God Bless the Queen!

 

1926-2022

It’s been a sombre week, all told. There was the worry about Her Majesty the Queen’s health and then the sudden news of her passing last Thursday. We gathered around the radio, like a family from the 1940s to listen to the official announcement from the BBC. Then mobile phones started pinging as messages of shock circled the world, and we shared our sadness about the news with family and friends.

Driving through Betley village, union flag bunting, decorating the main road for the recent Platinum Jubilee festivities took on a different significance, and the Union flag lowered to half-mast in respect.

The Union flag at half-mast in Betley Memorial Gardens (photo: R. Betley-Smith/Wrinehill, Betley & Balterley Facebook page)

As a fellow nonagenarian, the late Professor Brown always admired the way the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh continued to work into their nineties. He marvelled at how they travelled to Royal engagements, incredulous at the duties they performed, and how well they did them. To some extent, part of the shock of Queen Elizabeth’s passing was that we had all seen photographs of her inviting Liz Truss to form a new administration just two days before the sad news broke.

Queen Elizabeth welcomes Liz Truss, at Balmoral Castle, Scotland, Britain September 6, 2022. Jane Barlow/Pool 

In this respect, in working up to the end, Queen Elizabeth shared her grandfather’s work ethic. In his book This Old House, Professor Brown relates a story about King George V. In 1936, when the last Squire of Betley inherited Betley Court from his great uncle George Fletcher-Twemlow, one of the stipulations was that he change his name from ‘Captain Charles Royds’ to ‘Captain Charles Fletcher-Twemlow’. This change of name was done by royal license, and had been King George V’s last assent before he died.

Captain Charles Royds Fletcher-Twemlow, photographed in 1955 (photo from the private collection of Shirley Kennerley)

When the Brown family came to name various apartments, the Squire’s widow was consulted on the possibility of naming one after her late husband. She’d never really liked the name ‘Flecther-Twemlow’ and simply asked about using ‘Royds’ instead. To this day, the apartment on the southwest corner of Betley Court bears his name, as a reminder of Captain Royds, and of course, King George V.

All best wishes

Ladybird Su