Page 28 - QARANC Vol 18 No 1 2020

26 The Gazette QARANC Association
Colonel Marie Richter, Colonel Alison McCourt and Colonel Carol Kefford with the Countess
Celebrating 70 years of the QARANC – a personal reflection
Our Corps was immensely honoured to be invited by our Colonel-in-Chief, HRH, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, CGVO, DStJ CD, to hold a reception at St James’ Palace to celebrate the 70th anniversary of our formation in 1949.
On 10 September in the early evening, a long queue of regular, reserve and retired members of the Corps, all dressed smartly, snaked from the entrance to the palace, under the arches, along the road and almost round the corner whilst we waited to go through the brief security check and enter the palace. Here I must apologise to the passing pedestrians who had to detour to the other side of the road, or walk in the gutter, to avoid the jostling friends greeting each other like long lost family. Our sense of excitement and keen anticipation were rising by the minute.
On entering to the palace, it was easy to be impressed by the very grand surroundings. Everything looked immaculate and it difficult to take in the details as the whole setting was so awesome. For many it was their first experience of being in a royal palace. This wasn’t a gloomy museum with oil paintings of unknown worthies,
dusty curtains, peeling wallpaper, worn carpets and roped-off areas. Although some of the buildings date back to Tudor times, it was a living, breathing entity, where much of the day to day business of the monarchy is conducted. Over 100 receptions such as ours take place every year, hosted for their charities by members of the Royal Family. The Chapel Royal remains a working place of worship. I was faintly reminded of the Harry Potter books as I walked up the staircase, but there were no moving images in the paintings asking us for the house password and the staircase remained in one place!
I had come alone to the reception, and was really pleased to find many people who I knew, so I was able to chat to friends old and new, and enjoy the tasty snacks and canapes whilst admiring the artwork and tapestries and room setting with its red damask wall paper. After a short while, the Countess arrived and gave a short address. I am sure most people will remember this for her confession about her wardrobe faux pas, where she ended up having to wear a dress that looked from a distance, as if it
was made from DPM! Colonel Alison McCourt also addressed us, and presented the Countess with a gift beautifully wrapped in Corps colours. She and the Countess and the Colonel Commandant, Colonel Carol Kefford, then met with many of the QAs present.
Small groups of QAs were placed around the two rooms, and the Countess was generous with her time, speaking to each member of the group, and showing a genuine interest in them. It’s always an experience to remember for a long time when a member of the Royal Family speaks with you. Sometimes it’s a struggle to remember what was said, as it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the occasion!
All too soon, it was time to leave and go home. Our Colonel-in-Chief is generous with her commitment to our Corps and I for one am most grateful to her for that generosity. She is involved with a great many charities and organisations, many of which are Armed Forces or in the health and care sector and we thank her for her time and commitment to us.
Alison Spires Editor QARANC Association Gazette