No individual tribute could describe the fulness of all that was the Queen and many of her small acts of kindness went unknown.

Unusual circumstances

Due to extraordinary circumstances, I was particularly privileged to have known her in both formal and informal situations over many years and along with respect and admiration, I developed a deep love for her.

Her kindness and generosity to our family when we first arrived in England, having escaped the tyranny of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe, was unexpected, thoughtful and humbling. She even, having heard of our sadness at leavingSusan Gibbs & family before arriving in UK dogs behind, gave us one of her corgi puppies, and when he died twelve years later she gave us another one!

The Queen’s first cousin, Margaret Rhodes, had been to stay with us on our farm in Africa, and became my closest friend. As a consequence of this, for 38 years following our arrival in UK, we, along with her, had the enormous privilege of spending a week, sometimes two, each year as the Queen’s guest in a cottage on the Balmoral Estate.

Picnic time at Balmoral

From the early days this involved formal dinners in the Castle dining room or lunch time picnics (where we sat on a rug doing The Times crossword with Princess Margaret) or barbeque lunches, cooked by Prince Philip from his specially designed trailer. However, over the years the formal dinners wearing long dresses in the Castle were replaced by evening picnics in trousers in a log cabin, which were great fun. The Queen did the washing-up and on one occasion, Prince Charles entertained us with witty poetry which he had written to celebrate Princess Margaret’s 60th birthday.

The Queen genuinely cared about others. One day, while on a picnic, I was thrown off a bench when the person on the other end stood up. I landed hard on the root of a pine tree. Everybody laughed, but the Queen rebuked them, reminding them that I might be hurt (indeed, I most certainly was but did not want to admit it). She rightly observed that I had received a hard landing, and asked if I was alright. Then she asked, “Would you like my policeman to look at your injury?”.

The Queen did the washing-up and on one occasion Prince Charles entertained us with witty poetry which he had written to celebrate a birthday.

Somewhat embarrassed, I responded, “No thank you Ma’am!”, all the while pleased she was showing such concern. Her Majesty assured me that her policeman was, “very good at first aid” and, after asking for a second time and receiving the same answer, the Queen took a glass vial of arnica tablets from her handbag, insisted I took one and gave me the rest of her supply for later.

Queen of the dance

Each year the Queen hosted the Ghillies Ball¹ in the ball room of the castle, specifically for employees – ghillies² (gamekeeper), housemaids, estate workers, local warrant holders, some soldiers from the regiment on duty etc.³ We were amongst the few extras also invited. Guests started to arrive at 10pm.

The Queen always wore a lovely ball gown plus tiara (“to honour her guests”) and the partner she chose to lead her in the Grand March down the length of the ballroom, was often the gardener or a ghillie. It was at these occasions that we marvelled at the Queen as she quietly approached various individual people between dances enquiring if their garage repairs had been adequate, or if they had found a suitable child minder, or some other issue. She knew them all and demonstrated Christian ‘charity’ – truly caring for their well-being.

One evening, leaving after the ball, I was astonished to find the Queen on the floor in the hall with her dogs.

At midnight the ball ended, and we few guests were taken into the dining room for refreshments. One evening, leaving after the ball, I was astonished to find the Queen on the floor in the hall with her dogs. Some remote childhood memory from a story book flooded back, reminding me that the subject’s head should never be higher than the King’s. I immediately dropped to the floor beside her and joined her in playing with the dogs! Eventually the lift door beside us opened, revealing red leather benches around the walls. The corgis rushed into the lift and took their places, either on or under the leather bench. The Queen said they had designated these spots for themselves and they never varied. The small lift took the corgis up to the Queen's bedroom; it was late and they were clearly ready for bed!

Country woman

Queen Elizabeth was very much a ‘country woman’ and not at all squeamish about picking up a wounded grouse and wringing its neck. On one occasion she came rabbit-hunting Balmoral Castle, painted by James Cassie (1819-79)with ferrets near our cottage, and strolled up to see us. Margaret told her I had a story to relate. She stood listening thoughtfully but saying little other than “remarkable” as I told of an experience I had had with Jesus. The following day the Lady in Waiting said that when the Queen returned to the castle she was clearly moved and had repeated the story to those present.

The way the Queen lived her faith, with total conviction, was in many ways a strengthening witness to others and, while she recognised the gravity of monarchy, she also had a great personal humility. An enduring memory of her was of each Sunday morning when we were instructed to drive up to the castle and wait to follow the Queen’s car to Crathie Church. While waiting, we watched her emerge clad in a scarf, Susan Gibbswellies, and coat to take the dogs for a short walk. On their return she disappeared into castle and reappeared almost immediately complete with shoes, hat and gloves, ready for church!

Source of stability

The sense of stability and continuity was reassuring in these days of constant change. The Queen hosted a dinner in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace for her cousin, Margaret Rhode’s 60th birthday. Ten years later she hosted another for her sister’s 70th birthday; the instructions she gave for the latter occasion were “We will just sit where we sat last time”. The sense of stability and continuity was reassuring in these days of constant change.

The Queen’s steady wisdom guided many. On one occasion I wrote her a difficult condolence letter and later apologised for its inadequacy. She smiled and said, “Sometimes people can say too much!”

The sense of stability and continuity was reassuring in these days of constant change

Gone ‘home’

My profound sadness, as with many throughout the world, at the Queen’s death is for the loss of someone quite unique and it is with gratitude that we remember we had her for so long.

It is a further comfort knowing that she has gone ‘home’ and is now with her beloved Saviour, the one in whom she had such hope and total faith.

Susan Gibbs was born in Australia and after completing nursing training married a cattle rancher in Rhodesia, where she then lived for more than 20 years. Widowed in her early 30s, she remarried and went to live in the bush, but during the bush war the family move to England which was her home for the next 40 years. Following the death of her husband 3 years ago, she moved back to Australia to be with her four children.

Endnotes
1 A short video clip of the Queen and other members of the Royal Family engaged in Scottish dancing at the Ghllies Ball of 1991 can be viewed here
2 'Ghillie' is the Gaelic term for a (male) attendant on a hunting, deer stalking or fishing expedition.
3 The Queen had apparently been making plans for the 2022 Ghillies Ball on the 22nd September just a week or two prior to her death.