The Royal Connection

"It’s Moving Pictures"

As a five year old boy watching a Movie Tone News
film of the Coronation of HRH Queen Elizabeth II I was so overwhelmed and
impressed with the glittering pageantry and ceremony
of the event and our beautiful Queen wearing that
wonderful crown of King Edward on her slim shoulders,
and so closely resembling his mother that
desperately wanted to pay homage to her so I
asked my Mum:
Can I go and kiss her ?
(please note I was only 5 years old)

Mum’s whispered reply ”it’s moving pictures dear”

this quickly brought me back down to earth!
Then during her first visit as Queen to New Zealand
in 1953-1954 and seeing her slowly trundle by on
the last carriage of the Royal Railway train waving
just to me (it seemed) en-route from
Wellington to Masterton via Lower Hutt, where I
lived in January 1954, waving as the train glided
by with HRH The Duke of Edinburgh standing by her
side.

My cousin Peter Blaiklock had the honour of being the young policeman assigned
to her security and he was often the only one ‘on duty’ looking after the Royal
Couple

But maturing one begins to understand the legacy
the Queen represents and boyhood admiration turns into an enduring appreciation for what The British
Royal Family actually delivers to the peace and prosperity of those nations lucky enough to be Constitutional Monarchies under their governance and the
jurisdiction of the Westminster System of Government.
To claim it has not served us well is to turn a blind eye to history and to fail to look at the huge number of failed Republics which could have survived
under the Westminster System, as constitutional monarchies.

"How many “Republic’s”
would I prefer to live in
rather than Australia?....
None! "
Dame Marie Bashir

over the years Australian Opal Cutters has had the enormous priveledge to serve the royal family with numerous commissions but those distant memories of childhood awe will stand out above them all. May HRH rest in peace.

Follow this link to learn more about the history between the Australian Opal Cutters & Pearl Divers and the Royal Family:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12F1m1X1Sq14-jJokgHAa6AwR6JsGcpt_/view?ts=631a37f1&pli=1