Orange dance instructor Suzanne Duffy recalls her brush with Royalty while Audrey Hardman, Liz Edwards recall a woman who could connect to people

England's longest serving monarch, who held the throne 70 years, died peacefully overnight at Balmoral. She was 96.

Colour City Dance's Suzanne Duffy remembers a warm and inquiring person when she met the Queen during the Monarch's visit to Dubbo in 1992.

"I had three little students that were about to go to the Royal Ballet School in London for a Summer School, that was the connection, the Queen was coming and she was also the patron of the Royal Academy of Dance," she said.

Mrs Duffy ran the Dubbo School of Ballet at the time.

"These three little girls ... presented the Queen with flowers. I was just really there to supervise them but I ended up having a chat with the Queen and with Prince Philip," she added.

"She wanted to know how many students I had and whether ballet was very popular in Dubbo ... it was just really about ballet and these little girls and how lovely it was that they were going to go to London.

"I just thought she was interesting, she was interested in what was happening in Dubbo at the time, and ballet... she obviously had an enquiring mind."

Mrs Duffy also remembers quirky things from the day like the girls having their flowers checked for explosives, being amazed at the Queen's 'alabaster' skin and Prince Phillip's interest in the number of children learning dance in what he termed 'the bush'.

"It was a really nice experience, there was a sense of occasion, everyone dressed up and was curtsying for the Queen, I thought 'there's one thing I know how to do'."

Mrs Duffy felt the Queen had devoted her life to other people.

"Every decision she's had to make is made about somebody else. I think she has sacrificed a lot. For all the privilege she had, she hasn't been able to do what she may have wanted."

Former Country Women's Association NSW president Audrey Hardman OAM described Queen Elizabeth II as the epitome of grace and an 'absolutely amazing" role model for women everywhere.

The Order of Australia Association Central West chair, Mrs Hardman said the Queen had shown women could lead and did so with grace, dignity and honesty.

"She epitomises to me a woman of grace and charm who had a major commitment to her family but most importantly to all other countries.

"I think the love that she and Prince Philip shared was a backbone of society ... particularly at this time when the world is in such turmoil."

Mrs Hardman said she was saddened by the Queen's passing.

"But I'm terribly pleased she was there to introduce the new prime minister [Liz Truss], a woman, to England and I think she has proven that women can be everything and can always come through on top."

In a statement, Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Bathurst Michael McKenna said the Queen discharged her office with an unselfish devotion to duty which was an example to all.

"Her unflagging commitment to the Commonwealth of Nations was a real contribution to the always difficult and always necessary work for human fraternity in our troubled world," he said.

"Above all, I saw her as a faithful follower of Jesus Christ, of whom she spoke gently, publicly and clearly when the occasion arose. May she now comprehend fully his promise of mercy and resurrection."

Weapons And Whitegoods author and Orange historian Liz Edwards wrote about the Queen's visit to Emmco (Email and then Electrolux) in 1970 in her book on the now-closed plant.

Mrs Edwards said along with Orange dignitaries and factory heads, the Queen struck up an unlikely conversation with the president of the factory's combined unions.

"It turned out he was a breeder of corgis and he and the Queen had a great old talk about that, she wanted to know the bloodlines of all his corgis," Mrs Edwards said.

"He was a humble factory worker and a union man but he had this thing in common with the Queen."