Carol Scott, from Newport, was a senior executive officer for the Ministry of Defence when she was made an MBE by The Queen in 2014 for services in support of Military Operations.
And after Her Majesty's passing last Thursday, an emotional Carol paid a warm tribute.
"It has brought back a lot of memories of that day for me," she said.
"It was a lovely occasion for me and my family. It was a remarkable thing to be a part of to be honest, something you never expect is going to happen and, when it does, it is amazing.
"I tried not to be daunted by meeting her. I just tried to savoured the moment. You have had time to prepare for it and keep yourself calm."
Recalling her meeting, Carol added: "The Queen was immensely gracious and very kind. I don't know how she managed to hold so much knowledge in her head because she knew what everyone was there for.
"She asked me a question about my work and she was just lovely. It was something that seemed to be over in seconds to me but my family said I had seemed to speak to her for ages. She put me at ease and was so kind to everyone.
"I feel very lucky. I was accepting the award on behalf of a team, as our work was a team effort. It was such an honour."
Reflecting on Queen Elizabeth's reign, Carol added: "She reigned with such dignity and dedication, serving the country amazingly well.
"She is a huge loss to the country and the world. She was The Queen for the whole of my life, a constant, who has always been there for us. I feel very emotional. She was a remarkable woman."
