Fennell recalls Queen as quite a sport

When Michael Fennell heard of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the United Kingdom’s longest-serving monarch and Jamaica’s head of State, on Thursday, it weighed heavily on his heart.

Fennell is one of very few Jamaicans who got the opportunity to shake hands with the United Kingdom’s longest-serving monarch every four years between 1994 and 2011 as he served as president of the Commonwealth Games Federation and the Queen as its patron.

In an interview with The Gleaner, hours after the passing of the 96-year-old monarch was announced, Fennell said that he would always cherish the moments he shared with her during the various Games.

“Prior to the Games, we would launch The Queen’s Baton Relay and she, in fact, either opened or closed the Games ... . I think of her with great admiration as a person and as a leader. You know you revel when you study leadership all around. There are people in life that you see and recognise for their great qualities of leadership, and she is certainly one,” said Fennell.

The 87-year-old said The Queen was one of the leaders who left the most significant impression on him.

“She was well-informed and, certainly, at all times, paid a lot of attention to detail. She could comment and converse on detailed aspects of sports and other matters. There was no question that she spent a lot of time understanding what she was dealing with,” Fennell said.

CAUGHT OFF GUARD

He told The Gleaner that once he spotted her at a gymnastics competition during a staging of the Commonwealth Games, and she asked questions that nearly embarrassed him.

“She was asking specific questions about the equipment and scoring, and so on, and could comment on that. These are not things she read from a script. These are things she naturally watched and properly informed herself on them,” he said.

He recalled that he last saw The Queen face-to-face at the Commonwealth Games 2010 in Delhi.

Fennell, who was instrumental in the ceremony for the lowering of the Union Jack at the National Stadium in August 1962 to herald Jamaica’s political Independence, said he will forever hold The Queen in high regard for remaining head of State even after Jamaica became an independent country 60 years ago.

“This is time to mention the deep respect and admiration for her type of leadership; her balance very clear and very considerate and a most impressive person. Really very impressive,” Fennell said.

CALM UNDER PRESSURE

He admired her ability to deal with even tough situations calmly and for being very balanced in her views, even when controversial.

“While her staff would be following up with details and protocol, and all that sort of thing, she was very relaxed and very extremely easy to talk to, and she knew what she was talking about,” Fennell told The Gleaner.

“Irrespective of what social or political slant you want to put her in, there is absolutely no question that we have lost a great leader, a person who played her part superbly and one that we will surely miss,” he said.

Although Fennell could not recall when he first met The Queen, having interacted with her on several occasions, including at Buckingham Palace. he noted that she never needed a script and that her level of awareness was always heightened.

“She performed her duties as if it’s a run-of-the-mill thing. She was not deterred by the weather because she was doing her duty and did it without looking for excuses,” he added, noting that Queen Elizabeth II was never fazed to walk long distances, although event organisers would agonise over whether they were putting her in an awkward position.

“I remember in the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2006. That was one where she was horrified to hear that we didn’t want her to walk downstairs to go to a podium. When she heard this, she insisted that this was a part of her duty. That’s just the quality of the person,” he said. “I know this may sound like simplistic anecdotes, but it shows you the person’s dedication to duty and knowledge of what is required.”

Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully on Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Thursday after reigning for 70 years.

ainsworth.morris@gleanerjm.com