In Royalty's Presence

During the war, Yendell said, she had been in the Auxiliary Territorial Service and had helped run one of Britain's deadly 3.7-inch antiaircraft guns, which hurled 28-pound shells at Luftwaffe bombers over London.

The queen, then 19, had also been in the ATS, as Second Subaltern Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor. She had trained in auto mechanics, but she had also been Princess Elizabeth and had appeared with her family on a balcony of Buckingham Palace to the delirious crowds 62 years ago yesterday.

So much time had passed.

Yendell, later stationed in Belgium, had met a GI there, got married, moved to the United States and brought up four children. Her husband, Charles, died in 1989.

Elizabeth had become the queen of England.

Yendell, with her jacket and cane, had a good seat right in the front of the veterans contingent yesterday. Her cap bore the gold ATS badge. And it was a gorgeous day beneath a bright blue sky.

Elizabeth might well notice.

At 3:30 p.m., a British military officer announced: "The queen will be along shortly."

Ten minutes later, Her Majesty arrived at the Pacific Arch on the south side of the memorial.

The queen and her husband placed a wreath of artificial red poppies on the east rim of the memorial's central fountain. The wreath was inscribed: "In Memory of the Glorious Dead."

The royal couple then stood at attention and together bowed. As a bugler began taps, the veterans rose and saluted. It was quiet, except for the bugle and rushing of the water in the fountain.

The queen was given a quick tour of the memorial and then began moving along the line of veterans, chatting and saying hello. People were excited and taking lots of pictures, and by the time the queen got to Yendell, the monarch was moving too briskly.