Queen Elizabeth II: 'Absolutely charming' on Royal Marine visit

The Queen visited Royal Marines Poole on 27 June 1984

The Queen had a special relationship with the armed forces, and when invited by her husband on her first visit to inspect the royal Marines, one of the officers remembers her excitement.

Retired Royal Marine Lt Col Simon Hollington, 70, from Taunton, has seen the Queen, Prince Philip and Lord Mountbatten several times in his life.

But it was a visit in 1984, when he was Adjutant at Royal Marines Poole, that he remembers most vividly.

"It was a fantastic day," Lt Col Hollington, who was 32 years old at the time, said.

In his role, he was the right-hand man of the Commanding Officer and in charge of all personnel, regimental and security matters.

"We obviously prepared for it and rehearsed it to make sure we got it right and knew all the royal etiquette.

"The Queen really loved it. She was absolutely charming."

Lt Col Simon Hollington and his wife Anne have fond memories of the Queen

RM Poole was the home of the Special Boat Service and the landing crafts following the Falklands Conflict in 1982 - which the Queen's son Prince Andrew fought in.

Prince Philip was Captain General of the Royal Marines and brought the Queen along with him on the visit.

Lt Col Hollington was one of the team who helped put together the programme for their whole-day visit, including preparations, which were executed to the minutest detail.

This included a Wren officer standing in as the Queen as they carried out rehearsals, and eating the same food three times in advance to check the menu - a "delicious" chicken in creamy sauce.

'Obviously delighted'

Highlights of the visit included a demonstration of amphibious landing craft while she was on a jetty, and a parachute jump in formation that landed right in front of her.

"There was a dais for her to sit on with Prince Phillip... they did a landing right beside her," Lt Col Hollington said.

"The RIBs came in and landed and a smaller landing craft, and then one of the big ones, the landing craft utilities (LCU) that can carry tanks and so on, came in.

"The coxswain drove it as though he was parking a Mini in a Rolls Royce space, and there was no room, and we could all see, 'oh no he is going to wipe out the Queen,' but she was obviously delighted with that, and in the afternoon the free-fall team came and dropped straight in front of her, it was all just lovely."

During the visit, Prince Phillip stopped to speak to Lt Col Hollington's four-year-old son, James

Lt Col Hollington, who was a captain at the time, and his wife, Anne, later had drinks with the Queen.

"She was very, very easy to talk to. She chatted to us and asked where we lived, and she was genuinely interested in that," he said.

"She had an infectious smile and thoroughly enjoyed the visit. She was just a person having a lovely time."

Lt Col Hollington said members of the armed forces felt a personal bond with the Queen, and her death "feels like a real loss".

"We are the Royal Marines. It is in-built if you like," he said.

"That sort of figurehead is now gone."

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