Queen Elizabeth II Declared This As The ‘Worst Day Of My Life’

Queen Elizabeth II previously said that the IRA’s attack in 1982 was the worst day of her life.

Andrew Parker Bowles, the head of the Household Cavalry on July 20, 1982, opened up about the incident that took the lives of 11 people and seven horses. At least eight other civilians were also injured.

“It was a nice, sunny day and suddenly one heard this explosion one heard all the time in Northern Ireland. 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,” he said (via Express).

Later that day, Camilla Parker Bowles’ ex-husband spoke to the Queen about what just happened.

“She said to me it was ‘the most ghastly day of my life,’” he recounted.

Bowles also said that he initially wanted to hold a memorial for the soldiers that were killed that day, but politicians opposed him.

“The politicians didn’t want another memorial. So I went to the Queen Mother, who went to the Queen. Now you can see it in Hyde Park,” he said.

The first of the two bombs exploded in the boot of a Morris Marina parked on South Carriage Drive. The second attack took place while the military bandsmen performed at a lunchtime concert.

Five years after the incident, Gilbert McNamee was convicted for the attacks. He was jailed for 25 years. IRA member John Downey was also charged with four counts of murder in relation to the attack, but his trial didn’t push through.

In related news, the Queen has reportedly embraced Sarah Ferguson back in the firm ahead of Princess Eugenie’s royal wedding. Her Majesty and Ferguson’s relationship turned sour after her divorce from Prince Andrew. But in her 1996 interview, Ferguson revealed that she told the monarch post-divorce that she wants to be her friend.

“I think that amazed her because everyone said I would demand a big settlement,” Ferguson said (via Express).