John and Ivy Wynne of St. Ann’s Grove Farmwere married for 72 years and received messages from The Queen on golden, diamond, platinum, 71st and 72nd wedding anniversaries.
The couple are staunch royalists and were shocked by the news of the death Queen Elizabeth II. She died on September 8 in Balmoral.
The delivery of wedding anniversary messages is a continuation of a tradition that dates back to 1917 and is managed by the Office of Jubilee Celebrations at Buckingham Palace.
Asked what the Queen meant to her, Ivy, 92, said: “She was fantastic, she was for people, a very happy person in her life even at a young age.
“I love royalty and my kids know it. My granddaughter brought me a little crown last birthday and I have it in front of the Queen on my watch. My son brought me a cake with a tiara.
“We managed to get up London when Diana died and my husband took me and my two sisters to see flowers, I had never seen anything like it.
“I never left Fareham. I was born here and lived here all my life.”
John, 91, added: “I was in the Royal Marines Band from 1949 to 1953 and I happened to play for the Royal Family – the Queen was young then but I actually played for her.
“I’ve worked quite a bit with the royals in the Royal Marines, we’ve spoken at a few events in London and marched on the Mall.
“She is wonderful, the beaming smile she had every day captivated everyone in England, Scotland, Wales or even the world.”
The Office of Jubilee Affairs said it is not currently sending messages of congratulations following the Queen’s death, and applications are not currently being processed.
A statement on the royal family’s website said: “If you have already submitted an application online or by post to the Jubilee Office, it will be processed when work resumes and you will receive confirmation that the post has been organised.”
