Julie Roye was invited to Buckingham Palace for the first Royal Garden Party of 2024, which took place on May 8, following the first anniversary of HM King Charles III's coronation. She was introduced to the King during the event.
Julie, Head of Nursing for Primary Care at the Trust, was among thousands of guests handpicked from a selection of public servants, all nominated by peers or constituents for their outstanding work in their communities.
Describing the moments just before she came face to face with Queen Camilla, she said: “Meeting Queen Camilla was an unforgettable experience. As my colleague introduced me as the 'RCN Nurse of the Year' and 'Leader of the year', I felt a mix of pride and humility wash over me. When I shook her hand, her warm words of "well done and congratulations" were both encouraging and deeply meaningful. I took the opportunity to share with her the work I do in primary care and proudly mentioned my status as a Queen's Nurse.”
“Queen Camilla's grace and kindness left a lasting impression on me. It was a true privilege to engage in conversation with her, even if it was brief. Representing the East London Foundation Trust to Royalty was an honour I will always cherish. Working as a primary care nurse has been an immense privilege, and today's experiences have reinforced the critical importance of primary care nursing in our communities and for our workforce.”
Queen's Nurse Julie received an award in 2023 for demonstrating exceptional leadership and drive to reduce health inequalities by increasing smear test uptake in a diverse community. She was also named RCN Nurse of the Year 2023 for transforming care in GP surgeries.
The prestigious title of Queen’s Nurse (QN) was awarded to Julie by the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) in 2022.
Julie has worked for the NHS for 20 years and joined ELFT in 2022.
