THOSE who had the privilege of meeting the Queen have told of her “kindness, warmth and humility”.

Over the course of a long and historic 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II met with thousands of people across the country.

South Essex residents and politicians who met her in person say they look back fondly on those cherished memories.

Baroness Angela Smith, the former MP for Basildon, met the Queen when she visited the town during its 50th anniversary in 1999.

“It was a fantastic day for the town, the mood was one of great excitement,” Baroness Smith said.

“She engaged with people and spoke with everyone she met.”

She added: “One of the things that struck me, having met her a few times, was that she had a sense of enjoyment about what she did.

“She saw it as a duty, that she had a great commitment too, but she never seemed to feel it was an onerous duty, it was one she enjoyed.”

Jill Allen King OBE, 82, met the queen of three occasions as a result of her trailblazing campaigning for the blind.

Ms King, who grew up in Westcliff, says her most cherished memory however was when she met the queen at an event for International Day for Disabled people at Buckingham Palace in 1981.

“She was very kind speaking and had a lot of warmth in her voice,” Ms Kind recalled.

“You felt she was really listening to you and wanted to get to know you in those short minutes you got with her.

“You almost forgot she was the Queen; it was just like speaking to a friend.”

Canvey political stalwart Ray Howard MBE remembers the Queen with similar fondness.

Mr Howard first met her in 1987 when she opened Essex County Hall in Chelmsford.

He said: “She spent the whole day going around making sure to meet and talk to everyone present.

“It was a really lovely thing to do. She didn’t have to take her time greeting everyone, but she wanted to, and that was who she was, kind, warm and humble.”

“It was an honour and privilege to get to speak with her on that day, and something I will never forget.”