A Monmouthshire woman has relived the day the Queen helped her achieve her dream of opening a school in the deprived city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 43 years ago.

Susan Keywood recalled this period in her life after the Beacon asked for readers’ memories of meeting the Queen as part of the recent Jubilee celebrations.

Susan took the brave decision to fly herself and her two children to Riyadh to make a new life in 1977

Her husband, Barry had been in Riyadh for some time before they arrived, waiting for housing.

She arrived in Riyadh on February 11 with her two children, Neill, then two and Katy, aged one, in the hope of saving enough money to return home, buy a house and privately educate their children in Haberdasher’s schools in Monmouth.

Susan recalls: ‘‘The growing city or Riyadh offered us a chance to improve our lives. We had to give it a try.’’

 The fact Saudi Arabia offered her family the chance to earn money without paying taxes was crucial to her making the move.

It would give Susan and Barry the opportunity to save as much money as possible before returning to the UK and buying a home in Monmouth.

Susan discovered that British children in Riyadh were expected to attend an American school which didn’t allow entrance until the age of six.

The children would be required to pass entry tests and Susan felt they would miss out on early education if they went to an American school, so she decided she needed to do something about it.

She recognised this was a problem as most British families they met were also in Riyadh to earn enough money to privately educate their children in Britain.

Susan faced barriers with the Saudi government as a foreign national when she tried to organise a British school so she decided she would open an illegal British school in her apartment.

Nine students became a part of her school after word spread amongst British families and the class continued to grow quickly throughout the year.

However, it wasn’t until 1979 when she met the Queen and Prince Phillip that she was able to ask them for help and achieve her dreams by opening a legal British school.

Before starting the illegal British school, Susan’s first job was also illegal but not unusual. Women weren’t allowed to work, but Susan became a secretary for a Canadian company.

Then they realised her actual profession was a qualified English teacher. 

Susan explained: “I taught Arabic-speaking workmen basic English.

‘’After a while, the Saudi ladies started to creep quietly into the flat to learn the language.” 

It was at this point Susan decided to open her illegal British school.

it was important none of the children she taught were Muslim otherwise she would have been in huge trouble with the Saudi authorities.

The school only opened between 8am and 1pm because of the high temperatures in the afternoon.

Susan said: “After 1 pm it was really too hot for any of us to concentrate.” 

She had lots of experience teaching secondary school children, completed a three-month course in playgroup work and had two young children of her own, but it wasn’t easy for Susan.  

“None of this really hit the spot when I had to teach English as a foreign language to primary school children.” 

 After completing the entire first year of teaching in her apartment alone, Susan found Cathy, a fully qualified primary school American teacher with a Master’s in education. She was keen to work with the reception class. 

A teacher assistant also joined their team during the second year.

 Susan spent the two years teaching from her apartment without any water, air conditioning or phones.  

As Christmas rolled around, Susan realised many of the Christian children she taught had not yet experienced a Christmas as celebrating it was banned in Saudi Arabia. 

 “As that first December approached, we blacked out the apartment windows and gave them the best first Christmas we could.” 

Usually, smaller establishments like this one, were often closed down by the Saudi Authorities, but they weren’t told to stop teaching. 

“It was a great worry because we didn’t know why.” 

 The personnel officer from a large building company came to Susan one morning and told her that her British school was at the top of their illegal school list. 

“It turned out that because we were there by invitation of the Saudis and not part of a company, we weren’t considered as an embarrassment to them.” 

The Saudi authorities were aware that the illegal British school benefitted them as it kept the children’s businessmen fathers in their country. 

Despite the school being illegal, the Saudi Director of Education called Susan into the office and told her she would be allowed to continue.  

She said: “The Director of Education told me, ‘What a woman does in her own home in our country is her own business- do you understand? You must be discreet at all times and remember you are known to us.’

“I wasn’t sure whether this was a compliment or a warning, but it was the nearest we were going to get to permission.” 

However, Susan was still desperate for her British school to be legally sanctioned. 

Then in February 1979, they received the news that the Queen and Prince Phillip would be visiting Riyadh, which changed everything for Susan. 

“Only expecting to stand on the side of the airport road and wave as she passed, I was surprised when Barry received a call from the British Consulate asking if there was anything we would like to put to her Majesty.” 

 Susan immediately responded by asking them to legally sanction her school and other small schools in the city.  

 “All we could do was keep our fingers crossed and hope.” 

 She then received an invitation to take some of the children to meet the Queen and Prince Phillip. 

“Many people lined the driveway as the royal couple walked, talking to people as they came.” 

“Prince Phillip asked me about my school, and I was able to tell him that it wasn’t officially legal and how much we needed a British school.

 ‘‘I hoped to put our case up to someone high up, but it was beyond belief that I would get the chance to tell Prince Phillip and the Queen personally.

“It was surreal.” 

 And after two years of running an illegal school from her home, Susan was told a new British school would be planned within a year.  

“The Queen had done it. Bless her, we were elated.

However, as always, the Saudis had to have the last word.

‘‘They said that the new school could not have a female head teacher. Why were we not surprised?” 

After this news, Susan and Barry decided to do one more academic year before going home. 

By this time the school was fully established with four staff and 50 British and British Commonwealth children on roll. It worked on the Box and Cox system which suited the movement of people as contracts ended and leaves were taken.

“We left Riyadh after much had been experienced, much had been learned and much had been accomplished.” 

 “We felt relaxed and happy to be going home.” 

 “Those three years would never be forgotten, and Saudi Arabia would always hold a place in our hearts.” 

On their way back to Holyhead, they stopped in Monmouth.  

 “On a whim, we called into an Estate Agency in Monmouth where a three-bedroom farmhouse had just come onto the market.” 

 “We brought it immediately. It was perfect. We had achieved our goals.”