Queen Elizabeth II Fondly Remembers Zimbabwe

She did this at a church service at her private Royal Chapel located at her favourite weekend retreat at Cumberland Lodge in Windsor just outside London.

The Queen was joined in her routine church service by a group of African and Asian students who are in England on various Commonwealth funded scholarships.

Among the students were some Zimbabweans whom she struck a conversation with.

Draped in a pink outfit with a matching hat and a pair of black gloves, the Queen sat in her castle like enclosure which was covered by a curtain.

She took time at the end of the church service to meet her strange visitors.

“Where are you from?” she asked the bemused group of Zimbabweans scholars who said in response, “We are from Zimbabwe.”

And as if she was not expecting anyone from the country, the Queen curiously quipped, “Zimbabwe is no longer a member.”

Zimbabwe pulled out of the Commonwealth family of nations in 2003 in rage after the Commonwealth election observer group produced a damning report of the 2002 elections.

The grouping said the elections widely believed to have been won by the MDC were neither free nor fair.
The Queen is the head of the Commonwealth.

“We are here to remind you of Zimbabwe,” responded the Zimbabwean scholars.

The Queen just smiled back silently.

The Queen later met other scholars from Asian and African countries and exchanged pleasantries with a lucky Nigerian female scholar whom she shook hands.

Queen Elizabeth II last visited Zimbabwe in October 1991 to open the Commonwealth meeting which was held in Harare. She visited the Great Zimbabwe ruins during her trip.