By Pepper Parr
May 19, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
He was up early, got himself cleaned up and into his uniform and headed off to meet the Queen.
Ron Foxcroft outside his hotel in London preparing to drive to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen.
Ron Foxcroft, Burlington’s most famous high school dropout, packed a bunch of his Fox40 whistles, which had been worked into a presentation he was giving the Queen and, along with his wife Marie, headed for Buckingham Palace.
Cpl Nathan Cirillo 1989 -2014
Foxcroft is in London with Colonel Kennedy and Colonel Hatfield of the Argyll’s. The three are there representing the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise’s), the Canadian Army Reserve infantry battalion with a storied past, a proud present, and a bright future. The battalion lost one of its own when Nathan Cirillo who was shot to death while standing sentry duty at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on October 22nd, 2014.
Home for the Argyl’s is the Major John Weir Foote VC Armouries, Hamilton, Ontario where they have been since raised in 1903.
The Regiment fought with distinction in Canada’s major 20th Century wars, earning 34 Battle Honours. Since the 1990s, over 130 Argyll’s served overseas on Canadian military operations, including Cyprus, Bosnia and other parts of the former Republic of Yugoslavia, Sudan, and Afghanistan.
In 2013, the Regiment received its 35th Battle Honour, Afghanistan, in recognition of its contribution to that campaign.
The Queen is the Colonel-in-Chief of the Argyles. Ron Foxcroft is the Honorary Colonel of the regiment.
A presentation piece made out of Fox 40 whistles and shaped as a Canadian poppy will become part of the collection of gifts given to the Queen.
Foxcroft arrived in London a few days ago and went through the process of being told how to address the Queen by Commander Andrew Canale, who is Equerry to the Queen.
Text on the plaque that Foxcroft will present to the queen on behalf of the regiment.
When you meet the Queen Foxcroft was told, you address her as Your Majesty. After that call her Mam.
Colonel Kennedy and Colonel Hatfield were told to be relaxed and discuss Argyll Business. Later in the meeting the Queen will then buzz and our wives come in and meet the Queen. Foxcroft said the meeting is expected to last about 90 minutes.
They expect to talk at length about the murder of Corporal Cirillo and the impact that event had on the battalion.
The question everyone is asking is: Will Foxcroft get the Queen to blow one of his whistles.
