For Pauliasi Sariki being appointed as one of the royal guards during Her Majesty’s silver jubilee royal tour of Fiji in February 1977 in the Royal Britannia did not come as a surprise and was a blessing from God.
Reminiscing this once-in- a-lifetime opportunity, the 64-year-old man said being appointed as a royal guard for the Queen’s visit was the highlight of his military career.
And to show respect to the late Queen, Mr Sariki told this newspaper that he would ensure that his family watched her funeral on television or via social media.
“I will make it a priority to watch her funeral on television or via social media with my family,” he said.
“We will not do any work and will sit on a mat as a sign of respect to the late Queen at our Nausori home.”
Mr Sariki said a glimpse of the late Queen that day painted a picture of the kind of person she was.
“She is one of the royal monarchs who is well-known around the world and her sense of understanding is unique.
“Her loving soul, bubbly personality and the way she addresses herself with the public we know that she is a real Queen.
“We were blessed during our time as young gentlemen to witness an era of when Her Majesty had ruled.
“I praise God for the life of the late Queen Elizabeth II.”
Mr Sariki said before the Queen’s visit, he recalled how they had to thoroughly prepare themselves ensuring there was no mistake.
“One month before Her Majesty’s arrival we were polishing our sandals to be shining because we had to expect that we were meeting the Queen.
“Our face, clothes, and shoes had to be cleaned and was checked by the then Colonel Paul Manueli.
“He told us our life had to be perfect too.
“We were also reminded by Colonel Manueli of how to address the Queen if she spoke to us when doing her inspection. And we had to practice saying ‘her majesty’ many times so that we do not make a mistake.”
Mr Sariki said his parents Eremasi Tuicaumia and Makitalena Saumaka got married on the same day the late Queen Elizabeth II visited Fiji after her coronation in 1952.
He said he was already conceived by his mom at the time.
“My uncle Selestino Koroi told me when the late Queen came on her first visit to Fiji, my parents got married.
He told my parents to go to CWM Hospital so that my mother could get checked by a nurse.
“And it was relayed to them that my mum was one month pregnant and from 1952 to 1977 that young baby who was inside her mother’s stomach was a guard of honour to the late Queen Elizabeth II at the Suva Wharf.”
Mr Sariki was a Sapper in the engineering regiment of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces and retired as a staff sergeant in 2010.
From Nakavu in Namosi, Mr Sariki took time yesterday to visit The Fiji Times newsroom to tell his story.
He said he had to travel to his village to get hold of the picture of him and fellow colleagues in the RFMF with the Queen doing her inspection alongside the late Colonel Paul Manueli and Major Sitiveni Rabuka. “I went on Saturday with my wife to open my box which had my archives of old documents.”
Upon sighting the picture, Mr Sariki said he was emotional and thankful that he had the opportunity to meet the queen.
“I was blessed to meet the late Queen Elizabeth II.
“I cried when coming back from Namosi with the picture because it touched me when she passed on.”
Meanwhile, the Queen will be buried with her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, at the King George VI memorial chapel, located inside St George’s Chapel.
