Adelaide and Queen Elizabeth II: woman remembers her sister kissing The Queen

An Adelaide woman has reflected the time her sister planted a kiss on The Queen’s cheek in Rundle Mall – an innocent act that made national headlines.

Rosalee still remembers nudging her enthusiastic sister under a barricade at Rundle Mall 45 years ago to meet Queen Elizabeth II – an innocent act that would make national headlines.

Aged just 12, Mary Szucs was elated by the idea of meeting Her Majesty and couldn’t let the opportunity go without trying to have a personal encounter in March 1977.

“We all went from college to the mall, when the Queen was nearby my big sister Mary was saying, ‘Should I go?’” said Rosalee.

“We said ‘yeah go now’, and we pushed her gently under the barricade and she ran up to the Queen … she waited very patiently, and kissed her on the cheek.”

Royal visit and Silver Jubilee tour of South Australia by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, Mar 1977. The girl on the right of The Queen is Mary Szucs.

Handing Her Majesty gifts, Rosalee said her sister, who died four years ago unexpectedly at age 53, had no idea she had done the wrong thing.

“Because my parents are Hungarian, and we kiss people on the cheek when we say hello,” Rosalee said. “We didn’t know you’re not allowed to touch royalty.”

Rosalee pays tribute to the Queen at Government house in Adelaide. She is holding a photo of her sister who met the Queen on one of her visits to Adelaide. NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz

Security intervened after the incident, which made headlines in newspapers across the country. Rosalee, of Allenby Gardens, was woken at 4am by her husband to tell her the news the Queen had died, aged 96. At Government House on Friday morning, Rosalee left flowers at the Queen’s statue.

“I met her, and she was the most kind, gentle and beautiful woman, and I’m so sad that she passed away,” she said. “But she’s worked extremely hard, I don’t know anyone who’s worked 70 plus years, and I think she deserves to be at peace.”

Army officer Reg Foster spoke to her majesty for several minutes during her 1986 Adelaide visit. Picture: Supplied

Reg Foster still remembers welcoming Her Majesty as Royal Guard Commander at Glenelg Beach in 1986. Her arrival on Royal Yacht Britannia was delayed somewhat due to a large swell. Lieutenant Colonel Foster, now 71, was aged 35 at the time and fondly remembers an eight-minute chat he shared with the Queen. “Obviously I was pretty nervous on the day. As soon as I’d finished the formalities, she looked at me and said, ‘I suppose it’s better late than never’,” he said.