What about your memories? Following the sudden unexpected announcement of the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II we witnessed scenes that had not been performed for 70 years. Immediately prior to her sudden and extremely sad death I had come down with Covid. As I was recovering and watching the various broadcasts it caused me to review how my family tree records reflected my own family’s relationship to such events of mourning, celebration and activity, and where were these family tree records.
I realised, to my shame, very little was included. I started putting pen to paper to rectify the situation. My parents both served, and married whilst in the RAF, during World War II. They will have both sworn allegiance to King George VI. In 1951, I was born in Peckham, London, the youngest of three children. My father became a serving Metropolitan police officer. Why did I never ask Dad if he was on duty at the King’s funeral or the Queen’s Coronation? I know he received an award, but don’t know what came of it or what it was for. Would the Police Archives have evidence?
We lived not
