A VALE of Clwyd man who met the Queen more than 150 times has paid tribute to the monarch.

Colin Edwards, of Ruthin, said he has "many happy memories" of meeting Queen Elizabeth II over the past four decades.

The Queen passed away last Thursday at the age of 96.

"I heard this terribly sad news when I was on a cruise to Norway and I returned home on Saturday," said Mr Edwards.

"On Thursday evening we were having dinner and the ship captain's voice came on the tannoy.

"He said Her Majesty The Queen has passed away.

"He said it was announced at 6.30 in the UK.

"I sat there trying to control my emotions.

"The following day we had a one minute's silence and two books of condolence were opened on two different decks.

"I will never forget where I was when the Queen passed away."

Mr Edwards first met the Queen back in 1982.

 

Denbighshire Free Press: The Queen in Wrexham in 1998The Queen in Wrexham in 1998 (Image: Staff photographer)

 

Locally, he met the Queen in Conwy, Llangollen, Mold, Wrexham, Welshpool, Aberystwyth and Chester.

 

"My last meeting was with her in Chester four years ago," he added.

"I have not seen her since."

Before that meeting, he had written to tell her he was in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and he received a letter back wishing him a speedy recovery.

"In Chester, she did a walkabout and she came to me and said 'it's nice to see you again. I'm sorry to hear you have been in hospital. I hope you are feeling better now'."

Mr Edwards, who worked for Denbighshire County Council prior to his retirement, has travelled the length and breadth of Britain meeting members of the Royal Family.

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Paying tribute, Mr Edwards added: "The Queen reigned for 70 years. It's unprecedented. It has never happened before and it will never happen again.

"I have got so many happy memories of meeting her from Cornwall to Caithness.

"Thousands of miles I went to support her."

Now aged 81, Mr Edwards says he won't be travelling to London for the Queen's funeral on Monday.

"I have thought about it, but it would be too much for me.

"I'm 81 now and I can't stand for all that time in a long queue of people.

"I would love to go, don't get me wrong, because I've been to so many royal events, but I can't do as much now as I used to."

To mark the Queen's platinum jubilee, Mr Edwards staged an exhibition of photographs he had taken of her over the years at Ruthin's St Peter's Church.

"Little did I think in June when the exhibition took place that three months later our beloved Queen would be dead," he added.

He added he will be supporting King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla.