Diane was born in June 1948 and Prince Charles followed later that year in November.
She remembers that each Monday morning at assembly, the school children all stated the oath: “I love God and my country, I will honour the flag and I will serve the Queen and cheerfully obey my parents, teachers and the laws.”
She has tried to do that all her life.
Diane recalls Victorian schoolchildren going down to St Kilda Rd in Melbourne in February 1954 to see the new Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh drive past in front of thousands of people lining the road.
It was the newly-crowned Queen's first parade in Victoria.
Diane remembers the red, white and blue bunting, flags and streamers.
For the occasion, she, her sister and friends dressed in red, white and blue with rosettes on the chests for the colours of the English flag.
They stood on St Kilda Rd to see the Queen go by.
It was an impressive sight for such small children and the memory has stayed with her all her life.
The excitement and patriotism was what Australians needed to lift them out of the post-war depression.
Diane believes the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh fulfilled their monarchical roles admirably for the years of her reign and close to 73 year of marriage until his death in April 2021 and her passing in September 2022.
“I visited Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle a couple of times on overseas trips to the United Kingdom,” Diane said.
“In April 2021, I compiled a Queen’s condolence book for the Nagambie community to sign and sent it to the Queen at Buckingham Palace with over 1200 signatures and 80 photos in it following Prince Philip’s death on April 9, 2021.
“Then, when my beloved Queen passed away in September 2022, I compiled another condolence book on behalf of the Nagambie community.
“I sent it with photos to King Charles at Buckingham Palace and included a letter to him and to Prince William and Princess Kate.”
On Tuesday, May 2, Diane received a thank you card from the Prince and Princess of Wales.
The card thanked the Nagambie community for their condolences.
Diane wishes King Charles well in his reign.
“I know it is his time to fill his destiny as monarch and I hope to compile a congratulatory message on behalf of the Nagambie community and send it to him soon,” she said.
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