Queen Elizabeth II: 'Bitter-sweet' moment for new Queen's Guide

Sophie Ridge-Ahmed, who studied at the University of East Anglia, is one of the last to achieve the Queen's Guide award under the patronage of Queen Elizabeth II

One of the last members of Girlguiding to achieve the organisation's top award under the patronage of Elizabeth II has called it a "bittersweet" moment.

Sophie Ridge-Ahmed, 22, who studied at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, gained the Queen's Guide award just as the Queen died.

"It's a big achievement for me personally... and I achieved it in her honour in a way," she said.

Girlguiding has said the award's name would not change as a mark of respect.

The Queen's Guide award is the highest award you can work towards in the Guides which includes the participant taking on things including an outdoor challenge, developing a new skill, working in the community and a three-day residential.

Girlguiding was one of the Queen's many patronages and a spokeswoman for the organisation said the award "will remain the same in name and in purpose, as a mark of respect and as a legacy to the Queen's relationship with Girlguiding".

When the Queen joined the Guides, her sister Princess Margaret (left) was a Brownie

Elizabeth II had a long association with the movement, first joining as a Guide in 1937 aged 11, when, as a member of the 1st Buckingham Palace Guides, she took part in camping trips and earned badges in swimming, first aid, interpreting and horse riding.

Queen Elizabeth II - when she was Princess Elizabeth - knotting at Frogmore, near Windsor Castle...

...and punting on the lake, when she was a Sea Ranger

In 1946, as a Sea Ranger within the Guides, she joined the crew on a training ship at Dartmouth and performed duties such as scrubbing down the decks. The same year, she was made Chief Ranger of the British Empire.

She was patron from 1953, the year after she succeeded George VI as monarch, until her death on 8 September.

Queen Elizabeth II, met Brownies and Guides in Gisborne on her Silver Jubilee Tour of New Zealand in 1977

Ms Ridge-Ahmed, from London, who worked towards the award while in Norfolk and completed it just before the Queen's death, said: "It's bitter-sweet because it's a big achievement for me personally to have finished my Queen's Guide award and it's a little sad because I finished it just as she's passed away.

"But I'm also very happy to have achieved it and achieved it in her honour in a way, and I can say I did just manage to achieve it while she was still on the throne."

The Queen's Guide, who has been a Brownie, a Ranger and now a Leader, has also been working with Girlguiding Norfolk's Archive Resource Centre (ARC) in Coltishall to curate an exhibition about the Queen's relationship with the movement.

"A lot of the work we have done over the year at ARC has been about celebrating the Platinum Jubilee and [the Queen's] work in Girlguiding," she said.

"She was a Guide and a Ranger and then patron so it's a really nice connection to have to her that we're part of the same organisation that I think was very important to her over her life."

Helen Green, Girlguiding Norfolk county archivist, said the Queen was "almost the perfect Guide"

Helen Green, Girlguiding Norfolk's county archivist, said that the Queen had "a huge influence on guiding" and had "almost been like the perfect Guide".

"If you listen to a lot of the Queen's speeches she talks about the promises she keeps and doing her duty and service and those are all words that come from her promise which she made as a Guide," she said.

"Maybe that's a grand statement, but we honestly feel that she enjoyed being a Guide and it meant a huge amount to her.

"She's been a terrific role model; she's always taken an interest in guiding... we've been very, very proud that she's been our patron and so interested in us."

• What next? A day-by-day guide from now to the funeral

• BBC streaming of Queen Elizabeth II lying in state

• Who's invited to the Queen's funeral - and who's not?