A RINGWOOD couple celebrating 70 years of marriage became one of the last to receive a message of congratulations from the Queen.

Raymond and Noreen Simmonds received a congratulations card from Queen Elizabeth II – just two days before she died on Thursday, September 8 at the age of 96.

The couple were approaching their platinum wedding anniversary on September 13, an occasion made even more special with appreciation from Her late Majesty.

Raymond and Noreen met in 1948 as teenagers while both working for the old British Railways. Noreen was a telephone operator and Raymond was a telegraph linesman.

Bournemouth Echo: Noreen and Raymond SimmondsNoreen and Raymond Simmonds (Image: Simmonds family)

They were married in Havant, Hampshire, in 1952 before moving all over the country following various work promotions achieved by Raymond. They eventually settled in Ashley Heath in 1997.

The pair have two children. Their son Adrian lives in France but was sure to return to England to celebrate his parents’ anniversary.

Daughter Elizabeth, meanwhile, was born in 1961 and was named after the Queen following a recommendation by her grandmother – who Raymond described as “very keen” on the Royal Family.

They celebrated their landmark platinum anniversary at home with their family, who said Raymond and Noreen’s long marriage is “a remarkable achievement”.

Bournemouth Echo: Special cake and card from the Queen to mark Raymond and Noreen Simmonds' 70th anniversarySpecial cake and card from the Queen to mark Raymond and Noreen Simmonds' 70th anniversary (Image: Simmonds family)

Raymond, now 93, told the Echo: “My daughter arranged the card from the Queen, we didn’t know, and so you can imagine it was a bit of a surprise when we saw the Buckingham Palace emblem on the envelope. We decided at first to put it on the mantle.

“Then when she died we decided to open it. We were very sad of course because she’d been Queen since 1952 which is the year we were married, so she was a constant throughout our marriage.”

When asked what the secret was to such a long marriage, Raymond said: “I don’t know if there’s any secret at all actually, I think it’s just mutual understanding. We understand each other well.

“When we met I was 19 and she was 16, now I’m 93 and she’s 90 so we really ought to understand each other by now.”