There was sorrow as well as smiles among the women of the Ripon Community Poppy Project (RCPP) Knit and Natter Group, when they met for the first time following the Queen’s death.

To lighten the mood, a knitted display, reminding the group of that, now famous, television moment, when Her Majesty had afternoon tea with Paddington Bear, enjoyed pride of place.

Alongside a photograph of The Queen, the display, included Paddington with his suitcase, a handbag, marmalade sandwiches and a corgi wearing a crown.

The knitted figures and accessories, were created by group members Carol Dunkley, Angela Turnbull and Lynn Hart,

A photograph of The Queen was in place among the knitted display

In the months leading up to the Platinum Jubilee, the Knit and Natter Group, along with others working from home, knitted virtually non-stop to create miles of bunting, carrying the initials ER, which was wrapped around the city.

It was a huge collective effort that earned a letter of thanks from one of the Queen’s ladies in waiting at Windsor Castle.

Yesterday, as they continued to produce the next poppy displays in time for Remembrance Sunday, they paused for silence.

Hazel Barker, who founded RCPP with former mayor of Ripon Councillor Stuart Martin, told the Stray Ferret:

“There was sadness, as we held a minute’s silence to contemplate Her Majesty’s incredible reign and what she did for this country.

“Thoughts of her passing were then followed with the many happy memories that members of the group have of her, including her visits to Ripon.”

Hazel, added:

“It was clear with the James Bond film for the 2012 Olympics and the meeting with Paddington, filmed for the Platinum Jubilee, that Her Majesty had a great sense of humour.”

As part of yesterday’s reflective meeting, cups of tea and coffee were accompanied by sandwich biscuits, baked by Hazel and fittingly including a marmalade filling.

This column is written for the Stray Ferret by Sir Thomas Ingilby, of Ripley Castle.

I was 18 when my father died and too young to appreciate how his unexpected passing would change my life forever.

I inherited a title (a Baronetcy – the most junior rank of knighthood), an ancient castle and an institution that was steeped in seven centuries of tradition. I inherited a privilege – and an imposition. The life and freedom that I had fondly dreamed of disappeared: I was metaphorically handcuffed to the castle radiators. Having been given a title by accident of birth I have spent 49 years trying to earn it.

But the pressures that I faced were a tiny microcosm of the huge challenge that the 25-year-old Princess Elizabeth inherited when her father died. She found herself catapulted into the global spotlight and suddenly had to deal with momentous matters of state every day while bringing up a family of four.

People expect their monarchs to be wise but not arrogant, dignified yet personable, firm but with a sparkle in the eye, to have a cheerful countenance all day, every day: there can be no such thing as ‘an off day’ or ‘a bad day at the office’ for a monarch. Mistakes at that level can have terrible consequences and when you are under that kind of pressure it is impossible to relax. Little wonder that she found so much contentment away from the spotlight at Balmoral, a place where she could just be herself.

We were fortunate to meet the Queen on several occasions and she was always the consummate professional, chatting to everyone, no matter who they were, putting them at their ease, captivating them with the sparkle in her eyes. She was genuinely interested in everyone that she met and it showed in the warmth of her approach. She had an agile mind and a great sense of humour: any nervousness that you had about being in her company was rapidly disarmed by her approachability.

Deep and genuine faith

At times of stress the pressure must have been almost unbearable – the strain showed in her face. Her deep and genuine faith and her determination to meet the challenge head on while listening to the counsel of her husband and other trusted advisers always saw her, and the nation, through.

Hers was a Herculean responsibility and she gave it her all for 70 years, a truly remarkable achievement given the enormous personal, national and international crises that arose during her reign. She inherited an institution that was steeped in over a thousand years of tradition and transformed it into something far more appropriate for the modern age – something that can and will continue to evolve to meet the nation’s needs.

The national sense of grief and thanksgiving is a verdict delivered: she overcame everything that fate through at her and set an exemplary standard through her leadership. In contemporary parlance she took on the job and absolutely smashed it. She has richly earned our respect and gratitude: she can finally rest in peace alongside her beloved husband.

King Charles III becomes the 33rd monarch to assume the throne during my family’s time at Ripley. In that time we have saved the life of one king (Edward III), fought for another (Charles I during the Civil War), been implicated in a conspiracy to blow up another one (James I in the Gunpowder Plot) and extended our warm hospitality to several others.

But all that is in the past and as we pledge our allegiance to the new monarch we wish Charles III a less testing reign than his predecessors as he seeks to help guide our nation forward through these precarious times. He has big footsteps to fill – but clearly shares his mother’s passion for the challenges ahead.

God save the King!

In special Evensong and Vigil services last night led by the Dean of Ripon the Very Revd John Dobson, the congregation joined in one voice to remember the late monarch and offer sympathy and support for the new king – a Freeeman of the City for 20 years.

From the opening of the doors at Ripon Cathedral to the setting of the watch on Market Square events in the city underlined its deep royal roots.

It began with private prayers at the cathedral from 8am until 9pm and throughout the day people wrote  messages in the books of condolence for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Books of condolence were signed throughout the day and will remain in place in the north transept of the cathedral for people to leave their messages.

The Bishop of Ripon the Rt Rev Dr Helen-Ann Hartley gave blessings at the end of the Vigil Service in the cathedral and the setting of the watch ceremony

After the service the senior clergy and mayor of Ripon walked to the market square for the setting of the watch.

A plaque by the front door of the town hall, says that the honour bestowed on King Charles III in October 2002, when he was the Prince of Wales, was ‘In deep appreciation of his unique contribution to the regeneration of Ripon.’

Standing on the same steps that The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh stood on in May 2004, when Ripon celebrated the 400th anniversary of its Royal Charter, Mayor Councillor Sid Hawke was joined by the bishop and dean, canons Ailsa Newby, Michael Gisbourne and Richard Cooper and head verger Charlie Brown, as hornblower Allison Clark, announced that the watch had been set. (see main image)

Today there will be hourly prayers at the cathedral from 8am and a special choral Evensong at 5.30pm, to mark the proclamation of the King.

Tomorrow at 10.30am there will be a sung Eucharist service led by the Bishop of Ripon, followed by a choral Evensong at 3.30pm.

Read More:

• Watch: Bells toll across district to mark the Queen’s death
• Ripon Cathedral to play a central role in mourning The Queen

The links between the Queen and the Harrogate district stretch back decades, including a visit in 1952 before her coronation.

They include appearances at the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate to her trips to Ripon, including her 2004 visit for another important anniversary – 400 years since the granting of the city’s Royal Charter.

Reflecting on her visit on December 10, 1998, a spokesperson for Harrogate Theatre said:

“Harrogate Theatre fondly remembers her visit and the warmth she extended to our staff and members of the public. Our sincere condolences go out to the Royal Family.”

The Queen visits Harrogate Theatre in 1998. Photo: Harrogate Theatre.

The Queen touched the lives of all those who met her, including residents in the district. Many recalled those occasions just recently, when communities celebrated her platinum jubilee.

Janine Jennings, from Hampsthwaite, said:

“It was her Silver Jubilee 1977 and I was pulled out of the crowd to meet her and as I presented her the flowers, she asked if I had grown them myself. I said yes, but actually, my mum, Mrs Johnson and I borrowed them from the empty police house next to us. So I lied to the queen!

“This picture (below) appeared in the paper, my mum kept it framed in her bedroom. It was really very special to meet the Queen and I remember it clearly to this day and always will.”

Claire H Beresford-Robinson said:

“I was lucky to meet the Queen when she visited the Great Yorkshire Showground and our tent ‘Growing up in North Yorkshire’.

“I attended Woodlands School at the time. It was our moment to shine. The Queen looked at the work I was doing and said “splendid work”. I will never forget this moment.

“Our school was chosen to attend the same day the Queen was coming. I’ll never forget the fabulous feeling at age 11 to be told I was selected to meet the Queen.”

Claire H. Beresford-Robinson also sent the above photograph of the Queen looking at the work of Woodlands School pupils.

She said:

“This is me and my friends at Woodlands School with headteacher Mr Dunmore in the background.”

Read more:

• Mayor leads Harrogate tributes to Queen’s ‘constant source of courage’
• Lord Lieutenant pays tribute to the Queen from North Yorkshire

Karen Wenham said:

“I remember when I was in my last year at Starbeck CP School and the Queen came to visit in 1977. We all went up to the Great Yorkshire Showground and I took a posy of flowers for her. It always sticks in my mind.

“A couple of years ago I was invited to go to the palace, as I am an ambassador for a charity, and Sophie Wessex was lovely and we chatted.

“We were told the Queen was in residence that night and not to be surprised if she came down with her corgis, as she likes to surprise people.”

Rick Vai sent the photo below of the Queen visiting Knaresborough, which sparked memories from other residents.

Karen Allan said:

“They passed along King James Road, fronting King James School. We were all lined up for her.”

Sarah Brown added:

“I remember this. I was one of those school children lined up outside King James School in Knaresborough.”

Just 13 weeks ago, the bells at Ripon Cathedral rang out in joyous celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, but today the bells were muffled as they rang out for an hour at midday to mark the passing of the UK’s most enduring monarch.

The Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd John Dobson, led the jubilee civic service for North Yorkshire held at the cathedral on June 2, which was attended by the great and the good of the county.

From today and over the period of national mourning, the doors of the iconic church, founded 1,350 years ago by St Wilfrid, will be open to all, who wish to pay their respects to Her Majesty.

This can be done by signing the book of condolence in the north transept, through private prayer, by attending a service or leaving flowers.

Dean John, told the Stray Ferret:

“Back in June, we marked 70 years of The Queen’s magnificent service, now we come to celebrate her life and pray for her family.”

In a message on the cathedral’s website, he said The Queen was:

“One of the world’s greatest figures of our time, one who dedicated her life as monarch to the wellbeing of the people of this nation, the commonwealth and the wider world.

“She was a faithful Christian who drew on her faith to serve God and the common good in the role that God had given her.

“She wasn’t pious and didn’t let her exalted status unduly affect her. She reigned with great integrity, as seen in the images of her sitting alone at the funeral of her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. She was a great servant of her people and an unequalled example of public service over the last century.”

The cathedral, which the Queen visited in 1985 for the Royal Maundy Service, has been the focus of celebration for its 1,350th anniversary since April, attracting visitors from across the region as well as overseas.

Over the coming days it is ready to welcome visitors, who wish to make their own tribute and reflect on Her Majesty’s remarkable reign.

Today, there will be an Evensong Service at 5.30 and a Vigil Service at 8.15.

The Cathedral will be open daily from 8am.

The Great North Art Show, which was due to begin at the cathedral tomorrow, is being postponed.

All council meetings in Harrogate and North Yorkshire will be cancelled next week.

Following the death of the Queen, Harrogate Borough Council has decided to suspend its meetings calendar “as a mark of respect”.

Its audit and governance committee meeting on Monday and planning committee on Tuesday have been postponed.

Meetings for the leader and cabinet on Wednesday will also be held at a later date, along with the general purposes committee and a meeting of the cabinet member for housing and safer communities the following day.

Rescheduled dates are yet to be announced.

A book of condolence has been opened at the civic centre in St Luke’s Mount, Harrogate. It will be available to be signed until 4.30pm today, 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Thursday next week and 8.30am to 4.30pm next Friday.

The council has also said floral tributes can be left on the grass in front of the war memorial opposite Bettys. Some have already begun to appear this morning.

Read more:

• Mayor leads Harrogate tributes to Queen’s ‘constant source of courage’
• Lord Lieutenant pays tribute to the Queen from North Yorkshire

Meanwhile, North Yorkshire County Council has also cleared its calendar for the next 10 days.

Among the meetings to be postponed is the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency meeting next Thursday.

A period of national mourning is expected to be announced by the government later today, along with the date of the funeral.

Churches across the Harrogate district are opening so people can pay tribute to the Queen and sign books of condolence. We report on what each parish has planned to allow people to mourn, reflect and celebrate her life.

Ripon

Ripon Cathedral will be the main focal point for the mourning of the Queen in the Harrogate district.

A book of condolence for the Queen opened at 10am this morning.

The cathedral will be open throughout the day for people to sign the book of condolences and pray.

There will be a special Evensong service at 5.30pm and a vigil service at 8.30pm. A specific place has also been designated outside the cathedral where people can lay flowers.

The Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd John Dobson, said on the cathedral’s website:

“We are very sorry to hear of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll.

“She was one of the world’s greatest figures of our time, one who dedicated her life as monarch to the wellbeing of the people of this nation, the Commonwealth and the wider world.”

 

Saturday 10th September 

Hourly prayers taking place on the hour

8.30am – Morning Prayer

12 noon – Holy Communion

5.30pm – Special Choral Evensong with prayers to mark the Proclamation of the King

Cathedral open until 9pm

Sunday 11th September 

8am – Holy Communion

9.30am – Morning Prayer

10.30am – Eucharist with the Bishop of Ripon. The service will include prayers for Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III

3.30pm – Choral Evensong to mark the death of the sovereign Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Cathedral open until 7pm

A book of condolences has been opened at St Peter’s Church in Harrogate

Harrogate

In Harrogate, a book of condolences has been opened at St Peter’s Church on Cambridge Street in the town centre.

St John’s Church on Bilton Lane is open between 9am and 5pm today for “people to be quiet, reflect and pray as they remember and give thanks for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.”

Knaresborough 

Read more

• LIVE: Bells to toll at midday across the district to mark the Queen’s death

Pateley Bridge

A book of condolences has been open at St Cuthbert’s Church in Pateley Bridge.

Vicar Darryl Hall invited people to “feel free to light a candle and say a prayer.”

Prayer stations in Holy Trinity Dacre Banks, St Jude’s Hartwith, Christ Church Darley and St Saviour’s Thornthwaite  and been set up where people can light a candle reflect, remember and pray.

Sunday Services:

9:30am Holy Communion at Holy Trinity, Dacre Banks

11am Holy Communion at St Saviour’s, Thornthwaite

6:30pm Holy Communion at Christ Church, Darley

Boroughbridge

Roecliffe Church will hold a short prayer service at 7.30pm Friday tonight.

St James’s in Borougbridge will hold prayers for the Queen and the new King on Monday morning at 9.30am.

Both churches, as well as St Mary’s in Dunsforth and St Andrew’s in Aldborough, will remain open as much as possible during the week for people to visit and to sign books of condolence.

A parish-wide service of commemoration and thanksgiving for the Queen will be held at St Andrew’s on Sunday, September 18 at 10am.

Masham

St Mary’s Church in Masham is open between 10am and 6pm today for people to light candles and say prayers.

A book of condolences will be opened on Saturday.

Elsewhere in the district

Nidd Church will be open for an hour today from 12pm.

A book of condolences has also been opened at the church in Hampsthwaite.

Craig Marshall, the rector of North Rigton, Weeton and Kirby Overblow, said:

“May Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth rest in peace and rise in glory.

“Our prayers are with King Charles and the royal family.”

He said books of condolences would be opened in each church alongside an image of the Queen.

The churches opened at 9am there will be prayers at 12 noon today in St Barnabas, Weeton and 7pm tonight in All Saints’ Kirkby Overblow.

A tribute has been paid by the Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Jo Ropner, following the announcement of the death of Her Majesty the Queen.

She said:

“It is with the most profound sadness that I have learnt of the death of Her Majesty the Queen.

“Her unfailing commitment to our country and to the wider Commonwealth throughout the past 70 years has been an inspiration to us all.

“On Her Majesty’s 21st birthday in 1947, the then Princess Elizabeth vowed that her ‘whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service’ in an address broadcast to the Commonwealth, a commitment which was reaffirmed during her Coronation in 1953.

“That her life was so blessedly long, and that her youthful vow was kept so carefully, is an accomplishment for which we, as a county and as a nation, will be forever grateful.”

The Queen’s death was confirmed by Buckingham Palace just after 6.30pm this evening.

She died at Balmoral this afternoon, after it was announced earlier today that doctors were concerned about her health. Her immediate family gathered at the Scottish estate through the day.

Visits to North Yorkshire

Ms Ropner highlighted the Queen’s links to the county over her long reign. She said:

“Her Majesty visited North Yorkshire on numerous occasions, including the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate to mark its 150th anniversary in 2008 and the Maundy Thursday service at York Minster in 2012, and the county’s residents always welcomed the Queen with warm enthusiasm.

“I had the privilege of meeting Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace when I was appointed as Lord Lieutenant in 2018, and I know from personal experience that every engagement was conducted with grace and genuine interest, that every person felt the spark from meeting not only their monarch, but a truly remarkable woman whose commitment to her role will be remembered for generations to come.

“On behalf of the people of North Yorkshire, York and Teesside, I shall be expressing my heartfelt condolences to Her Majesty’s family.”

Read more:

• Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has died
• Prayers tonight at Ripon Cathedral for the Queen

Away from the the sights and sounds of the platinum jubilee celebrations across the Harrogate district, it’s a fitting day to remember another royal connection from the Ripon area that goes directly to the Queen, via her great great grandmother, Queen Victoria.

It was Derby Day on Epsom Downs and the world’s most  famous race grabbed national and international attention, with the easy winner and 5-2 favourite, Desert Crown, trained by Sir Michael, destined to earn a fortune at stud.

On the boundary wall at the Parish Church of St Lawrence in Aldfield — between Ripon and Fountains Abbey — there is a blue plaque recognising that William Powell Frith, the world-renowned painter, whose signature work was called The Derby Day was born in the tiny village on November 2, 1819.

A portrait of William Powell Frith as a young man. Picture: Mary Evans Picture Gallery

His mother Jane, was house steward to Sophia Lawrence of Studley Royal, before the family moved to Harrogate in 1826 to manage the Dragon Hotel.

Nine years later, at the age of 16,  Frith decided to take his prodigious artistic talent to London, telling his family that his aim was to make his fortune.

This was no misplaced boast, as he was entered into the Royal Academy and earned the accolade of being one of Queen Victoria’s favourite painters.

The Queen, who is Victoria’s great great grandaughter, has never won the Classic race as either owner or breeder and the nearest she came was in her coronation year , when her horse Aureole finished second in the 1953 running.

Dreams of a fairy-tale win in platinum jubilee year were dashed when her horse Reach for the Moon was withdrawn from today’s race by joint trainers John and Thady Gosden, after the three-year-old colt suffered a training setback.

For only the third time in her 70-year reign, the 96-year-old Queen is also a ‘non-runner’ at Epsom today, with ongoing health issues meaning she will be watching the race on television.

Frith, who lived to the age of 89, died in 1909 assured that his Derby Day work created between 1856 and 1858 had earned him the fortune that he predicted.

His classic painting and other celebrated works – have put him forever in the frame as one of the world’s best known artists

Read More:

• Where you can go for the district’s jubilee celebrations
• Why was it time for a royal tea at Ripon Cathedral?

The right royal city of Ripon is sending many happy returns to the Queen — along with a very special card.

The card, larger than any Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle windowsill can accommodate, has been produced in time for delivery for the monarch’s 96th birthday on April 21.

Accompanying eight-year-old Edward Blythe’s giant imaginative creation, will be a book containing thousands of birthday greetings from the people of  Ripon.

Edward, a pupil of Moorside Primary School, told the Stray Ferret:

“I decided to have a corgi wearing a crown as my design, because I know they are the Queen’s favourite dog.

“I hope she likes it.”

Edward and his winning design, is pictured with, from the left: The Mayor of Ripon Councillor Eamon Parkin, city council leader Andrew Williams, Claire Rowett, headteacher of Moorside Primary School and Jeremy Dunford of Ripon Together

Ahead of its extensive programme of platinum jubilee events in June, Ripon City Council decided it would be a fitting early kick off to the celebrations, if it sent the Queen a special birthday card.

Hundreds of primary and secondary pupils and students at schools in Ripon and the wider area, took part in the project, supported by the council, Ripon Cathedral and Ripon Together.

Cllr Parkin said:

“This city has extremely long royal roots, going back to Alfred the Great in 886 and his donation of a ceremonial horn to his loyal supporters, for fighting off a Viking attack.

“Ripon also fought on the side of the Royalists in the English Civil War and our Royal Engineers have enjoyed the Freedom of The City since 1949.”

Former Moorside primary pupil Cllr Williams, added:

“As well as being a good fun exercise for the schools, asking children to create a special card for the Queen, has provided a creative way of letting them find out more about her incredible 70 years of service to this country.”

Year 3 pupil Edward was congratulated for the striking multi-textured card by Moorside Primary headteacher Claire Rowett,  who said:

“This is a fantastic achievement, well done to him.

“We are currently planning our jubilee celebrations as a school.”

Production of the card was handled by Jeremy Dunford, of Ripon Together, who said:

“It will be sent by special delivery – Royal Mail, of course!”

Read more:

• Meet Ripon’s royal knitters
• Ripon plans extensive Platinum Jubilee celebrations