Diocesan News22 Apr 16

A very special MU tea party to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday

45 nonagenarians and one centenarian were the special guests at a Mothers’ Union Tea Party in celebration of Her Majesty the Queen’s 90th birthday on 21 April.

The Queen is Patron of the Mothers’ Union (MU) Worldwide and the ladies were all members of MU branches from around the Diocese of Down and Dromore.

Bishop of the Diocese, Rt Revd Harold Miller and his wife Liz hosted the event in St Donard’s Parish Centre in East Belfast.

Bishop Harold led a short act of devotion and the National Anthem before the ladies and their chaperones enjoyed a delicious afternoon tea and, at the end of the afternoon, some music from the Percy French Singers. The tea was all catered and served by MU members in the beautifully decorated hall. 

The bishop presented each person with a copy of an illustrated short book – The Servant Queen – and the King She Serves. The book was written for the Queen’s 90th birthday and celebrates her Christian faith – “a faith,” said Bishop Harold, “which I know is so important to the members of the Mothers’ Union.”

All of the ladies aged 90 and over were also given a small wooden ‘holding cross’ (pictured right).

Diocesan President, June Butler, said: “Her Majesty the Queen is our Patron and our ladies look up to her so the Trustees felt it was very important that we celebrated this special birthday in our diocese. We had about 100 guests, 45 of whom were over 90 and who have lived the same lifetime as Her Majesty. We loved hearing all their special memories and stories.”

At this particular gathering, the Queen’s popularity was in no doubt!

Mary Nicholson from St Gall’s Carnalea is the same age as the Queen and she recalled her dressmaker mother following royal fashion: “If Princess Elizabeth had a big straw summer hat, I went to Sunday School in a big straw hat and when she wore a beret, I wore a beret,” said Mary. “They had nice clothes, so we were always well dressed!”

Mary also remembers going to Belfast’s High Street to see the newly wed Princess Elizabeth and a dashingly handsome prince Philip on a Royal visit.

As 12 year old girl living in Edinburgh, Lydia Walton aged 92 from Donaghadee, remembers seeing the young princesses playing in the Garden of Holyrood Palace and Irene Lockett, 91, from Willowfield, shared her memory of receiving the Maundy Money from her Majesty when she visited Armagh in 2008.

Finally, when it came to cutting the cake, in the absence of the Queen Elizabeth herself, it fell to the most senior person in the room – Barbara Smith aged 100, from Dundela, who did a wonderful job!

View the photo gallery here