I’m in my 60s and for these past few days, I can’t get over the fact that Queen Elizabeth was the only queen I’ve ever known. For me, she was an extra elderly aunt or grandmother who was always there, not prescribing or ruling on anyone’s business, just a calming steady, seemingly eternal, presence from which you derive warm comfort.There’s a lot of reporting frenzy going on around her death and the ascension of King Charles — probably too much.
Trained in mechanics theory, truck transport and map reading, the Queen was driving heavy British wartime vehicles by the time she was 18. In 2003 Prince Abullah of Saudi Arabia was paying a state visit to Balmoral castle in Scotland. Over lunch the Queen asked her guest if he would like to tour the grounds. A procession of Landrovers was drawn up and Abdullah and his interpreter were placed into one to await their driver. Moments later the Queen hopped into the driver’s seat and they were off.
“Unlike us politicians with our outriders and our armour plated convoys” said the former British PM, “I can tell you as a direct eye witness that she drove herself, in her own car, with no detectives and no bodyguard, bouncing at alarming speed over the Scottish landscape to the total amazement of the ramblers and the tourists we encountered”.