It's the Queen's Jubilee, a festive commemoration of Elizabeth II's sixty years on the Throne. Celebrations will take place all year, but they officially begin this weekend.
Union Jack flags are festooned across the streets, and shop windows are full of "best of Britain" products. Previously unseen portraits of the Queen are now on display. On the BBC, Prince Charles narrates unearthed home movies showing a warm young mother tickling him as an infant and encouraging him to walk. He reveals a vivid memory of his mother getting used to the weight of the coronation crown by wearing it around the Palace, even while "visiting us in the bath."
Street parties are taking place all over the country. The Queen's face appears on cookie tins, mugs, plates, tea towels, napkins, even in the icing on cupcakes.
We have met the Queen twice and I thought you might like to hear about those times.
The first meeting took place around 1989, when we were in London for a NATO meeting. John, who is nonchalant about such things, casually mentioned that we, along with many others at the meeting, were invited to meet the Queen at a reception at Buckingham Palace. I was super-excited. You have to know that I once thought she would be my mother-in-law (see post A Foggy Decade, March 10, 2010), and like many Americans, I was enthralled with the whole Queen thing.
Our group arrived in a special bus that took us through the main gates of Buckingham Palace to the entrance. We were led up a scarlet-carpeted marble staircase and down a corridor to the Queen's Gallery, a long room with walls covered in art masterpieces by Vermeer, Rembrandt and Caravaggio, among others.
Drinks were lined up neatly on high tables with little cards in front indicating what each was: white wine, gin and tonic, etc. I recall miniature sausage rolls and potato chips.
Once a group like ours is assembled, members of the Royal Family enter through doors at each end of the long gallery. At least two royals work the room from end to end, crossing each other in the middle.
The Queen's sister, Princess Margaret, entered first and was eventually led to our little group. She was wearing a deep red dress, with a large ruby and diamond brooch. She smoked, using a cigarette holder. She held a tumbler of what looked like whiskey in the other hand. I remember thinking her skin looked waxen. I also remember she wore open-toed shoes and stockings with reinforced toes.
An equerry is assigned to find out the names of people before introducing them. She was introduced to John, to whom she said in her high-pitched, posh voice, with a hint of flirtation, "But you are too tall! Will you please sit down!"
She was introduced to another member of our group, a Brit, to whom she asked, "And where are you from?" "Warrington," he answered. "How unfortunate," she replied, deadpan.
Forever afterwards we referred to our friend as "Martin the unfortunate."
Another Margaret memory: when she finished her drink, she simply held it to the side and let go, confident that it would be caught, and replaced, by her equerry.
We made our way down to the other end of the gallery where the Queen entered. Prince Philip was with her, though we had no encounter with him. One of the nice things about being married to a tall man is he gets noticed. Sure enough, the Queen's equerry approached John and asked his name and affiliation before leading the Queen in his direction.
She wore a dark blue silk dress with a large sapphire and diamond brooch. Her soft complexion was flawless, and her eyes a startlingly pretty blue. John's height makes it easy for people to think of something to say. She said, "Well, I guess you can see everything from up there!." He agreed that he could.
She smiled and moved on. Her eyes fell fleetingly on me and she smiled again, but I was not tall enough for an introduction.
We saw her a second time when she and Prince Philip visited the United States in 1991. We were invited, along with a cast of hundreds, to a garden party at the home of the British ambassador. There were no introductions that time, but we saw her make her way through the guests, looking fresh and pretty. She must have a knack for making everyone think she is smiling directly at them because I am sure she smiled at me.
What I remember best about the garden party was chatting with the charming Senator, now Vice-President, Joe Biden, near the pastry table. I told him I recognized B.B. King sitting over near the tree.
"Who is B.B. King?" he asked.
"He's one of the biggest blues guitarists around," I said.
Ever the politician, he replied, "Let's go say hello to him."
As we approached, Senator Biden enthusiastically thrust out his hand to B.B. and said, "You know, everyone here came to see the Queen, but I came to see the King!"
That, folks, is how it's done.
