Passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

On behalf of the Yorkshire Geological Society may I thank Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for her long service to our Nation. I offer condolences to her family, friends & royal staff. We are sad that she has passed away. Her reign was truly remarkable, during a period of rapid technological, socio-political & environmental change. She provided stability, as well as adaptability. There is a saying by Joni Mitchell that "you don't know what you have lost 'till it's gone". I think we are just beginning to realise, in a more profound way, what we have lost, now that she has passed away. I only met her once, back in 2003, when I was invited to Buckingham Palace where she awarded me an MBE "For services to UK Geoscience". It was a few weeks before the State Visit to the UK of President George Bush Jnr. I briefly expressed my concerns to Her Majesty about global warming & ocean acidification from CO2 emissions & the urgent need for the Bush administration to take these issues seriously & reduce emissions. I asked her if she could raise these concerns with The President. She replied "well, I will try!". I know she loved the landscapes of the Hodder Valley & the adjacent Bowland Fells, on the Lancashire Yorkshire border, which she visited as part of her estate (The Duchy of Lancaster). I also know that her Royal Train used to stay overnight in a railway siding in Yorkshire, close to the base Permian unconformity! No doubt more stories about her will emerge with time. She was a very special Queen and will be missed for many years to come. Dr Nick Riley MBE, President of The Yorkshire Geological Society.

YGS President,

Nick Riley, MBE