On a shelf full of old photo frames, Claire Shirtcliffe points to her parents, her grandchildren and a picture of herself, in a long white dress - the outfit she wore when she meet the Queen in 1954.
It was the era of the debutante and Claire had recently been presented to the governor-general of the time.
When Queen Elizabeth II came to visit in 1954, she was one of the lucky few to be invited to a garden party.
An aide pulled herself and her friends aside to meet the Queen. There was a formal announcement, curtseys and a conversation about Girl Guides.
When reflecting on the memory, her face lit up.
"She was so lovely. I can just see her now: The same smile we're used to seeing on television and films – and here she was smiling so beautifully. She was so natural."
Claire nearly met the Queen again, this time at Buckingham Palace at another party while on her OE. The Queen had a cold, so Claire ended up being presented to the Queen Mother instead.
But the impression throughout the years left a mark on Claire.
"Little girls think of princesses as someone with a crown on their head and beautiful clothes and robes. But the Queen, our queen, beloved Queen Elizabeth II, she was far more than that.
"She did so many things that were paving the way."
SHARE ME