Memories of our monarch

Frances Binns: meetings with Royals

ROYAL RECOLLECTIONS OF OUR READERS
A DEDICATED Oldham health care specialist has enjoyed not one but two meetings with the Queen.

Frances Binns, of Chadderton, first met Her Majesty in 2006, during an eventful day at Buckingham Palace where she was given a prestigious award.

Becoming Pioneer for the Nation thanks to her work with children and young people combating needle phobia at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Frances was introduced to the Queen, who shared her own fear of needles.

Frances said: “Prince Philip followed and introduced himself, admitting he tries his best to stay out of hospital, and following him was Prince Andrew, Princess Alexander and Prince Michael of Kent. I met them all and it was a fantastic occasion.”

Frances spent the rest of the day mingling with celebrities and enjoying some fabulous food.

She added: “It was an absolutely amazing occasion. I didn’t know what I had done to deserve being there. It was a really lovely day and I felt very privileged to be there.”

Frances closed the evening dancing on a set of Palace stairs - before being jokingly escorted from the building by a policeman who had also been enjoying the celebration.

But this wasn’t Frances’ first brush with Royalty.

When she began work as a Therapeutic Specialised Play Consultant at Booth Hall Hospital in 1978, she soon after met Princess Michael of Kent, who was opening a renal unit at the specialised hospital. Frances was caring for a child the same age as Princess Michael’s own son, and the pair chatted about their experiences.

Throughout the 1990s, Frances (53) also met Princess Anne, who was opening a Child Sex Abuse Centre in Oldham; Prince Edward, who opened the paediatric accident emergency department at Booth Hall Children’s Hospital; Prince Charles, who presented Frances’ friend Professor Judith Ellis MBE with an award for her benchmarking work at UCLAN; and later, Princess Diana, who visited care home Turning Point, where Frances’ mother, Elizabeth, had resided for 17-years.

Frances was to meet Queen Elizabeth once again in March of this year, when Her Majesty and Prince Philip visited the official opening of Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, where Frances was working.

She spent the momentous Diamond Jubilee Weekend watching all her Royal acquaintances on TV, while eating a traditional afternoon tea of scones and strawberries, and sporting red, white and blue clothes.

She said: “Throughout the 34 years of my career I have definitely experienced my five minutes of fame in more ways than one in meeting members of the Royal family.

“All I can say is thank you for my nomination and I’m so grateful that I’ve been given the opportunity to meet so many members of the wonderful Royal family.

“The experiences have all been beyond my wildest dreams.”


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