People of all ages are being asked to share their royal stories as Charnwood prepares to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

Charnwood Borough Council would like to share stories and photos from residents who may have met the Queen, attended Royal events or would simply like to pay tribute to the country’s longest-serving Monarch as the world celebrates 70 years of historic service.

If you would like to share your stories, visit www.charnwood.gov.uk/platinum and complete the short online form. Submitted stories will be shared on the council’s social media channels and on this webpage.

Your stories, memories and tributes:

"I had the great honour of meeting her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2009 at Buckingham Palace. She presented me with my MBE.
I was very nervous but loved it, with my family to share the occasion."

- Cllr Mary Draycott MBE

Cllr Mary Draycott holding up her MBE. Cllr Mary Draycott being awarded an MBE by Her Majesty the Queen in 2009.

"I went to Windsor Castle with Thrussington Cricket Team many years ago and while the team was playing I was having a walk round the outside of the pitch and coming along with the Corgis was The Queen.

She stopped and incredibly we had a chat for about 10 minutes, she asked where I was from and had I had a good lunch, we then spoke about the dogs and we talked about my dogs as well. She then said goodbye and continued her dog walk.

When I went back people asked me if I knew who I'd been talking too, I said of course I did it was the Queen and although she most definitely is The Queen she was also a really nice lady. 

I have always considered myself very privileged that she took the time to chat with me and especially that I was allowed to stroke the corgis."

- Sandra Stevens

"At the time of the Coronation, I lived in Leicester with my parents and maternal grandparents. My mum kept the accounts for a television engineer, Mr Addison, and so we already had a television set some time before the Coronation. I recall seeing a clip of newsreel on TV with King George VI before he died.

As I remember it, we seemed to spend nearly all of Coronation Day with the TV playing and the curtains partly closed in order to see the picture better. It was most unusual at that time for the BBC to be broadcasting TV during the day. I think we were all very quiet and paying attention to the commentary, which I think was made by Richard Dimbleby, at least for much of the time. In particular, I remember that it rained as the visiting Heads of State arrived for the ceremony and the crowd lining the route were delighted that Queen Salote of Tonga rode by without having ordered for the hood of her carriage to be pulled up, so they got a good view of her - and she waved at them as if she didn't mind about the rain at all!

We 'picnicked' for our meals, clustered around the TV so as not to miss anything important. At one point, I think in the afternoon, my grandfather decided that our tomatoes had tough skins, so he had a little bowl with boiling water in it, to dip the tomato, held on a fork, in it so he could peel off the skin. When he took it out of the water & tried to peel off the skin, the tomato slipped off the fork. He pulled his legs together to try stopping it from falling onto the floor - and instead he squashed it between his thighs, which made us all laugh!

I still have my souvenirs of the Coronation: firstly, a mug given by the school (though I expect our parents were asked to pay for it!); secondly, a colour photo book which my parents bought for me and thirdly, a 'book' consisting of a week's editions of the Daily Mirror, bound together into a single publication. After numerous moves over the years, this was becoming rather tattered around the edges so I have had it professionally conserved and hard-bound at Notts Archives. Hundreds of thousands of these must have been made - but how many may survive now?

My Coronation mug is a good partner for one inherited from my maternal grandmother, given to mark Queen Victoria attaining (what was then) the Longest Reign in English History on September 23, 1896!"

- Jenni Dobson

"I haven't had the pleasure of meeting the Queen but I distinctly remember that, like many others, my parents bought a TV set so that we could watch the event unfold. My grandparents came up to our house, and along with my sister we all sat down to watch. In addition my great-aunt, my grandmother's sister, made a visit from Canada especially to watch it with us. How wonderful to see her and what a glorious day that was.

In later years, as a student, I spent a year teaching in France and, much as I enjoyed the year away, I was disappointed not to be at the University of Leicester when the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh came to visit that institution. Some of my friends were introduced to her and I was envious.

Even later, on yet another visit by the Queen to Leicester, I was in full-time teaching, and none of the staff and students of my college were given the day off. So when the school day had finished I drove to what was then the Lockheed factory on Narborough Road, simply to have the pleasure of catching a glimpse of Her Majesty from a distance. And that was a thrill too!"

- Pamela Horsepool

Last updated: Fri 6th May, 2022 @ 10:37