Elizabeth II was greeted by Emanuel Snowman

WHEN Queen Elizabeth launched into her first ever official engagement in London after her 1953 coronation, she was pleasantly stunned to discover a pleasant face ready to greet her.

The late monarch had headed to Hampstead City Corridor on Haverstock Hill – now dwelling to the Weekend Arts School – to be greeted by the then Mayor of Hampstead, Emanuel Snowman. Mr Snowman’s day job was working with valuable stones and metals – and he had been given the function because the royal jeweller which meant he had visited the Palace on quite a few events.

His grandson, Jeremy Robson, informed the New Journal: “He would go to Buckingham Palace, particularly pre-Christmas, and he met Queen Elizabeth there when she was nonetheless Princess.

“‘Hi there Mr Snowman’, she mentioned, ‘and the way lengthy have you ever been a mayor?’ “‘Just a bit longer than you’ve been a Queen, Ma’am’ was his reply.”

A collection of former mayors of Camden paid tribute to the Queen on Monday evening together with Councillor Jonathan Simpson who remembered her recording her 2010 Christmas Day message at St Mary & St Pancras College.