This blog post was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Dominic Meiklejohn

Part of UK in USA [New York]

16th July 2010 New York, USA

The Queen opens the British Garden

Guest blog by Sheila O’Connor, Her Majesty’s Consul.

I was proud and privileged to have been asked to coordinate the practical arrangements for Her Majesty The Queen’s visit to the British Memorial Garden on 6 July.  The Garden in Hanover Square has been built in memory of the 67 British citizens who lost their lives in the attack on the Twin Towers and in addition celebrates the historic ties of friendship between the United States and the United Kingdom.

Much planning and preparation went into the 30 minute programme and I owe huge thanks to the team at the British Memorial Garden – particularly to Izzy and Shannon for their patience and good humour in handling so many last minute changes to the arrangements – and to the terrific team of volunteers from the Consulate.  We planned well and rehearsed all eventualities, but were thrown off course a little by the soaring 102 degree heat – the hottest day in Manhattan for over a decade!

In addition to meeting founders and donors, Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh spent a lot of time talking to family members who lost their loved ones in 2001.  Many of them had travelled from England for this event and expressed their gratitude and appreciation for the Consulate’s role in making the event so special for them.  After a touching speech from Mayor Bloomberg, Her Majesty was invited to cut the ribbon to formally open the Garden.  I have to confess at that point I held my breath in anticipation – fortunately it worked like a dream. We had tried and tested the ribbon and scissors, but you just never know!

It was a beautiful occasion and a fitting tribute to the British victims of 9.11 and something I will remember for a long time.

Watch The Queen’s address to the United Nations and read more about her visit, here.

About Dominic Meiklejohn

I was born in Woking, outside London, in 1967 and attended Merton College, Oxford University, graduating in Politics, Philosophy and Economics. After university, I worked for HM Customs and Excise…

I was born in Woking, outside London, in 1967 and attended Merton College, Oxford University, graduating in Politics, Philosophy and Economics.

After university, I worked for HM Customs and Excise before joining the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1990. After working for the European Community Department, I learned Polish and began a posting at the British Embassy Warsaw, where I headed the British Know How Fund for Poland (1993-96). In 1997, I worked for the OSCE Mission in Albania, before heading up the India team in the South Asian Department of the FCO. In 2000, I was posted as First Secretary to the British Embassy Warsaw, with a particular focus on European Union issues in the run-up to Poland’s accession to the EU. In 2003, I returned to the UK as Deputy Head of the Environment Policy Department. From 2004-2005, I led the FCO’s Knowledge Management Programme. During this period, I led two deployments of the FCO’s Consular Rapid Deployment Team– to Sri Lanka, after the tsunami in 2004 and to Pakistan, after the earthquake in 2005. From 2006-2007, I served as Deputy Consul-General, Basra, Iraq. From June 2007 I worked with the FCO’s Change Unit.

I took up my current appointment on 22 January 2008. My wife Joanne and I are the proud parents of Olivia. Outside of the office, I cycle around Manhattan, play soccer (football) and, when parenting duties allow, enjoy the cultural riches offered by New York. I try hard to understand baseball.

Follow Dominic