Sussex Royal watcher's top five most special moments

Julia McCarthy-Fox, 57, from Horsham, has travelled to every corner of the country and around the world to see Her Majesty. 

Ahead of the Platinum Jubilee this weekend, The Argus spoke with Julia about some of her royal highlights over the past nearly 40 years. 

Julia, who now lives in New Zealand but has returned to the UK for the celebrations, said: “I think it’s phenomenal really to be Queen for that long, it’s an amazing thing to witness  and I feel very privileged to have witnessed so much of it first hand.”

Five of Julia's most special royal moments:

1.  “A special one was when she became the longest reigning monarch, they manufactured an engagement so that people would be able to see her, that was really special because it was a really historic day.”

Tweedale on the day HM became our longest reigning monarch 2015. Photo: Julia McCarthy-Fox

2. “Seeing her at previous jubilees has been very special, because we were able to speak to her. 

“We spoke to her on the actual day she had been Queen for 50 years and the actual day she’d been Queen for 60 years and they were nice days to see her.”

3. “Zachary [Julia's son] and I went to Malta, and we saw her on the Diamond Wedding anniversary, which was really cool because she and the duke stopped there on their way to one of the Commonwealth governments and they stayed the night.

“We were there all day to keep our places for when they arrived and they went out on to a terrace and the pathway was lined with candles, it was really magical.

“They did a walk afterwards talking to people, that was a really special thing to go to.” 

Royal Ascot 2014. Photo: Julia McCarthy-Fox

4. “We saw them on their Golden Wedding anniversary, they did a walk about in London and I gave her an anniversary balloon and there were pictures of her with the balloon all over the papers the next day, that was quite entertaining.

“She refused to take balloons from people ever since then, which is quite funny.” 

5. “We went to the event at Windsor the other day and when the Queen arrived it was just fabulous, it actually made me cry.

“The horse show is something that is very special to her, and that’s one of the best places I’ve seen her over the years.

“She’s off duty there and she’s just wandering and watching her horses.

“When she arrived in the arena, it’s almost making me cry thinking about it now, which is silly, but you could feel the love for her and it was just a really, really special thing to be at.

"I hadn’t seen her for nearly three years because of Covid and being away but that for me, I will always remember that. 

“After all the times I’ve seen her and all the years I’ve followed her for, if I never saw her again myself, that would be a suitable thing to be the final one.”