A tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
All of us at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We were honoured to have had the Queen as our Patron for many decades until 2016, when she passed on the role to her son, His Majesty King Charles III, then His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.
The Queen was an integral part of WWT’s history and we were delighted in the interest that she took in our work over many decades. She first visited our founding site, Slimbridge Wetland Centre, as Princess Elizabeth before her Coronation.
The Queen and her late husband, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, were friends of our founder, Sir Peter Scott, and his wife, Lady Philippa Scott, all sharing a deep passion for wildlife and conservation. This close association included Sir Peter painting the Queen’s portrait when she was still Princess as well as several visits to Slimbridge with Prince Philip, including one occasion where they stayed overnight at Sir Peter’s home. The house where they stayed is now the Scott House Museum, where the Queen’s signature in the visitor book is proudly on display.
In her role as WWT’s Patron, the Queen also opened different areas of the grounds at Slimbridge and, in 1988, she and Prince Philip opened the Yuen Peng McNeice Observatory overlooking the site’s wildlife-rich Rushy Lake.
The Queen also made many happy visits to our wetland centres around the country, which played a key role in making the centres a success. Our Welney site in Norfolk was a particular favourite and she visited several times while staying nearby at the Sandringham estate. The Queen particularly enjoyed the Bewick’s and Whooper swan feeds from the observatory, and our staff have fond memories of her taking time to watch the spectacle. A keen lover of nature, the Queen also accepted our offer to adopt a Bewick’s swan to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
Our Chief Executive, Sarah Fowler, reflects:
Her Majesty’s deep sense of service to her country and lifelong love of nature will stand as a lasting legacy. WWT is very fortunate to have benefited from this over many decades and we are hugely saddened by her death.
We have many happy memories of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and we hope these recollections can provide comfort for our supporters, staff and volunteers during this very sad time.
Our thoughts are also with our Patron, His Majesty King Charles III, as he builds on his mother’s exceptional legacy as our new monarch.
