As the Queen prepares to celebrate becoming Britain’s longest-serving monarch today, two Islanders have recalled when she first came to the throne.

It’s been 23,226 days since February 6 1952, when Elizabeth II took over from her father George VI when he died of cancer while she was in Kenya with Prince Philip.

Just after 5pm she will break the record set by her great great grandmother Queen Victoria who reigned between 1837 and 1901.

Minster resident Betty Boswell vividly remembers hearing of the King’s death.

She said: “I was in primary school at the time, standing in the queue to see my needlework teacher to show him my work.

“I was expecting him to undo it and order me to do it again. I had just got to the front when the headmaster walked in to say the King had died.

“It put everyone into a bit of a trance including my teacher who then undid my work and patched up the hem before handing it back to me.

“I remember thinking thank god the King has died, it’s just saved me a job.”

The 72-year-old, who was made an MBE in 2010 for services to the community, met Prince Charles but there’s no doubt which royal is her favourite.

She added: “I think the Queen has been wonderful in the way she’s served us so effectively and managed to maintain her composure over more than 60 years.”

Gloria Williams, 68, of Abbey Close, Minster, was just five when the Queen’s reign began, but still remembers the moment well.

She said: “I originally lived in Cape Town, South Africa, and our neighbour came rushing into the house to tell my mother that King George had died.

“It was perhaps even more of a global event then than it is now because you saw more royalists throughout the Commonwealth.

“I think the Queen has done extremely well in maintaining peace throughout the country and the fact she’s done such a good job despite being thrown into the role at a relatively young age is commendable.”

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