Anguilla – which celebrated the 51st Anniversary of its 1967 Revolution with a National Holiday, an Official Parade and other key activities on May 30 – observed the Official Birthday of Queen Elizabeth ll on Monday, June 11.
The Queen’s Birthday Party was held at Government House and was hosted by Governor Tim Foy, OBE, and his wife, Dr. Dina Foy. The event was attended by many invited guests, among them being a number of persons honoured with medals by the Queen over the years.
The event began with a Flag Raising Ceremony and a gun salute by a contingent of the Royal Anguilla Police Force as well as the participation of Officers from Her Majesty’s Prison.
Thirteen Prison Officers were presented with Long Service Awards by Governor Foy who was accompanied by Superintendent of Prisons, Ms. Carice Sasso; and Commissioner of Police, Mr. Paul Morrison.
The recipients of the Colonial Prison Service Medals were: Prison Officers St. Elmore Davis, Lansworth Laborde, Marvin Halley, Josenta Gumbs, Juan Monzac, Tricia Carty, Jennifer Cordice and Rufus James; and Principal Officers: Denroy Halliday, Cynthia Christmas, Nigel Webster and Andreas Neverson; and Senior Officer, Allison Bourne. The awards were a testament to the work of the officers who have faithfully served for more than ten years.
Speaking in relation to the Queen’s Birthday, Governor Foy was pleased to welcome to the ceremony, for the first time, three Anguillian centenarians who were honoured by the Queen. They were: Mrs. Ursula Connor of South Hill; Mrs. Althea Richardson of North Hill; and Mrs. Denise Niles of The Farrington.
The Governor reflected on the strength of the connection Anguilla has with the Crown and the United Kingdom. He was of the view that “the relationship between Anguilla and the UK remains strong – arguably stronger because it is a relationship based on respect and honesty which has come through difficult patches.”
He went on: “I know Anguilla, along with the other Overseas Territories and the Commonwealth, is never far from Her Majesty’s thoughts. Her Majesty was genuinely saddened to hear of the recent death of Sir Emile, who she knighted in this residence, and shocked by the devastation that [Hurricane] Irma meted out to Anguilla in September.”
Governor Foy took the opportunity to thank all educators in whose hands the future of Anguilla lies, in many respects, and for their amazing work to reopen the schools after the hurricane; all other public servants for their work; the police, under the direction of Commissioner Morrison, for their safety and security services; the first responders in the fire and ambulance services; the Red Cross, Rotary, Lions and Soroptimist Clubs; Church groups including Scouts, Guides, Pathfinders, Boys and Girls Brigade and others, for their varied services. He also thanked the team at Government House which has his “full confidence and respect.” He added: “I would particularly like to thank Perin Bradley, the Deputy Governor, for his hard work, dedication and wise counsel. I am blessed to have him by my side. And a special thanks to my wife, Dina. We’ve been side by side for 30 years.”
The other speaker, Ms. Sasso, the Superintendent of Prison, said the thirteen Prison Officers deserved the awards for their hard work in serving and protecting the Anguillian public.
“Above all, we are challenged to do everything we can to support the vision and mission of Her Majesty’s Prison for the next generation of Anguillians,” she said. “Her Majesty’s Prison is about ensuring peace and the rule of law. That is why it is such an important part of the Government. We are grateful for the support given to us over the years from the UK Government, the Government of Anguilla and the community at large.”
Ms. Sasso added: “We are not only recognising the service and dedication of thirteen extraordinary individual, but, even more, we are celebrating the Anguilla public service. We are also offering our congratulations to our Prison Officers and encouraging each of them to continue to excel.”
