The Prince of Wales has shared a personal childhood memory of
Queen Elizabeth II as the Queen Elizabeth Digital Memorial reaches
a major new milestone with the launch of additional archive
material and the first public memories of the late monarch.
Prince William is among those contributing to the growing online
memorial, recalling afternoons having tea with his grandmother and
the late Prince Philip at Windsor Castle during his childhood.
His contribution forms part of a major update to the Queen
Elizabeth Digital Memorial, a Cabinet Office-led project launched
earlier this year to preserve the life and legacy of Britain’s
longest-reigning monarch.
The latest update introduces an interactive collection of
memories submitted by members of the public alongside contributions
from people who knew Queen Elizabeth II personally. The memories,
drawn from across the United Kingdom, offer first-hand accounts of
encounters with the late Queen during her 70-year reign.
Among those published is the recollection of a former RAF
aircraft handler who spent 24 years maintaining the Queen’s
helicopter.
The contributor remembered Queen Elizabeth joking after arriving
from a landing in a field, saying: “I must apologise, they
picked me up in a field this morning and I’ve dragged grass through
the carpet.”
Another remembered seeing the late Queen during her 2012 visit
to Belfast, while a further submission reflected on the dramatic
moment during the 1981 Trooping the Colour parade when Queen
Elizabeth calmly controlled her horse, Burmese, after shots were
fired nearby.
The memorial has also added a fully digitised version of the
Court Circular, providing a searchable record of every official
engagement undertaken by Queen Elizabeth II throughout her reign
from 1952 until 2022. The project was completed with support from
volunteer students using data provided by The Times.
New archive material has also been added to the interactive
timeline, with contributions from leading cultural and heritage
organisations including The National Archives, the Royal
Collection, the Royal Mint Museum, Royal Mail and the Press
Association.
Launched on 21 April 2026, the Queen Elizabeth Digital Memorial
combines photographs, videos, historical documents and personal
recollections to create a permanent digital record of the late
Queen’s life and service.
The public is continuing to be invited to submit their own
memories, with further contributions due to be published throughout
the remainder of 2026.