Irangani’s honour and privilege to meet with late H.E. Elizabeth 11 – By Dr Harold Gunatillake
Transcript:
Just five months after her coronation, Queen Elizabeth II engaged in a royal visit to Ceylon. This was the first visit to Ceylon by a reigning monarch. She was accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh. The ten-day tour included a royal procession through Colombo, where she opened the first session of the second Parliament of Ceylon, and a train ride to Kandy, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, and Nuwara Eliya. Today, I am interviewing Irangani Gunatillake, Ceylon Tea Queen 1968, and her memorable experience of chatting with the Queen for over 20 minutes, just the two of them, at the Ceylon Tea Centre stall, Scottish wholesale Cooperative Society, in Glasgow, in 1968 Hello, Irangani. Tell us about your experience meeting the Queen and Prince Phillip in Glasgow in 1968.
Thank you for allowing me to share meeting the Queen, as I remember. As a schoolgirl, I was fond of the Royal family and the Queen. I had an album collecting all pictures of the Royal family, which was inherent in me.
I had to represent Ceylon at the Ceylon Tea stall when the Scottish Wholesale cooperative Society in Glasgow had its centenary celebrations in 1968. I was so happy and nervous, but when her excellency with Prince Philip visited our stall, both smiling, I felt so relaxed.
The Queen was friendly, put me at ease, and asked about my stay in England. I was so relaxed that I told her I sang the national anthem with a group of other schoolgirls when she visited Sri Lanka, then Ceylon, in 1954.
She showed keenness to know all about Ceylon Tea. I then explained to her the varieties of Ceylon Tea grown at various heights, depending on the type of tea and where it’s grown in the country.
She then told me that she remembered her visit to Ceylon, the country’s beauty, and how people were so relaxed and smiling. Prince Phillip mentioned his stay in Ceylon and the memories of the train journey with the queen to many country towns.
That great experience, honour, and privilege of meeting the queen and Prince Phillip will always be remembered; their loss has greatly saddened me. That was an interesting, memorable moment for Irangani, a unique opportunity that very few Sri Lankan ladies get the chance to chat with the queen for that length of time. The death of Her Majesty The Queen was announced on 8 September 2022 with Robert Aldridge, the Right Honourable Lord Provost and Lord Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh, leading tributes on behalf of the people of Edinburgh. Our heartfelt sympathies and condolences are with all the members of the Royal Family at this sorrowful time.
Thanks for sharing this video with us. Stay safe and Goodbye for now.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and whilst the author will endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, eLanka makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the eLanka website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained in this article for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. In otherwords, eLanka In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website / article. Also please note that through this website / web page articles you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of eLanka and therefore we have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
