Manchester activist Erinma Bell hails Queen as 'strong' and 'genuine' woman

Professor Erinma Bell MBE recounts meeting the Queen in 2008

Manchester anti-gun and gang activist Erinma Bell says she found the Queen to be a "strong" and "genuine" woman when she met her at Buckingham Palace.

Professor Bell was awarded an MBE by the Queen in 2008 for her charity work in South Manchester.

Reflecting on their lengthy conversation, Erinma says she felt some anxiety before meeting Her Majesty.

She said: "When it was my turn and she approached the Queen she had my MBE ready to pin on me and she said 'oh, don't you look exquisite, and I was like 'do I say yes ma'am?'

"So I didn't actually say anything, I was a bit mm. She went, 'Oh you look magnificent, do you mind if I pin this on your outfit…' so I just said 'go ahead' because you can't say yes to the Queen, and in my head I'm thinking, 'I'm getting this wrong!'"

Professor Bell describes what she felt was a bit of a "grilling" by the Queen, who was showing "genuine" interest in her charity work for CARISMA (Community Alliance for Renewal, Inner South Manchester Area).

"She asked me 'do you think you're making a difference' so, I said yes. 'How?' she asked. I said in the last six months we've had four fatal shooting.

"'Four fatal shootings? Do you think that's acceptable?' she asked in that kind of telling off tone."

Professor Bell outlined that shootings were slowly decreasing for that area of the country so that four was quite a low figure.

'That's outrageous. You must appreciate we don't hear about everything that happens on the ground. We hear snippets. It's a real pleasure to speak to people like you that give me more of an insight', the Queen said.

When the ceremony had finished, reporters outside the Palace told Bell that the Queen had spoken to her longer than anyone else.

Erinma said: "I appreciated her saying she didn't know about everything on the ground. That was her being genuine and we had a genuine conversation. I think the Royal Family are more clued up than we appreciate."

Reflecting on the Queen's passing, she said: "I think she was a very strong woman. In her third trimester of life, she was still going out there, visiting people, asking sensible questions and very on her feet.

"I like strong women that keep going no matter what. I think she was someone to look up to."

The remarkable life of the Queen remembered in our latest episode of What You Need To know...