How Cairns will formally honour the passing of Queen Elizabeth II at memorial service
An FNQ resident has told his tale of meeting the Queen and what she was really like as Cairns prepares to mourn the monarch’s passing. See how the city will commemorate.
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One of the last people to receive a personalised letter from Queen Elizabeth II just months before her death has commented on the significance of the correspondence as plans for a Cairns memorial service get under way.
The longest living and longest reigning British monarch, died at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8.
After arriving in Edinburgh the Queen’s coffin was placed in the throne room of the Palace of Holyroodhouse where it will remain until being flown to England on Tuesday.
Former veteran of the Victorian police service Jack Iskov, now a Trinity Beach resident, surpassed the revered triple digit birthday milestone in August and received a commemorative letter from her majesty.
“I am pleased to hear you are celebrating your 100 birthday and offer my sincere congratulations,” the letter from the late Queen read.
But it was a face-to-face meeting in 1985 that spoke volumes about the much-loved monarch.
“I got an invitation to the Queen’s birthday party at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, July 17,” he said.
“I was very impressed with her, she spoke to me like an ordinary person, no pomp and ceremony. She asked me if I had looked over the gardens and I said I had and I told her I would like to hire one of your gardeners.
“It was like talking to an ordinary person, she was right down to earth.”
A controversial public holiday for Australians to pay respects has been slated for September 22.
The one-off holiday has been labelled a headache by industry bodies who believe time off at short notice will cause staffing headaches for business.
Cairns Regional Council is in the process of planning a public event to mark Queen Elizabeth’s death.
“Council is working with community leaders to finalise plans for a memorial service and other opportunities for residents to express their respect,” a spokeswoman said.
“Details will be announced once plans are confirmed.”
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Originally published as How Cairns will formally honour the passing of Queen Elizabeth II at memorial service
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