blast from a train whistle, and all heads swivelled to our left to catch a glimpse of the train coming.
An army reserve band began to play as the train ground to a halt amidst the squeal of brakes and the hissing of steam, and then we waited. Attendants rushed to place steps at the doors, unroll a red carpet that just so happened to roll right in front of our line-up, and make ready for the Queen.
Luckily for us, the Queen was noted for her punctuality, and she stepped down to the applause of the crowd. I think it was her sister Margaret who was always fashionably late, amongst other things they didn’t agree on. We were in luck, we had a grandstand view of everything because her train car had stopped just to our right.
I have to admit, I had never seen somebody dressed in such beautiful clothes, fit for a queen for sure. She would have been around the age that the photos below portray. She was followed by an entourage of important people, one being of course, Prince Philip.
The queen approached the line of Cubs, Scouts and Girl Guides and worked her way down the line, shaking hands and having a word with each and every one of us. By the time she reached me I think I had been holding my breath in excitement, and most likely a bit blue in the face. Somehow I managed to answer her questions, my name, how old I was and where I lived, and then to to tell her what an honour it was to meet her. She actually thanked me for coming, and that God would bless me with a great life. She looked and acted like a queen.
Through all the years following this encounter I have followed her exploits, and her problems and noted how disciplined and duty bound she was. It was only recently that I really thought about what a sacrifice and burden it must have been to take on the roll of being a queen. She didn’t have the choices so many of us have to pursue a dream, or marry whomever, go wherever, and to do common everyday activities. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that she lived a life that was not hers to choose. I can’t even imagine what that must have felt like.
So a huge thank you for the example and sacrifice you have made for all of us.
Doran Clark
Our thoughts and prayers are with you, wherever you are.
