Queen Elizabeth II

How and what do you write about the most famous woman of the past seventy years?

I am very proud that the agency that I file my press photographs to, owns the rights to the most iconic working image of the monarch and figurehead who has been the mainstay in the lives of my generation and those born after me. Although we all knew that The Queen's increasing frailty was quietly announcing the inevitable changing of The Royal Guard, it is still difficult to truly comprehend the loss of someone who millions of people throughout the world consider in the same way as their grandmother, elderly aunt or great- grandmother. We have all thought that we knew her. In reality I am guessing that very few of those who met the most important woman in the world, actually did.

Queen Elizabeth II kept the vow she made as a young woman, continuing to work for the good of the United Kingdom and The Commonwealth until the very end. No one could have been a greater loyal servant, quietly getting the job done well past State Retirement age.

To each of us, she will be remembered in a unique way based upon our views of the monarchy and our personal experiences of her and her family.

The first time I remember seeing The Queen was when my mother made me watch the Investiture of Prince Charles at Caernarfon Castle?on the television when I was 8 years old. Regardless of the fact that we Brits are the best in the world at putting on a ceremonial show filled with pomp and circumstance, I found it very boring. I do recall being excited about The Nationwide Silver Jubilee tour. I didn't get to see her in the flesh when she visited Leeds, but I do vividly recall the pink suit with hat adorned in what I still describe to this day, as matching marshmallows.

Like any matriarch she tried to steer her family through life's changes. She dealt with public scandal, family feuds, a quickly growing family tree, a destructive home fire, the fall-out from children's divorces and the death of several loved ones. The difference was, that all these life events did not happen behind closed doors. However, throughout everything she publicly remained calm and resolute. I remember being in The Palace of Westminster when the four princes formed a guard for The Queen Mother whilst her body lay in State. It must have been an awful time for the Queen, losing her mother and sister so close together.

Because of the fiscal fall out from the dreadful fire at Windsor, I got to photograph the fabulous Da Vinci exhibition in Buckingham Palace. Afterwards, I felt excited to walk down the famous red carpet and down the iconic stairwell that leads into the rear courtyard. This private experience took me back to when I was a child and my father received an invitation to the Palace to meet the Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh because he was a member of The Race Relations Board. I asked my father and his friend when they came back from the visit 'What was it like?' Bizarrely they both said that the carpets were very thick. This strange image stayed with me until my own brief visit quashed it.

I was in my first year at college when Diana became engaged to Charles. Whilst I began my personal journey into adulthood, I remember finding it difficult to comprehend how someone just a few months younger than myself could comfortably contemplate becoming the future Queen/Queen Consort. Because of our similar ages, I followed Diana's royal life with fascination. I only photographed her once, on her last birthday at Tate Britain and my last security job was sadly co-ordinating 250 stewards along part of the route of her State funeral. I remember walking past the all-night vigils around Kensington Palace the night before the funeral. It was pitch black apart from the flickering candles and the lights in Diana's apartment.

It was a pivotal week for me in my capacity as a Press photographer. I had known that Diana had died before I went to sleep after working as a wedding photographer that day and staying for the disco before going home to bed. The public seemed angry and stared at us whilst we worked across London that week. It was a highly emotional time for many of us, a few days when The Queen publicly took the brunt of it. I remember the unprecedented TV address from Buckingham Palace. I felt sorry for her. Maybe she had misjudged the situation, but I could also imagine that my grandma would have chosen to do the same for us if we our mother had died in this way.

Although I am not a Royal photographer, I have covered Trooping of The Colour both at Horseguards Parade and from The QVM, William and Catherine's wedding, the first public appearance of Prince George at The Lindo Wing, Harry and Meghan's wedding, a few Royal film premieres, a couple of State Openings of Parliament and recently some of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. All these key frames remain stored in my mental library. They are records of aspects of the life of a significant person in our history.

She was a woman who chose to shake hands with Martin McGuinness after the muder of Lord Mountbatten, publicly admitted to making mistakes and having a horrible year, whilst juggling the roles of matriarch and monarch. She has held private weekly meetings with a total of 15 Prime Ministers. The time spent doing this forged her into the ultimate ambassador and diplomat for any country.

The Queen may have fulfilled a significant role in promoting our country to the world and supporting different members of our society...but she always had a great sense of humour. I loved the Bond 2012 stunt and the Paddington Bear sketch. They were charming loveable and relatable roles.

King Charles III has some big shoes to fill whilst he grieves the loss of his beloved mother.

One things for certain, the iconic design referenced from the TopFoto photograph that we have stuck on our mail for so long, will have to be replaced very quickly.

God Bless The Queen. May she rest in peace, re-united with her rock and stay, Phillip.