The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

QUEEN Elizabeth II was remembered as a woman with an “incomparable memory” who was a shining example of courage, grace and dignity during her 70-year reign by the country’s former leaders yesterday, who said they were saddened to learn of her passing.

While offering condolences to the monarch and the entire royal family, former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham recalled his interactions with the Queen while he was in office.

Upon meeting her, Mr Ingraham said he was amazed by her humble demeanour and her keen memory.

“I have many very fond memories of interacting with Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II as one of her Commonwealth prime ministers during my terms in office,” he said.

“I was surprised and honoured when I was invited to become a member of Her Majesty’s Privy Council just one year past my first anniversary of becoming prime minister and to attend a formal meeting of the Privy Council presided over by Her Majesty on 27th October 1993.

“And I recall having been honoured to be invited to sit at her dinner table on a number of occasions during Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings. I was always amazed by two things: firstly, how normal, and regular an individual she was in person and secondly, her incomparable memory that permitted her to speak with personal recollection of matters personal to whomever she was speaking. She certainly had a storage of information on The Bahamas!”

Given Queen Elizabeth’s “advanced” age, Mr Ingraham said her death was not surprising — though he noted that it signalled the end of an era.

“Her Majesty has been, throughout her reign, a symbol of stability even as she reigned over a transforming Commonwealth,” the former prime minister added. “When she succeeded to the throne in 1952 there were but seven independent states among what was then known as the British Commonwealth.

“Today, among some 56 member states comprising the Commonwealth, 15 including the United Kingdom and The Bahamas, recognise her as their monarch.”

He further recalled her visits to The Bahamas over the years, the last of which was in 1994, and further expressed gratitude for her dedicated commitment to the Commonwealth.

“She visited The Bahamas on five occasions, most recently in 1994 while I served as prime minister. She was always warmly welcomed by the Bahamian people even as increasing numbers in more recent times began to harbour republican tendencies,” Mr Ingraham added.

“Many Bahamians recall her annual Christmas message. Certainly, in generations before my own, listening to the Queen’s Christmas message was a highlight of the season.”

For his part, former Prime Minister Perry Christie said her unswerving fidelity to duty and service over the past seven decades was unsurpassed and is likely to remain so.

“Throughout her reign, Queen Elizabeth was a shining example of personal integrity, steadfastness, courage, grace and dignity that inspired successive generations,” he said.

“She will be remembered with special fondness here in The Bahamas which she visited on a number of occasions, always to the delight of our people and to her unfeigned satisfaction as well.”

On a more personal note, Mr Christie said it was a pleasure to have been given the opportunity to serve nonconsecutive terms as first minister of her majesty’s constitutional government in The Bahamas.

“I extend condolences to the entire royal family, to the people of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and all the nations over which Her Majesty presided as head of state, including most especially our own The Commonwealth of The Bahamas,” he also said.

Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, died Thursday at Balmoral Castle after 70 years on the throne. She was 96.