The Queen will be remembered as a “gracious” monarch who gave her whole life selflessly to the public, Bradfordians who met the Queen say.
Tributes from those who were lucky enough to meet Queen Elizabeth II paint a picture of the monarch’s ability to leave a lasting impression.
From faith leaders to charitable heroes, their memories reveal a portrait of someone whose soul could make people smile, laugh and reflect.
For self-made Bradford businessman Zulfi Hussain, receiving an MBE took him on a trip back to his childhood.
Recognition for his services to business and charity was a lifetime apart from being a young boy who arrived from Pakistan in the UK, unable to speak any English.
“This was a million miles away from those days I wandered around the village barefoot,” Mr Hussain recalled.
Extremely sad to hear Her Majesty the Queen has passed away. It marks an end of an era.
— Zulfi Hussain (@ZulfiHussain) September 8, 2022
It was a privilege and honour to meet you. RIP Ma’am 💐💔
My deepest sympathies to all the family and friends. pic.twitter.com/QklUsPpLay
“At the palace, whilst waiting for my name to be called by Lord Chamberlain, I was lost in my thoughts reflecting on my life, wondering how a boy from a poor rural village in Pakistan had managed to be here, amongst all the pomp and ceremony, thinking with a little smile 'The Lord surely moves in mysterious ways'.
“When the Lord Chamberlain called out my name, I walked forwards and turned to face the Queen. I couldn’t stop smiling. I bowed, then Her Majesty placed my medal on the special hook on my suit, and congratulated me for all my efforts.
“I thanked Her Majesty and said I would like to pass on my father’s greetings and best wishes to her.
“I briefly mentioned that he had served his Queen and country in World War II and escaped from a Japanese POW camp in Burma. Her Majesty asked me to convey her best wishes to him, which I duly did.
"I saw tears run down my father’s face when I pinned my medal on him and said that, this was a direct result of his and my mother’s love, inspiration and sacrifices.”
The MBE holder added: “I am deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty the Queen. She leaves behind an extraordinary legacy: an incredible example of duty and service and steadfastness, and a constant steadying presence for over 70 years.
“She gave her whole life selflessly to the people of the UK and the Commonwealth. To me, she was a true inspiration and an incredible human being, who had a very special gift to put everyone at ease, no matter what the occasion.
“It is certainly end of an era.”
The Queen had a way of reminding people just how far they had come, as Balu Lad J.P. found.
Mr Lad, a member of the Lord Mayor of Bradford’s Faith Advisory Team, first became fascinated by the monarch when his father recalled shaking hands with Queen Elizabeth during her visit to Jinja, Uganda, in 1953.
“As a child I wished to see the Queen,” Mr Lad, of the Shree Hindu Temple in Little Horton, said.
“As a refugee from Uganda I came to England and knew more about the Queen and what her responsibilities are as a Queen reading newspapers and seeing her on television.
“I thought, what are my chances to meet her, shake hands or even to see her face to face?
“Sometimes dreams do come true. I managed to bow my head twice.
“Once she was at Bradford Cathedral handing out small bags to selected persons after the ceremony connected with the Christian faith.
“The second opportunity came to meet the Queen. It was a lovely summer's day and Queen was visiting Leeds. Her lunch was organised in Saltaire. I was invited to join the Royal couple to have lunch.”
Kaneez Khan MBE found the Queen to be a unifying presence when she met the monarch in 2019 in a world full of Brexit referendum tensions.
The co-ordinator for Near Neighbours went to Buckingham Palace as part of a special invite for six of the organisation’s members.
Ms Khan said: “The palace was magnificent inside and out, HRH was gracious, dignified and welcoming to us all to her home. We all had the opportunity to meet and shake hands with her. There was an unexpected feeling of nerves when we queued up to meet her, it didn’t quite dawn that we were actually there.
“When the time came for me to meet her it went by so quick and a bit of a blur. The day is something that will forever be in my memory books.
“It is with a sense of grief and uncertainty that we say goodbye to her.”
Dr Kuldip Kaur Bharj OBE DL, president of the Ramgarhia Gurdwara on Bolton Road, met the Queen for a whirlwind 20 seconds in the early 2000s.
The general secretary to the Board of Bradford Gurdwaras was invited to the royal’s annual garden party.
“For those few seconds, I felt overwhelmed,” Dr Bharj said.
“We briefly talked about the NHS - her full attention was on our brief conversation.
“The Queen maintained eye contact and kindness and compassioned oozed out of her. I will warmly cherish that memory.”
Paying tribute to Her Majesty, Dr Bharj added: “What strikes me the most is when the Queen started her reign at 25, there were very few, if any, women in powerful positions. I cannot comprehend how challenging it must have been.
“She clearly turned these challenges into opportunities, successfully navigating the unchartered journey through the male-dominated political structure and agency.
“Throughout her reign of seven decades, Her Majesty has been a symbol of stability and continuity. She lived and worked by principles of service, duty and hard work.
READ MORE: Faith leaders praise Queen who found ‘great joy in the service of her people’
“The Queen leaves a remarkable legacy, what an extraordinary and phenomenal woman.
“The Queen did her all to talk about interfaith harmony. She visited Sikh places of worship, Gurdwaras, in the UK including Harmandir Sahib - one of the most important pilgrimage places in the city of Amritsar.
“For the Sikh community, it meant so much that the Queen recognised the nation and its heroic contribution to both World Wars I and II.
“The Sikhs grieve with pain in our hearts and pray that ‘Waheguru Ji’ blesses HM Queen Elizabeth II’s soul to rest in eternal peace.”
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