Bill Thurtell (President of Manilla RSL Sub Sub-Branch).
Members of Manilla RSL Sub-Branch and community members gathered at the Memorial Hall last Thursday morning at 11am to honour the Queen by laying a wreath at the foot of the cenotaph in the foyer of the hall. President of the Sub-Branch Bill Thurtell welcomed all to the short ceremony and read out important dates (below) from Queen Elizabeth ll life and her service to Australia. Sub-Branch
Padre Garry Kirk led those in attendance in prayer before singing of ‘God Save The King’. The ceremony concluded with one minutes silence in memory of the Queen. Below – From left Bill Thurtell and Greg Phelps (President and secretary of Manilla RSL Sub-Branch respectively) after laying a wreath in memory of the Queen.
Queen Elizabeth ll Facts:
Elizabeth was on April 21 1926.
She was married to Prince Mountbatten on 20/11/1947 when she was 21 years old. She first met the young handsome naval cadet when she was 13 years old. The only person who was not happy was the father of the bride, who struggled with his daughter marrying so young. At the reception he could not make a speech and simply raised a toast ‘ to the bride’. He later wrote to hie daughter that he gave her away, he “felt that he had lost something very precious”.
Her first son Charles was born in 1948, Her daughter Anne was born in 1950 followed by Andrew and Edward.
Two years later, whilst in Kenya with Prince Phillip, her father King George Vl died in his sleep on 6/2/1952.
The young woman who had climbed a tree in Kenya as a princess, descended as a Queen, aged 25.
Queen Elizabeth’s coronation was on June 2nd 1953.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll visited Australia on 3/2/1954 as the first reigning monarch when she arrived in Sydney on SS Gothic, anchored in mid-harbour.
Queen Elizabeth ll opened Federal Parliament in Canberra on15/2/1954. Her Majesty visited Australia 16 times, met 15 Australian Prime Ministers starting with Robert Menzies in 1954 and Julia Gillard in 2011, Her Majesty’s last visit to Australia.
Her Silver Jubilee was on the 25th year of her reign. Her Golden Jubilee was on the 50th year of her reign. Her Diamond Jubilee was on the 60th year of her reign and her Platinum Jubilee on the 70th year of her reign.
Her majesty was the longest reigning British monarch in history, reigning for 70 years, 214 days.
(The longest reigning monarch was Louis XlV of France – 72 years, 110 days).
HRH Prince Charles became King Charles lll on 8/9/2022 following his mothers death at 6.30pm (3.30am AEST Friday, 9/9/2022).
