Travel industry veteran Roger Mallock has paid a special tribute to the Queen as he recalled personal memories of the late monarch.
Mallock, who worked in the industry from the 1980s until 2019 for travel agencies and cruise companies, sent a book he wrote on the cruise sector in 2014 to the Queen.
In his letter, sent with a copy of his book, titled CruiseMaster: The Book on Cruising for Newcomers, he urged the Queen to “enjoy the read and share it with those you wish”.
More: High street travel agencies to shut for Queen’s funeral
He wrote: “May I present you with this Xmas gift, a copy of CruiseMaster, the new bible of aspiring newcomers in the world of cruising in which I know you have a great passion.”
He also told the Queen his family were named after her family – his wife Mary and daughters Victoria and Elizabeth – whom he described as “the three Queens in our household”.
He recalled receiving a letter back from the Queen’s lady-in-waiting, which said: “The Queen wishes me to thank you for your letter with which you enclosed a copy of your book.”
The letter added that the Queen “greatly appreciated” receiving a copy of his new book and hearing about his family.
“It was very personal and touching,” said Mallock, who also attended the naming of the P&O Cruises’ Britannia in 2015 and whose mum Mary met the Queen twice as a child.
“My mother said the Queen made you feel like you were the only one in the room when she spoke to you,” he said, adding: “We all thought she’d go on forever. It was just the draw she had and the excitement that you got from the Queen attending events, not just in the travel industry. It created such a buzz. She brought happiness and joy, and she was so committed to her role.”
Mallock was one of 2,000 members of the public to attend a service of prayer and reflection for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul’s Cathedral the day after she died last week, where new prime minister Liz Truss paid tribute to the late monarch.
“I was very lucky. I work very nearby and I got in the queue and got a seat at the centre near the front. I felt drawn to make sure I was there,” he said, recalling the service as a “surreal” experience. Mallock, who also met the future King Charles III in the 1970s when he lived in South America as a youth, said: “ There was an air of sadness and of celebration.”
Mallock has worked for companies including Tui; Exchange Travel; Bath Travel; Planet Cruise, now Iglu; Saga, Shearings and Fred Olsen; Future Cruise and agency Paying Too Much Holidays. As well as working at branch manager level in travel agencies, he worked as a tour manager, cruise sales manager and launched Worldchoice TV travel show as a guest presenter. He now works in corporate coaching but has not ruled out a return to the travel sector.
