On the other side of the Channel, the British mourn their queen. “It’s a bit as if we had lost our grandmother”, explained Lee a few hours after the announcement of the death of Elizabeth II to Anissa Boumedienne, our special correspondent in London. A monarch who had reigned for seventy years, that marks a century, a people… and its neighbours. Because with us too, the Queen of England seemed eternal. “She was a great lady,” says François, who answered our call on what the queen represented for our internet users. “Courageous and worthy” are the qualifiers that come up most often.
If we all experienced the end of the reign of Elizabeth II, the oldest of our readers remember the beginning, like Jean-Louis (84 years old), or Jacques (74 years old): “I was five years old when she was crowned in 1953, specifies the latter. I watched the ceremony live on television at my grandfather’s house. It was truly an extraordinary event at the time. »
The Queen in France
Some even had the chance to see it in person. An episode so significant, that Françoise-Elise remembers the date with precision. “It was April 11, 1957. The queen had gone to the flower market in Lille. I photographed it despite the ban. And I still have that black and white photo. ” It was the Queen’s first official trip to France and Françoise also saw her in the North on this occasion: “I was a child and we had traveled as a family and on foot to see the royal procession pass between Wattrelos and Roubaix. I have a very clear memory of it. »
Elisabeth II made five official trips to France, the following in 1972, 1992, 2004 and 2014. And it was in 2004 that Ilan “crossed” her. That year, for the centenary of the Entente Cordiale, the Queen of England had walked along rue Montorgueil, in Paris. “She was going to the famous pastry chef Stohrer [qui lui offrit un œuf en chocolat de 20 kg]. She had a perfect class, ”he says.
” I could not believe my eyes “
The Queen of England visited more than a hundred countries during her reign. And when she went through Senegal, Evelyne was there. “With the students of the Jeanne-d’Arc school in Dakar, we were in front of the school, watching her go by in her beautiful convertible car, describes Evelyne. She was young and beautiful. I see her again as if it were yesterday, it marked me so much. We shouted “Long live the Queen” waving our little British flags. »
Seeing the queen is already good. But talking to him is even better. And this chance, André had it. He then ran a restaurant in Sydney, Australia: “I left my stove to go to Martin Place, a hundred meters away. I said “Bonjour Your Majesty” in French to her, and she replied in French “Bonjour Monsieur”, with a big smile. I returned to my restaurant drowned in happiness and told all my employees and customers about the scene for weeks. I kept the photo of her in her light green ensemble in a frame with my Australian citizenship certificate. »
Elizabeth II, known for the bright colors of her dresses, was not in green but in yellow when AH saw her by chance in Cambridge, during a trip to Great Britain. ” I could not believe my eyes. She was with her husband, very classy as usual. She is definitely the most important public figure I have seen in my life. Will King Charles III make the same impression on those who meet him?