The world continues to mourn the passing of the longest-serving monarch Queen Elizabeth II.
As a prominent figure, a lot of people dream of meeting the Queen of United Kingdom. One of the many Filipinos who wished to have met the Queen personally is boxing legend Manny Pacquiao. While he was not successful in requesting for a private audience, it did not stop Pacquiao from his admiration for the Queen. So much so that he named one of her daughters Queen Elizabeth as a tribute to Her Majesty.
Read: Queen Elizabeth II passes away at 96
But not common to many, there are actually a few Filipinos who were fortunate enough to personally meet and speak with the Queen Elizabeth.
May Parsons
Just this July, May Parsons, a Filipina nurse based in the United Kingdom, administered the first COVID-19 vaccine in Dec. 8, 2020. In a Facebook post, she said she was honored to receive the George Cross award on behalf of her colleagues. She also praised the courage of her staff during the pandemic.
“I’d like to congratulate my team at University Hospital Coventry for all of the successes all of your work done this is the team that has obviously inspired me and allowed me to be the best that I could be,” she said in a Facebook video shared by University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire, where she worked.
Read: Filipina nurse makes history for administering first COVID-19 vaccine in UK
Former President Fidel V. Ramos
The late President Fidel V. Ramos received the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1995.
Former Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo
Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo met with Queen Elizabeth II in the Buckingham Palace on December 6, 2007. In a video shared on the former president’s social media in 2020, the Arroyos can be seen shaking the hand and chatting with Queen Elizabeth II.
Arroyo shared online that she is deeply saddened to hear the news of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s passing. She also said that “the world will always remember her long and glorious reign.”
“I will forever cherish Her Majesty’s advice and encouragement when we visited her during my presidency. My sincere condolences to the entire Royal family and the peoples over whom she reigned,” said Arroyo.
Senate President Nepatali Gonzales
Back in 1998, Senate President Neptali Gonzales meet with the Queen at Buckingham palace in London. A report by Reuters captured an image of Gonzales with the Queen during the second day of the Asia-Europe meeting, April 3 1998. His three days of meetings, according to the report were likely dominated by discussions on how the Asian economic crisis was handled.
Many times chosen as an “Outstanding Senator,” Neptali Alvaro Gonzales, served as President of the Senate for three times. Senate President Gonzales is known for his humble beginnings and his excellence of graduating as class valedictorian in the Philippine Law School. He placed 9th in the 1949 bar examinations with the grade of 92.50%.
He was the permanent delegate of the Congress of the Philippines to the century-old Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization (AIPO). He is also a delegate to the International Labor Organization (ILO).
Ambassador Evan Garcia
Among the country’s representatives who were able to meet the Queen are Ambassador Evan Garcia and his wife Jocelyn Batoon-Garcia. They were received by Queen Elizabeth II in an audience at Buckingham Palace on October 12, 2016 in London.
Ambassador Evan P. Garcia has served as a Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations Office at Geneva since 2017. Garcia had also served as Ambassador of the Philippines to the United Kingdom and non-resident Ambassador to Ireland since May 2016.
In 2020, Garcia was elected chairperson of the International Organization on Migration (IOM) Council Bureau, making him the first Filipino to lead the global migration body.
In the photo by Getty Images, Ambassador Garcia can be seen handing over his letters of credence to the Queen.
Ambassador Edgardo Espiritu
Another Ambassador of the Philippines who was able to meet Queen Elizabeth II is Edgardo B. Espiritu.
Ambassador Antonio Manuel Lagdameo
Queen Elizabeth II was also photographed with Ambassador of the Philippines Antonio Manuel Lagdameo and Mrs Lagdameo. The photos were taken after he presented his Letters of Credence, during a private audience with Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace in Westminster central London in 2017.
A seasoned diplomat, Ambassador Lagdameo previously served as the Ambassador of the Philippines to Spain with concurrent jurisdiction over the Principality of Andorra from August 2008 to July 2009.
He also served as the Ambassador of the Philippines to the United Mexican States, with concurrent jurisdiction over Belize, the Republic of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama from January 2007 to August 2008.
Ambassador Lagdameo has also served as a Philippine Ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Ambassador Enrique Manalo
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II meets the Ambassador of the Philippines Enrique Manalo at an audience at Buckingham Palace in London.
Enrique Austria Manalo is a Filipino diplomat currently serving as the Secretary of Foreign Affairs under President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos since July 1, 2022.
In 2007, he was appointed DFA Undersecretary for Policy, serving until 2010. From 2010 to 2011, he served as the Philippine Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg and head of the Philippine Mission to the European Union. He served as the ambassador of the Philippines to the United Kingdom from 2011 to 2016 and a non-resident ambassador to Ireland from 2013 to 2016.
Apart from official meetings with Ambassadors and Presidents, the Queen has also recognized several Filipino during her reign. Several of them are from the Healthcare sector.
Joy Ongchacuy
In 2019, Queen Elizabeth awarded Joy Ongcachuy, a Filipino robotic lead nurse at The Royal London, an Order of the British Empire (OBE) after she courageously and calmly led her team at the Royal London in caring for a deluge of injured people during the 2017 London Bridge terrorist attacks.
The OBE is a prestigious award conferred on those who have “made achievements in public life,” or “committed themselves to serving and helping Britain.”
According to GOV.UK, in order to receive the award, the nominee must still be actively involved in what they are being nominated for.
Once the honour’s list has been drafted by the Cabinet Office Honours and Appointments Secretariat, the committee’s recommendations go to the Prime Minister and then to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who awards the honour.
Minerva “Minnie” Klepacz
Last October 10, 2020, Minerva “Minnie” Klepacz, a Filipina nurse based in England has been recognized by Queen Elizabeth II and was awarded by the British Empire Medal, the University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust.
The award was in recognition of Klepacz’s support to her colleagues and community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read: LOOK: Pinay nurse awarded ‘British Empire Medal’ by Queen Elizabeth II for COVID-19 efforts
Charito Romano
Another Filipina nurse who received recognition from Queen is Charito Romano. Romano is a staff nurse at the Arbrook House Care Home in the UK. She was among those included in Queen Elizabeth II’s New Year’s honors list last January 2021.
Many congratulations to Staff Nurse Charito Romano, from the 🇵🇭, awarded a British Empire Medal in the #NewYearsHonours for her outstanding work at Arbrook House Care Home in the UK during the #Covid19 pandemic. #Honours2021 pic.twitter.com/hA7yAXFPWT
— Daniel Pruce 🇬🇧 (@DanielPruce) January 2, 2021
Roland Quitevis
British Ambassador to the Philippines Daniel Pruce gave the British Empire Medal to Roland Quitevis for his 33-years of service at the embassy.
“I am delighted to announce that Her Majesty, The Queen Elizabeth II has honored Mr. Roland Quitevis with the British Empire Medal for his services to UK-Philippine Relations,” British Ambassador Daniel Pruce said in a statement dated July 23.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, there are around 200,000 Filipinos residing in the United Kingdom, the majority of which, or an estimated 22,000, are in the healthcare industry.
There may be more former Filipino Presidents and dignitaries who have met with the Queen during her reign but details of their meetings are not readily available online.
Surprisingly hard to track down meetings between Philippine Presidents and Queen Elizabeth. Not even sure if either Corazon Aquino or Ferdinand Marcos ever met the Queen. pic.twitter.com/TozZKVBJHe
— oli r. (@ohlistic) September 9, 2022
Were you one of the many Filipinos who have wished to meet Queen Elizabeth II? If yes, comment down what you would have discussed with the Queen.
