In 1960, some people were having fun swimming and riding boats in the lagoon. A large green reptile came from the deep water to see what all the noise was about.
But Nessie was not welcome. Her picture was taken and posted on the evening news throughout the British Isles for every family living in Scotland and London to see what was living and swimming in the lagoon. Even Queen Elizabeth saw Nessie’s picture on the evening news.
“Oh dear, Nessie is back,” she said.
Since 1817, every queen of England swore to protect Nessie from harm. And Queen Elizabeth believed it was now her turn to do so. She knew that many people would come from every part of the world to try to find Nessie.
Queen Elizabeth walked to her window and looked out at the night sky. She stared toward the lagoon that was 300 yards from the castle. She used to sit and feed Nessie fish from there. Looking around the land, she thought, “I’m the Queen of these lands, protector of its people and of all the animals, large and small, that live here. And I will do so for Nessie.”
Queen Elizabeth couldn’t wait to see Nessie again. She remembered when Albert would drive her to feed Nessie before having morning tea.
“I must hurry if I’m going to save Nessie,” she thought. The Queen went to bed and fell asleep dreaming about how to save her Nessie from exploitation and capture.
The next morning she awoke to a knock at the door. It was Albert, her loyal servant for many years, along with two lady servants bringing towels for her bath. The lady servants proceeded to the bathroom and started running the bath water.
Albert walked to the Queen’s bedside and held her breakfast tray. Queen Elizabeth looked at him and said softly, “Albert, my old and most trusted friend, my Nessie is back.”
“Yes, my Queen, I too saw her on the telly last night,” Albert said.
The Queen got out of bed and walked to her window, looking out at the lagoon. “Albert, my dearest friend, after my bath, bring the car around. We must go to the lagoon. I want to see her.”
“Why yes, it would be a pleasure to see her again,” Albert said.
He brought the car around and put in his bagpipes and a big basket of fish for Nessie. Albert remembered the many years he had taken the Queen down to the lagoon and played his bagpipes in the special tones that only Nessie hears.
After the Queen took a long, hot bath, she dressed and put on one of her largest hats. Albert drove the Queen to the lagoon and helped her out of the car. He walked back to the trunk and removed the bucket of fish and his bagpipes. He handed the bucket of fish to the Queen and played his bagpipes.
Twenty minutes passed and it seemed Nessie wouldn’t show. The Queen held the basket of fish tightly in her hands and looked into the water. She worried Nessie would not come.
Suddenly, bubbles appeared in the water. The Queen smiled.
“Albert,” she said, wiping a tear from her eye. “She remembers. Nessie remembers, Albert.”
Albert laughed and put his bagpipes back in the car. “Yes, my Queen, she remembers.”
Nessie’s head and long neck popped up from the water. She swam to the Queen. The Queen opened up her basket and started to feed Nessie fish, thinking about how she used to feed her when she was a little girl.
“My beautiful Nessie,” she murmured. “Why have you come back here after being gone for so many years? People will be coming here now to hunt you. Now that you’re back, they’re trying to find you. Listen to me. It’s not safe. You must go back.”
More bubbles started to appear. Two little heads with long necks popped up. Queen Elizabeth fed the fish to Nessie and her young. When she finished she said, “Come now, Albert. We have much work to do if we are to save Nessie and her young.”
Albert drove the Queen back to the castle. The Queen told him to summon all the servants into the courtyard.
“All of them?” Albert asked.
“Yes, and have Charles come to my room,” she replied.
Albert parked the car and helped the Queen out. She walked into the castle and up to her bedroom. Albert drove away to find Prince Charles.
An hour later, Prince Charles came to the Queen’s bedroom.
“What is it, mother? I have a polo game today,” he said.
“It will have to wait. Come to the window with me, Charles,” the Queen said. They looked toward the lagoon.
“Charles, our Nessie has come home and she has young to raise,” Queen Elizabeth said.
There was a knock at the door.
“Do come in, Albert,” the Queen said.
“Everyone is standing in the courtyard, as you ordered, my Queen,” Albert said.
“Yes, I will see them. Thank you, Albert,” she said. Albert turned to leave. “Albert, don’t leave,” the Queen said. “Close the door.”
Queen Elizabeth looked out the window on the servants and said, “I, Queen Elizabeth, ruler of this land, am going to ask you for your help. An old friend has come home and I need your help to protect her and her young. I cannot do it alone.”
Most of the older woman servants had been there almost as long as Albert and knew of what the Queen was speaking.
“I have a plan, not an impossible one, but one involving large constructions that will require tremendously long hours of work. Under the castle, I shall build a safe haven for Nessie and her young. I want an underground tunnel extending from the castle to the lagoon. A large metal gate that opens and closes will sit at the end of this tunnel, where the water meets the land. I need your help keeping this secret from the public and the press. For your loyalty to England and to me, your Queen, you will be greatly rewarded. Nessie belongs to England. This is her home. God granted her to us and it is our duty to protect her and her offspring. She is not just my Nessie, she is our Nessie.”
So the decision was made. Prince Charles set out to hire the engineers, contractors and construction workers who would be needed to build the tunnel and who he knew were loyal to England and the Queen. They worked hard around the clock. Dump trucks came into the castle early and left with loads of dirt.
The work began in 1960 and lasted for more than 20 years. A huge metal gate was built underwater and only Queen Elizabeth could control when it opened and closed. That stopped mini-sub operators, as well as divers and other curious people from entering the castle. Years have passed and scientists, explorers and researchers in submarines have traveled deep into the lagoon, with no luck. Even now, people search for Nessie. But only Queen Elizabeth and her loyal servants know where Nessie and her young live today.
