Queen Elizabeth II walks down Main Street in Sheridan in October 1984. Bob Zellar/Billings Gazette

Queen Elizabeth II walks down Main Street in Sheridan in October 1984. Bob Zellar/Billings Gazette

By Wyoming Tribune Eagle staff

CHEYENNE – It’s been 38 years, but a visit by a vacationing Queen Elizabeth II in 1984 left an impression on those who were living in Sheridan and Big Horn at the time.

According to an archived UPI news service article, the British monarch “received a telephone call from President (Ronald) Reagan and discussed the bombing of an English resort hotel that narrowly missed killing British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

“The queen, staying at the Canyon Ranch, spoke with the president for about 15 minutes, saying she was ‘very grateful’ that her stay in Wyoming was being treated as a private visit, and she also spoke with Mrs. Reagan, royal news secretary Michael Shea” told UPI reporter Scott Farris.

The story went on to say the queen “spent four days at the ranch southwest of Sheridan near the small town of Big Horn as the guest of Lady Porchester, sister of Wyoming Sen. Malcolm Wallop and wife of Lord Porchester, the queen’s racing manager and an old friend of the Windsor family.”

Photos posted to the Billings Gazette’s website Thursday showed the queen visiting the Bradford Brinton Memorial near Sheridan, walking down Main Street in downtown Sheridan in a two-piece pink business suit, and waving to crowds from the steps of her plane at the airport.

Others showed people lining the street to catch a glimpse of Queen Elizabeth, who had been the head of the British royal family for nearly four decades at that point. She would go on to serve as queen for 70 years, a milestone marked earlier this summer.

“The queen stopped at two Sheridan stores, Ritz Sporting Goods and King’s Saddlery,” according to the UPI story. “At Ritz Sporting Goods, store owner Stan Mavrakis, who had tied fishing flies for her husband, Prince Philip, 15 years ago, gave the queen a handmade graphite fishing rod and a box of flies to give to the prince.

“The queen was presented with a hand-tooled leather wastebasket and purchased a pair of leather gloves for herself and gifts for the rest of the royal family at King’s Saddlery, Shea said.”

The story ended by noting that “Ethyl Crawley, 96, of Casper, presented the queen with a coat she had knitted for the queen’s newest grandchild, Prince Henry.”

At the direction of President Joe Biden, Gov. Mark Gordon has ordered both the United States and Wyoming flags to be flown at half-staff in honor and remembrance of the queen. Flags will remain at half staff until the day of interment.

“Queen Elizabeth was a steadfast leader and patriot whose legacy of duty and service will be recognized for generations,” Gordon said on Twitter. “Jennie and I extend our condolences to the Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom.”

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