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Tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
TRIBUTE TO HER MAJESTY
On 8 September 2022, Buckingham Palace announced the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She reigned longer than any monarch in British history and during her 70 years on the throne was loved and respected worldwide. Army Cadets pays tribute to her unerring example of selfless commitment to service and duty.
Queen Elizabeth II
Her Majesty The Queen was Captain General of the Combined Cadet Force and Patron of the Army Cadet Charitable Trust UK.
From her first engagement with an honour guard of 60 cadets at the Royal Show in Devon on 2 July 1952, Her Majesty was an inspirational figure for Army Cadets. She gave her time generously on numerous occasions, including granting an audience to cadets at Buckingham Palace in 2010 to mark the 150th anniversary of the Cadet Forces. TRIBUTE
Lorraine Kelly CBE
Army Cadets National Honorary Colonel
‘For all of us in Army Cadets, Queen Elizabeth II set a fantastic example to emulate in terms of duty, selflessness and that sense of togetherness demonstrated in her passion for the Commonwealth. She was the most famous person on the planet, yet she never put herself first. She had a strong sense of right and wrong and lived by a maxim which may sound old fashioned but which is so important: "do as you would be done by". ‘I was lucky enough to be given an OBE by the Queen at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh for services to the armed forces – I had been Honorary Colonel of the Black Watch cadets and supported Armed Forces Day. It was incredible, but I've never been so nervous in my whole life. My mum said afterwards: “She was talking to you!” yet, to this day, I’ve no idea what she actually said to me. You know when you’re so nervous your heart beats so loud you can’t hear anything else? 'On the day I received my medal, there were members of the armed forces waiting to be honoured by the Queen and they were very nervous too. She was so good at putting everyone at ease and helping them feel less nervous. She was a tiny person and you couldn’t help but think: “this is the whole of the UK in this one little person”. 'It was so fitting that she died at Balmoral Castle, the place she loved best. I thought the response of the crowds who lined the streets of all the places her coffin was taken to was wonderful. It was great to see her given that respect, admiration and love. People of all ages queued for hours and hours – not just those of a certain age. They just wanted to say “thank you and we appreciate all you have done”. ‘In the space of one week we changed our prime minister and monarch and it all went seamlessly. The whole tribute to Queen Elizabeth II was flawless. What a daunting thing for those young men to carry her coffin on their shoulders, yet they did it so beautifully and the horses were amazing. I know the tribute and funeral were rehearsed, but it was pitch perfect. It was wonderful to watch all the armed forces come together – gosh, didn’t they do her proud!’
Brigadier Neville Holmes MBE
Deputy Commander Cadets
‘Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II inspired generations of cadets through her unparalleled sense of duty, selfless commitment and unswerving loyalty. The Army Cadets flourished under her patronage and she will be remembered fondly, with great pride and an enormous debt of gratitude by all.’
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We delve into the archives to reveal how Army Cadets marked significant milestones throughout Her Majesty’s unprecedented reign.
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1 Death of King George VI
The Queen’s father died on 6 February 1952. He had been Colonelin-Chief of the ACF and Captain-General of the CCF. The Army Cadet Journal commemorated his hands-on approach to life, remembering how, when he became Colonel-in-Chief of the ACF in 1942, he asked 100 cadets to parade at Buckingham Palace so he might meet and inspect them. On his death, the following telegram was sent to the Private Secretary at Buckingham Palace on behalf of all cadets, and a reply was received from the Queen herself:
2 Taking the salute
In 1952, the Army Cadet Journal noted that the new Queen already had an interest in youth organisations. It cited an occasion in 1946 when she took the salute at an ACF rally in Hyde Park.
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3 Devon cadets
On 2 July 1952, at 25 years old and having been on the throne just a few months, the Queen visited the Royal Show in Newton Abbot, Devon. Sixty cadets from Devon ACF travelled from across the county to form a guard of honour to Her Majesty on her arrival. They assembled near the town’s famous clock tower along with members of the Sea Cadet Corps and Air Training Corps.
4 Shrewsbury visit
On a visit to Shrewsbury on 24 October 1952, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were received by a guard of honour that included Army Cadets. One hundred cadets practised ceremonial light infantry drill for weeks prior to the visit. They were inspected and stayed in the barracks at the Regimental Depot of the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry for three days where they made finishing touches to drill and turnout. The guard of honour paraded on the Depot Square before marching into Shrewsbury Castle where, according to reports, they 'received a great ovation from the crowds’.
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6 Golden Jubilee
For the Golden Jubilee year (2002), ACF units were called upon to help raise money for one of the Queen’s six chosen Jubilee charities: Commonwealth Veterans.
In 2002, two signals-trained cadets of Cornwall ACF – Cadet RSM Andrew Jamieson and Cadet Sergeant Venning – set up an impressive HF (high frequency) radio station at Penhale Camp as part of the battalion’s Junior Camp and Golden Jubilee celebrations. It enabled cadets from multiple areas of the country to connect with one another as they celebrated the Jubilee beacon lighting.
The link worked extremely well: ‘stronger than a local radio broadcast station’ according to one listener. Links were made with Bridlington School CCF cadets (who were on adventurous training in South Wales), The Vine School in Basingstoke, Essex ACF, Prior Park in Bath and an unnamed unit in Ashbourne, as well as the national ACF/CF NRN Archive in Tavistock and SW London ACF (just a stone’s throw from the national beacon, which was to be lit by the Queen). The beacons were lit and everyone involved concluded it had been a great success, and it inspired cadets to plan similar links in the future.
Platinum Jubilee celebrations
In June 2022, Her Majesty The Queen achieved the astonishing feat of being the first and only British monarch to have been on the throne for 70 years. To celebrate her Platinum Jubilee and show appreciation for her life of service, Army Cadets took part in a whole host of activities.
7On 18 and 19 June, the Platinum Jubilee Youth Spectacular in Fife saw ACF and CCF groups join other youth initiatives and bands from across the UK to celebrate the performing arts and the Jubilee. The event was presented by Stephen Mulhern (pictured below) of Catchphrase and Britain’s Got More Talent and took place at a purpose-built arena at the former opencast mine at St Ninians near Kelty in Scotland.
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Photo: Corporal Nathan Tanuku
Photo: Kate Knight
8A rare Act of Loyalty for Her Majesty The Queen took place at Holyrood Palace on 28 June to mark the Platinum Jubilee. Senior officers from the armed forces were joined by the Band of The Royal Marines Scotland, the Pipes and Drums of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, and Sea, Army and Air Cadets in a military parade before the Queen in the gardens of the palace. The keys to Edinburgh Castle were also presented to Her Majesty.
9Loughborough Detachment enjoyed a Platinum Jubilee street party, which was organised by cadets. 10 Family and friends celebrated Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire CFAVs receiving awards at the Queen’s Jubilee Medal Parade, held on 11 June at Bassingbourn Barracks. The medals were presented by the Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire Mr Robert Voss CBE CStJ and the Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire Mrs Helen Nellis CVO (pictured).
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11 Belper Detachment (C Company) of Derbyshire ACF took part in Platinum Jubilee tea parties with the elderly communities of Milford House Care Home and Belper Views Residential Care Home. They delivered and served cream teas and chatted with residents. ‘I really hope the residents enjoyed it as much as we did,’ said Major Meyers (OC C Company).
12 Cadets at the Leicester Platinum Jubilee and Armed Forces Day parade.
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Photo: Kate Knight
13 On 22 February, cadets from A Company at Staffordshire and West Midlands (North Sector) ACF helped plant 800 trees at Brockton Hall in Eccleshall as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative. As well as providing the cadets with an opportunity to learn practical planting skills and find out about native tree species, the scheme enabled them to work on a key community project towards their community skills projects/badges as part of the ACF training syllabus.
14 Lancashire ACF designed and built a Jubilee beacon in collaboration with Charles Hadcock DL, sculptor and honorary colonel for Lancashire ACF. Cadets got involved in all stages of the design and build – from tree surgery and welding (pictured) to painting and, of course, lighting. TRIBUTE
Photo: Derek Eccles
15 Over 400 Army cadets took part in a once-in-a-lifetime parade at 36 Engineers Invicta Park Barracks in Maidstone for the Platinum Jubilee. Weeks of practice culminated in a moving drumhead service followed by the largest parade of Kent ACF cadets in its history. An array of stands were on display featuring the exciting activities cadets can expect to be involved in. ‘I was proud to wear my uniform and celebrate with the rest of the county,’ said Cadet William Murray of the Sheerness Detachment.
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Photo: Kate Knight 16 Cadets at Northamptonshire Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant on 4 June.
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17 From flying union flags, bunting and balloons outside County HQ at Altcar Training Camp to eating cake in the field, Merseyside ACF celebrated the Platinum Jubilee in many different ways. There was even a Platinum Jubilee Bake Off competition!
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18 Cambridgeshire ACF was involved in a number of Jubilee events, including Cambridgeshire County Day where cadets met the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (pictured). They also organised games at Soham’s and Burwell’s Jubilee celebrations, ran a recruitment stall and marched in the Newmarket Parade, and carried the standard at a church service in Sawston.
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Photo: Douglas Stuart
19 18 The Band and Drums of Gwent and Powys ACF was honoured to be part of the Jubilee celebrations in Cardiff Bay on 2 June, where thousands witnessed a 42-gun salute and Welsh Festival of Music. The cadets marched on to Rising of the Lark played by the Corps of Drums, led by County Drum Major, Staff Cadet Colour Sergeant Chloe Meredith. They were joined by 11-year-old Emily Braby on clarinet. Emily is the first member of its new academy, which will provide instruments, music lessons and support for those not quite old enough to join as cadets.
Her Majesty's state funeral
After days of lying in state, the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II made its final journey: first to a state funeral at Westminster Abbey, then to Windsor Castle for a more intimate committal service, followed by a private burial. Representatives from the Combined Cadet Forces had the great privilege of taking part in this historic day of emotion, grandeur and ceremony.
Queen Elizabeth II, aged 96, died peacefully at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on 8 September 2022
The state funeral, attended by heads of state, foreign royal families and overseas government representatives, took place at Westminster Abbey on Monday 19 September. The service paid tribute to the Queen’s extraordinary reign and Her Majesty’s life of service as Head of State, Nation and Commonwealth, and was broadcast live on TV and radio to allow people around the world to take part in the mourning.
At the end of the service, Her Majesty's coffin was borne to Wellington Arch, via The Mall, on the state gun carriage. In a solemn spectacle, not seen on the streets of London since the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill in 1965, the carriage was pulled by Royal Navy sailors, with some marching behind to act as a brake.
The King and members of the royal family followed the Queen’s coffin in this procession, which also included detachments from the armed forces of the Commonwealth and the British armed forces.
It was a great honour for 15 representative cadets and five CFAVs from the following Combined Cadet Forces to also march in this stirring military parade: Royal Navy cadets from Pangbourne College CCF, Royal Navy cadets from City of London School CCF, Royal Marines cadets from Winchester College CCF, Army cadets from The Vyne School CCF, Army cadets from Wilson’s Grammar School CCF and Air cadets from Dulwich College CCF.
Sergeant Cadet Harish Rajkumar, 17, from Wilson’s Grammar School CCF said: ‘To be asked to take part in a solemn occasion of such magnitude, attended by so many dignitaries was a huge honour and a privilege. Before the event there was a little bit of nervousness due to the fact that this was taking place on a world stage where people were watching and scrutinising, but it was something I was massively proud to be part of. ‘During my lifetime I have only ever known Queen Elizabeth II as our monarch and head of state, and during her time on the throne she set a remarkable example of service. Just two days before her passing, she appointed a new prime minister which shows just how dedicated she was.’
Once the coffin reached Wellington Arch, it was placed in the state hearse for its journey to St George’s Chapel in Windsor for a committal service attended by His Majesty The King, members of the royal family, and past and present members of the Queen’s household.
Her Majesty was buried alongside The Duke of Edinburgh at the King George VI Memorial Chapel.
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Service personnel representing a variety of regiments, ships and air stations that held a special relationship with Her Majesty The Queen took part in the funeral processions in London and Windsor. Among them were representatives from the Combined Cadet Forces.
UK MOD © Crown copyright 2022
The state gun carriage, which was pulled by Naval Ratings, carrying the coffin of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II along the procession route up Constitution Hill.
It was a great honour for representative cadets and CFAVs (pictured above) from the Combined Cadet Forces to march in the procession.
HRH King Charles III (centre left) with other members of the royal family, as they followed the procession of the state gun carriage of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
UK MOD © Crown copyright 2022
