Queen Elizabeth II died Thursday at age 96 as the longest-serving monarch in British history. Her death is a major milestone for the country, triggering an outpouring of national affection and grief, NPR reports.
HPR’s Ian Capps, originally from London, spoke to The Conversation about being in the city for her coronation in 1953. He was 11 years old.
"My sister and I were allowed to be on Park Lane and the soldiers there allowed us to creep through and be in front of them so that we could see this incredible parade of carriages and everything from the coronation," he said. "I still remember the sense of immense hope that this young, wonderfully attractive and very empathetic young girl, young lady, represented. The final end of the war, if you like."
He recalled how she and her parents stayed in London during World War II while many others left the city.
"The future queen was always there, visiting the disaster areas, encouraging people and representing the sort of figurehead that she later knew so well how to complete," he said. "She was independent, and she was always there, and never crossed over the boundary into politics."
Capps hosts The Early Muse, a long-running classic music show on HPR-2. He has worked for the news company Reuters and was president and CEO of PR Newswire in the '90s.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Sept. 8, 2022. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
