Dear Editor,

The death of our much-loved Queen Elizabeth II has left a huge void as this great nation continues to mourn her as well as the rest of the world. She was truly remarkable and unique. She has touched our lives in many ways and will be missed by many.

I am personally saddened because it is the end of an era, an era that brought back memories of my father, Colonel Federico Schael. He was a foreign diplomat, Air Attaché, based in London in the 1960s and he and my mother met Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on numerous occasions. Although, my father had met many heads of state during his career he mostly spoke of Her Majesty the Queen.

My father in his later life told me this remarkable story of how he was asked to change the minds of two Soviet Union diplomats who refused to wear tuxedos to a formal event at Buckingham Palace. Everyone had failed changing their minds and thought it would be disrespectful to Her Majesty the Queen. My father not only was successful at convincing them to wear tuxedos but also took a photo of them. My father was awarded many medals during his lifetime, but this was his proudest achievement.

Jeannette Schael

Crookham Close

Tadley