SSAFA volunteer Olly Knight recalls the fateful day in 1952 that he saw the then Princess Elizabeth and Duke of Edinburgh in an open-top Humber during a royal visit to Kenya.
The day after 13-year-old Olly had watched the Royal couple drive past, the world was shocked to learn of the of death of King George VI. For Olly it was only years later that he realised that fleeting glimpse of the Princess and Duke was only one day before they became Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
“I was within 100 miles of her when she became Queen - and within 100 miles of Balmoral when she left us. Of course we are all saddened by her death - we knew it would happen but it is a shock and a 'hole' has appeared in all our lives - it will take time to fill.”
Background
“I was born in Papua New Guinea. It's an island off the North of Australia, and shortly afterwards my father joined the Australian Air Force and went off to Europe. My mother and I sailed across the Indian Ocean to Durban and then up to Mombasa to go and live with my paternal grandparents in the north west of Kenya. A place called Kitale. Lovely place with a fabulous view of Mt Elgon.