Former Constable Michael Pratt has flown many times to greet the Queen and did for the final time last month to pay his respects at her funeral.
Sitting between the rows provoked memories for Mr Pratt, particularly in 1981 when he first met the Queen after receiving the George Cross medal. He received the honour for his bravery in 1976, when he was shot while intervening in a robbery during his police career.
The George Cross medal is the highest award for gallantry by the British Government and is equal to the military award, Victorian Cross.
Few days before the funeral, Mr Pratt and other cross holders attended Westminster Hall to hold a minute of silence for Queen Elizabeth.
“We saw her lying in state in Westminster Hall on the previous Friday and we were lucky enough to because everyone was waiting in line,” Mr Pratt said.
“You hear a pin drop, there wasn’t a sound in the place, it’s a big hall.
“I supposed we stayed there as long as we wanted, we stayed there, and you just did the same, we didn’t sort of speak to each other.”
The Victorian Cross and George Cross Association is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation headquartered in London for cross holders all over the world to meet and communicate at reunions, which Queen Elizabeth was a patron of.
Members of the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association, including Mr Pratt were known to the funeral arrangements for three and a half years when Operation London Bridge was revised in the years before her death.
“We’ve been informed by our secretary of our association the Queen wasn’t well and she sort of kept us informed,” Mr Pratt said.
“The Queen had indicated that all the Victoria Cross and George Cross holders that were able and well enough to just travel to London for her funeral, she would like them a lot.”
The queen’s orders to invite the cross holders was from the days when Mr Pratt travelled to London every two years for a review union with family members. He said on a few occasions, the association had an audience with the Queen at Buckingham Palace and Windsor.
“I sat down the other day and worked out trips to Windsor, Buckingham Palace and other things involving her. I probably had 16 or 17 audiences with the Queen over the years, Mr Pratt said.
Other times Mr Pratt was invited to Windsor for a meet and greet, the Queen and Prince Phillip decided to give an unexpected tour to the cross holders of the new West Wing building after the fire.
“We had a meet and greet and a couple of drinks, and then she announced to us all she said ‘right, I want all of you to follow me, we’re going to go around the West Wing,” Mr Pratt said.
“To look at it all and the Queen’s pointing things out, and you know the tour guide Is a Queen -that’s something different.”
Besides the usual reunions every two years, Mr Pratt and other cross-holders attended the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant in 2012 to ride behind the Queen on a much rainy day.
“She was in an elite boat and there were three boats in the honour, and were in the boat in behind,” Mr Pratt said.
Retirement for Mr Pratt was at the start of 2020 and before that serving at several places, including Seymour and at Wallan’s new station in 2004.
After the robbery incident, he was forced to retire, and spent five years recovering at home, however Mr Pratt was back on his feet in 1996 to continue what he claims best to do.
Noawadays, the retired officer looks back at his memorable career, and reflect on his commitment to Victoria Police, as well his trips to London where he saw the Queen in a different light.
“I was 21 when my incident happened, and then I got the medal, you know three years later, when a new baby came along, she would say ‘how was the new baby?’
“She’s a typical grandmother, she wants to know what’s going on, and as time advanced, I got grandchildren and she wanted to know how they were.”
