By Pepper Parr
May 25, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Ron and Marie Foxcroft went to London to see the Queen. More correctly Ron went as the Honorary Colonel of the Argyll’s to be presented to the Queen who is the Honorary Commander in Chief of the Argyll’s.
Queen Elizabeth II, in her capacity as Colonel-in-Chief of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, receives Colonel Ronald Foxcroft (Honorary Colonel) at Buckingham Palace in London.
Foxcroft was there to accept the condolences from the Queen on behalf of the Regiment over the dearth of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo last year in front of the National Memorial in Ottawa.
Being presented to the Queen is a very formal affair – for most people. Ron Foxcroft is not most people.
He and the Queen just hit it off is the best way to put it. What is normally a five minute event spun out to more than 40 minutes during which the Queen told Foxcroft that she believed the Canadian reserve troops were the best their was and that her regiment, the Argyll’s were as good as it gets.
The Day the Foxcroft’s met the Queen started out with Ron and Marie leaving their hotel in a taxi for Buckingham Palace which a short trip away.
Traffic was heavy and it looked as if they were going to be late so they got out of their cab and began walking to the gates of the Palace where there were long line ups.
They got to the guards and explained they were there to be presented to the Queen and were let through and told to head for a second barrier.
Marie Foxcroft explained that there were a number of barriers they had to get through and the guards at one barrier would call forward to the next until they found themselves in front of a door that let them into the Palace
The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace was taking place at the same time which meant large crowds.
“We were just directed from one barrier to the next until we were in front of a door and we went in – and there we were inside Buckingham Palace where everything was so spacious” said Marie
The rooms were massive with one room leading into another – it was easy to get lost.
One of the spaces was the size of a football field with these huge rooms everywhere.
Marie noticed that there wasn’t much in the way of vegetation but the grounds outside were spotless. One of the large outdoor areas they had to walk though was covered with small stones – almost like gravel that was raked several times each day.
Queen Elizabeth II, in her capacity as Colonel-in-Chief of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, receives Lieutenant Colonel Lawrence Hatfield (Commanding Officer) at Buckingham Palace in London.
The purpose of the visit was to present Foxcroft and Colonel’s Kennedy and Hatfield to the Queen and accept her condolences over the death of Cpl Nathan Cirillo. These two officers were, as Foxcroft described them “lifers” were there with their wives as well.
“The Queen didn’t look a day over 70 said Marie Foxcroft – she is very quick and at times there was a devilish look in her periwinkle blue eyes.”
The procedure followed had the “officers” of the Regiment meeting with the Queen in a private audience while their wives waited in the Empire Room to be “buzzed” in.
The rooms were massive – the Lady in Waiting said she often got lost in the place,
The wives spent the time with one of the Queen’s six ladies in waiting who chit chatted with them and explained that the Palace was so big that she at times got lost in the place.
The Queen asked where they were staying while they were in London and Foxcroft replied that they were at the Goring – to which the Queen replied “lawteedaw” which wasn’t language Marie Foxcroft wasn’t expecting from a lady she had curtsied before when she was introduced.
Then the Queen added that she was going to an event that evening and would meet Big Dave Goring – at which point the Queen put her arms out to indicate the Mr. Goring was a man of considerable girth.
“She was just so normal” said Marie –“it was if I was talking with my Mother.” “She has these periwinkle blue eyes and is so elegantly dressed” added Marie. The Queen’s two Corgis were in the room during the close to an hour visit “and she didn’t sit down once”.
Royal gardens at the rear of the Palace – Queen has her own John Deere grass cutter and Canadian geese who foul her lawns and hiss at her Corgis.
Queen Elizabeth II, in her capacity as Colonel-in-Chief of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, receives (from left) Colonel Ronald Foxcroft (Honorary Colonel), Lieutenant Richard Kennedy (Honorary Lieutenant Colonel) and Lieutenant Colonel Lawrence Hatfield (Commanding Officer) at Buckingham Palace in London. Marie Foxcroft commented on the numerous framed pictures on the tables.
At one point the Queen pulled back the drapes and showed the group the garden she would use to host a garden party. Foxcroft asked how many people would be at the garden party – 8000 replied the Queen who then pointed out her John Deere grass cutter.
The Queen then pointed to the Canada geese that fouled her gardens at which point Foxcroft produced two of his Foxcroft whistles and said he thought these would help.
The framed replica of a |Canadian poppy was set out on an easel during the presentation to the Queen.
The Queen accepted the whistles – which seldom happens – and while she didn’t blow one at the time – Foxcroft is pretty sure she will eventually use what is part of a special production run of the Fox40 Classic whistle that has the crest of the Argyll’s stamped on the side. The Queen thought the men that rode what she called scooters beside her car should have these – scooters were where what we would call motor cycles
The Palace wakes up at 6:00 am but you never see any of the staff explained Marie. There is very ornate furniture all over the place and the rooms for the most part are very large – except for the room they met the Queen in.
What both Ron and Marie spotted was a table with dozens of framed pictures of family members.
Foxcroft asked if he queen had seen the new baby and she responded that she has “seen Charlotte the once but she was sleeping and I never wake a sleeping baby”.
I expected that Marie Foxcroft would have curtsied before her Queen – and wondered how elegant a curtsy it would have been. It took a little prodding but Marie Foxcroft, looking elegant in a pair of jeans, did her curtsy and immediately began to blush.
The day she married Ron Foxcroft she had no idea that she would one day stand with him before her Monarch.
Queen Elizabeth II, in her capacity as Colonel-in-Chief of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, receives Colonel Ronald Foxcroft (Honorary Colonel) at Buckingham Palace in London. Foxcroft steps right up to shake the hand of his Monarch.
The protocol is for people meeting the Queen to first address her as Your Majesty and after that you refer to her as Mam. “Ron couldn’t get it right said Marie – he kept calling her Your Majesty.
“I was terrified that I was going to screw it up” added Foxcroft who said “there was perspiration dripping down his arms.” Ron wasn’t the only one nervous yet during the interview with the Foxcroft’s in their home Marie referred to her time as “kibitzing” with the Queen. Ron certainly got her going – they were having a fine time talking about ”her” regiment and how proud she was of the way they had served in Afghanistan.
When the audience with the Queen was over, Commander Andrew Canale, who is Equerry to the Queen wondered “what were you talking about” Audiences with the queen do not last very long. Ron Foxcroft seemed to have gotten through to her.
When asked if he managed to make a mention of his Fluke Trucking fleet – Foxcroft dropped his head a bit and said: No, I didn’t.
Queen Elizabeth has long fond memories of Canada and the Canadian she met last week certainly made an impression on her.
It was the trip and experience of a life time “but you know” said Marie, “it is nice to be home.”
