The Queen: Not out-of-touch and aloof but warm, gracious and down-to-earth - memories of meeting Queen Elizabeth II

I get the same buzz today as editor - and am never happier than when out of the office catching up on what is happening in and around our city and learning about the things which are on people’s minds.

Being editor also affords me the enormous privilege of attending incredible events and meeting the most very of very important people. I will certainly never forget June 5, 2019, when world leaders came to Portsmouth to commemorate D-Day 75.

And I am blessed with memories of another very special occasion - the day I met the Queen at Buckingham Palace. That brief encounter completely changed my jaded preconceptions of Her Majesty. She was no longer an aloof and out-of-touch anachronism in a modern world, but a warm and generous person, with a devotion to carrying out her duties for her country with grace and dignity. Born into privilege yes, but flesh and blood like you and me.

That is why celebrating her incredible reign at Platinum Jubilee celebrations earlier this year was all-the-more special. And why her passing on Thursday is all-the-more sorrowful.

It was ahead of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations that I had the honour of being invited to a media reception at Buckingham Palace. It was November 2011 at an event to mark the upcoming 60th anniversary celebrations, attended by national journalists and broadcasters as well as several regional press editors.

I remember the surreal feeling of actually walking through those ornate palace gates rather than peering through them - as I had done as a child - waiting with crowds of other tourists for the guards to change.

The evening started with plenty of time to swap the customary gossip and tall tales with my fellow editors while enjoying exquisite canapes and keeping disciplined to moderate the alcohol intake.

But the hubbub turned to a ripple of murmurs and then quelled to a reverential hush as we realised Her Majesty was in the room. It was a large state room but with many media people in attendance so there followed much craning of necks, peering around and secretive pointing as we finally spotted where our monarch was. I remember thinking she was smaller than I expected. But, despite our fascination in whatever she wears, I can’t for the life of me remember how Her Majesty was dressed.

The Queen was preceded by a covert, advanced guard of staff who surreptitiously began filtering people into small groups which then left you randomly placed, not knowing whether you would be on the Queen’s direction of travel across the room.

I was one of the lucky ones. Being introduced to our group she said how pleased she was that so many regional editors had attended the reception. That was nothing to how pleased I was to be there as I hoped for an opportunity to be invited to speak, smiling nervously (and with the over-riding thought revolving around my head that Ma’am rhymes with jam and not harm).

She spoke freely to all within our group but when she asked where I was from I began to babble. My conversation went from talking about The News to saying how proud we were to be the newspaper at the home of her Royal Navy to talking about our excitement in welcoming the arrival in the coming years of her namesake in the shape of a 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier.

My words drifted off as I realised that at this point Her Majesty appeared distracted as she began looking around the stately hall. My initial thoughts were had I done something wrong to breach royal etiquette and she was looking for someone senior to escort me from the palace? Or, even worse, had I simply bored her into submission?

But the Queen was simply scanning the walls because she was sure there was a classical painting of the British fleet at Portsmouth among the vast royal collection which she was keen to point out to me. And with that she bade her farewell and moved on to the next expectant gathering.

It was a fleeting meeting but, as you would expect, a memorable one. Of course it would be, I had been privileged to be in the presence of the monarch of our nation, a leader of state known the world over. But more so - and the over-riding impression which remains with me to this very sad day - it was because she was actually just so warm, gracious and down-to-earth. She was no doubt tired after a long day and having to make small talk with a room full of journalists. But she made us feel like we were welcome in her royal residence.

The role of the Royal Family will remain a lively debate, more so in the coming days and weeks. But after the reception I did not come away with the feeling of being in the presence of royal and historic greatness. I came away with the feeling I had met a remarkable lady of advancing years who was happy to be engaging with a room of people from all walks of life and was interested in their stories.

With that I celebrated the following year’s Diamond Jubilee with a little more passion. I saluted her historic 70-year reign with more fervour at this year's Platinum celebrations. And it was why today I keenly feel the loss of her parting.