The day Prince Philip met Queenie

Queenie Miller was one of the first patients cared for at Saint Francis Hospice back in November 1985. Here her daughter Barbara Campbell shares a very special memory when the late Duke of Edinburgh, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, visited the hospice and met her mum and dad Ron Miller.

Mum was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour two months before she passed away. Doctors initially thought Mum had a stroke but after a month in hospital, she didn’t improve and when she was sent for further tests, they showed she had cancer.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t much the doctors could do. She was sent home and given two months to live. Mum’s sisters came to visit and when they saw how poorly she was, they stayed to help Dad. My dad tried to manage the best he could. One day, a month later, when the district nurse came to visit, she looked at my dad and saw how caring for Mum was taking its toll on him. There were no facilities at that time to be cared for at home so the district nurse arranged for Mum to go into Saint Francis Hospice a month later in November 1985. The hospice had only been opened a short time then.

The Hospice took the pressure off Dad

It was hard on dad having to cope on his own and Mum being cared for at the hospice took all the pressure off him. We were all younger and working, or with families and there was so much going on. It was difficult to devote much time to help him.

We were so happy with the way she was looked after on the ward. All the staff were wonderful. Dad used to visit twice a day and our family would visit in the evening and on weekends.

At the time, I was looking after my nephew who was only 3 as my sister had to go to work. I used to take him with me when I visited the hospice. One day he was playing in the children’s corner and one of the doctors stopped to talk to him as he walked past. He asked him who he was and who he was there to see? It was such a lovely and relaxed place. 

The excitement of the Royal visit

I remember my Dad telling me about the excitement around the visit of His Royal Highness Prince Philip because it was such a big event. It gave everyone such a boost to know they’d be meeting a member of the Royal family.

It was all very hush hush. The Duke was visiting a couple of local businesses in the area and the hospice wrote to Buckingham Palace and asked if he would be interested in visiting as the Royal Family was so supportive of the hospice movement.

On the day of the royal visit, Dad turned up to visit Mum and when he saw lots of people lined up outside the hospice. I can remember Dad saying, “Is all this for me?”  He was told, “No, we are having a special visitor.” They didn’t say who it was until the Duke of Edinburgh was in the building. He visited the staff, patients and families who were there.

I remember Dad telling me how he came around and stood by Mum’s bed side. There was a funny moment when Prince Philip said to Dad, “I understand everyone is well cared for here.” Mum started waving her arms because she wanted to say something and then she said, “Don’t ask him, ask me because I am the one here.” The Duke laughed and so did everyone.

The day after my husband and I came to visit. I said to Mum, you had a special visitor yesterday but because of the brain tumour, she could not remember.  We tried to prompt her by saying, it was the Duke of..... and we laughed when she said...”Wellington!” People often don’t realise that there can be funny moments at the hardest times.

The visit featured in the Romford Recorder and one of the newspaper photographers took a photo of Mum sitting in a chair by the bed with Dad and the Duke of Edinburgh.

The hospice has stayed close to my heart ever since

Over the years I have known people who have needed hospice care and friends who have had relatives who were cared for in the hospice.

After Mum died, my dad continued to support the hospice and donated where he could.

I have been supporting the hospice since then and still do. I make a regular donation by playing the lottery and sponsoring a nurse and I always buy the hospice raffle tickets.

It is such a wonderful facility. My mum was so well looked after and so the hospice will always be close to my heart.