One Queenstown resident can lay claim to meeting the newly crowned King Charles before his late mother became the Queen.
Present was Brian Jessop (92), originally from London, who was serving on the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Chequers, based in Malta. Its second-in-command was First Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, who had married Princess Elizabeth a couple of years earlier.
Ordinary Seaman Jessop’s primary job was working on the ship’s guns, but he also worked as the Duke of Edinburgh’s deputy cabin assistant and, on occasion, the duke’s wife would come to visit.
He recalled during one such visit during which she "very kindly" shook his hand and he noticed the future Queen appeared to be in the early stages of a pregnancy.
He included that tidbit in a letter he wrote to his mother before, a few months later, the official announcement came that Princess Elizabeth was pregnant with King Charles.
Mr Jessop subsequently met Prince Charles in 1949 when he was about 6 months old and accompanied his mother on another visit to the ship, he said.
Also at Abbeyfield on Saturday was fellow resident Alexa Herron who witnessed the last coronation — of Queen Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953 — in person.
Mrs Herron (92), also originally from London, said she was a 22-year-old who, with her family, was "right in the front" at The Mall, having slept there overnight.
She recalled a huge "explosion" of shouting and cheering erupting about midnight. That was because news Sir Edmund Hillary had reached the summit of Mt Everest had just reached Britain.
"About 50 yards down the road this whole crowd of New Zealanders did the haka in the middle of the road.
"I’d never seen a haka before. It was absolutely fantastic."
As to how she thought King Charles would handle his new role, Mrs Herron believed he would "do his best — they’re not born perfect, are they?".
"It must be ghastly, to be born into the Royal Family and having people arranging your marriages and everything else. Stone the crows," she said, laughing.
