Queen Elizabeth is the longest-ever reigning British monarch in history, with more than 66 years and counting under her belt. This kind of longevity lends itself to pretty high highs, and very low lows. Queen E’s highlight reel is lengthy, for sure, but there’s reportedly one day that she pinpoints as the absolute worst of her life.
According to Express, Andrew Parker Bowles (yes, Camilla’s ex-husband) has started to speak freely about a series of London bombing attacks in 1982, which made for the worst day in Queen Elizabeth’s life.
Tim Graham
It started on July 20, 1982, when members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) — a group designated as a terrorist organization by the U.K. that wanted an end to British rule of Northern Ireland at any cost — detonated two bombs during British military ceremonies in central London, the first in Hyde Park and the other in Regent’s Park. The explosions killed 11 people.
According to Parker Bowles, the event had a substantial impact on the queen. “She said to me it was ‘the most ghastly day of my life.'”
Parker Bowles himself was involved in the military ceremonies that day, leading the Household Cavalry.
VIDEO: Queen Elizabeth Was Reportedly Really Upset by This One Scene in The Crown
“It was a nice, sunny day and suddenly one heard this explosion one heard all the time in Northern Ireland,” he said. “One of the barriers opened and someone said, ‘They’ve blown up the Guard’. So we ran down to where the smoke was rising. The first horse I saw was Sefton. He had a bloody great hole in him but he managed to pull through.” Sefton the horse survived the attack, though 7 other horses died. He was later awarded the “Horse of the Year” honor.
Eventually, an Irish engineer named Gilbert “Danny” McNamee was charged with the attack in Hyde Park, but his conviction was later overturned.
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