Northamptonshire primary school pupils pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II after uncovering royal links during Jubilee

Pupils at a Northamptonshire primary school have paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, after learning about their school’s royal links during the Platinum Jubilee.

Naseby Church of England Primary School is located nearby to Naseby Hall, where the Queen stayed from 1929 to 1931, around the time of her third birthday.

Her parents, who were then the Duke and Duchess of York, brought Her Majesty to the school with birthday cake for the pupils to celebrate.

Learning about this made the school’s 68 pupils feel closer to the Queen, and they were “shocked and upset” to learn of her passing.

Headteacher Louise Cook said: “It was important for the students to have the time and space to reflect on The Queen’s life, and make them feel like an integral part of what was going on.

“As the Head of the Church, she epitomised the highest level of leadership and what the school’s Christian ethos is all about.

“We promoted the significance of her work all over the world, not just in the local community.”

As part of their reflection, the children wrote down their fondest memories of The Queen and the words and pictures have been displayed on the Naseby Lion Memorial.

“We have had lots of comments from the local community appreciating what the students have done,” said Louise.

Valerie Latham, a village resident who spent her life in service at Naseby Hall, spoke to all pupils about the moments the Queen spent there during her time as a Princess – which is when she learnt to swim and ride.

A memorial service was held at the church – the same one The Queen attended as a child with her parents and sister, where she sat on a velvet blue cushion at the front.

Louise says this has been “a time to celebrate the Queen’s life and achievements”, and build on what the students learnt during Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee.

The pupils have been “motivated and inspired” by Queen Elizabeth II’s dedication to her work and service, and they enjoyed admiring memories found from her coronation in the school’s archives – which were also enjoyed by the Naseby community.