The Queen goes bananas
Yesterday, the Queen was presented with an unusual gift — a pair of ripe bananas.
Betty Taylor explained that back in 1943, when bananas were unknown in Britain due to wartime restrictions, the Queen Mother arrived at the hospital where Betty was recovering from shrapnel wounds and gave her a brace of bananas.
The four-year-old was delighted with the unusual present and, yesterday, 65 years on, repaid the kindness by returning the favour to her daughter.
The Queen received them with her customary gracious manner, but was said to be a little dubious about the bananas’ state of advanced ripeness.
No doubt the corgies had a treat with their evening meal.
Royal Anecdotes moving
Royal Anecdotes will be moving home and office next weekend. There will be an inevitable hiatus in posting from Friday (Feb 1) through Monday, depending on how quickly we can get the communication lines up and running. The comments section will, of course, be open as usual.
We are moving to the beautiful Quay district of Exeter, with a much larger office and extended space all round.
The Quay district at Exeter’s Watergate
Business as usual until Friday.
Lovely area for an office, John! If you have a room with a view, it will be delightful! Congratulations! We shall muddle through without RA somehow while you and the removers are changing quarters.
I love the photo of the Queen Elizabeth II, so attractive in the rose pink ensemble. Hello has this photo as well as a wonderful one of Queen Elizabeth during the war years presenting the bananas. Everyone access Hello and look at it. The Queen Mother was a dear and charming lady and I miss her.
By Gigi on January 25th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
John, I hope all goes well with your move, and that you enjoy your new location! We’ll do our best to survive the weekend without you.
By Evelyn on January 25th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Thank you, Evelyn, and Gigi.
I absolutely hate moving. I’m totally dreading it.
By John on January 25th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
My husband hates to move, too, John, and he is moving his office today and dreading the inconvenience. Just try to think about how beautiful the new office will be when you are settled!
By Gigi on January 25th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
I hope this means that news will come in faster and we have more to post about. John Make sure you have the largest office with the best view you have worked hard enough for it. Though I now have to deal with the withdrawal of no new stories.
I love the bananna story!!! it goes to show that kindness is always repaid even 63 years later.
By Trudie on January 25th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
John, do you think it’s a good idea having a pond so close to your new offices? On a really bad day, you might be tempted to jump in and drown yourself!
By Arthur on January 25th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Lovely story! I will admit thinking the bananas look a tad past their prime, but then I like them still green.
Best wishes for the move John! One thing they taught us in office moves here was to pack all the stuff you’ll need to actually work on Monday in the same box and mark it “Open me first!”
By Aunt Pierre on January 25th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Thanks for the tip, Aunt Pierre. One’s instinct is to box and crate things by type — electricals, books etc — without thinking much about what you’ll need immediately. Rest assured, the kettle and the corkscrew will be in a box marked Urgent.
By John on January 26th, 2008 at 8:51 am
Arthur, that’s not a pond, it’s actually a canal constructed from a tributary of the River Exe in Elizabethan times to make the Exe navigable from the sea and the port of Topsham. You could sail to America from the quay if you were so inclined.
By John on January 26th, 2008 at 8:55 am
Trudie, 2008 should have a lot of Royal stories to post about. I think it’s going to be a busy year.
By John on January 26th, 2008 at 8:58 am
In that case put a warming plate in your new office so you can make a lot of tea or put in a bar to make long island iced tea Cheers!!!!
By Trudie on January 26th, 2008 at 10:10 am
My recollection is that the term ‘quay’ is only used for a structure that fronts a navigable waterway, (and I doubt if they mean a rowboat) so that makes perfect sense, John. Perhaps Arthur was using the term ‘pond’ in the same way that America is said to be “across the pond” from Britain. The Atlantic Ocean is some pond!
By Gigi on January 26th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
John, Royal Anecdotes is such a nice read after a day at work, thank you. I hope you have an easy move and that everything is lovely in your new space.
By Cindy on January 26th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Trudie, Exeter’s quay was constructed for the wool trade — to export Devon’s wool to the rest of the world. Nowadays it’s used only for tourist jaunts down to Exmouth and the sea.
I think when we move next Sunday even I may require a couple of Long Island Ice Teas, followed by some sambucca shots and a Mahiki drink-the-menu hour.
No, I’d be dead!
By John on January 26th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Thank you, Cindy. I’ll post some pics of the Quay after we move in.
By John on January 26th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Holy smoke, the Daily Mail says that Autumn Kelly and Peter Phillips are going to be married in Scotland, at Craithie Kirk, Blamoral! This is getting very interesting!
By Gigi on January 27th, 2008 at 2:50 am
Thanks for the heads-up, Gigi. From the article, it doesn’t sound like the Church of Scotland location will make any difference to whether Peter is removed from the line of succession. I thought St George Chapel Windsor had already been announced. I wonder if some unforeseen complication came up.
By Evelyn on January 27th, 2008 at 6:06 am
It’s great to hear that the wedding will be at Balmoral. It will also be great to see Kate with the royal family for this event at Balmoral. I can hardly wait.
By Rman on January 27th, 2008 at 7:08 am
On the subject of boats/rafts the Miror has published an article to the effect that Kate Middleton is to join her ex rowing buddies (the Sisterhood) in a 132 mile raft race on the river Amazon in September. I don’t know what PW and CH would make of this if true. She could be in time the only Queen of England to sail on the Amazon!!!
John???
By Royalist on January 27th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
I don’t believe it will ever happen, Royalist. It’s probably another stunt by these people to gain publicity.
By John on January 27th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
I agree, John, and that group needs to STOP using Kate’s name to gain publicity! For Heaven’s sake, what is next!? These people are shameless!
Regarding the wedding venue change, apparently Princess Anne was married to Timothy Laurence in the Craithie Kirk at Balmoral, so this change may be one made for sentimental reasons. John, what is your view?
By Gigi on January 27th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Actually, Gigi, I did suggest that Craithie Church may be one of two options for Peter, including Windsor.
I think it’s not sentimental, but very practical — quiet, out of the way, not badged a Royal Wedding as a Windsor one would be. Very Peter, in fact.
By John on January 27th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
And Zara may be sporting one of three new Rolexes when she attends the wedding, as she is now an official Rolex spokesperson. I can’t forget to mention that her trusty steed is also in the Rolex print ad that appears in Vanity Fair. I have a feeling he didn’t get paid, however.
I enjoyed seeing this story about HM receiving a “bouquet” of bananas. That will be something both ladies remember for a long time. It seems like it was a heartwarming moment for them to share.
Good luck with your move, John. Moving is definitely at the top of my list when it comes to my least favorite things. Maybe you can have Gigi whip you up a couple of Texas Teas instead of Long Island Tea at the conclusion of all of your heavy lifting. I hear Texas Tea is stronger, with the addition of a sixth liquor as opposed to Long Island Tea’s five. I’d join the fray and ask for a non-alcoholic version, but I think I’d just be left with, what, a dash of Coke?
By Melissa on January 27th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
I do have to agree that the Queen looks magnificent in pink. I’ve seen her in other pink ensembles and the color really goes well with her coloring. Now if we could just persuade her to wear a lovely pink cape…;)
By Melissa on January 27th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
A few weeks ago the press reported that Peter Phillips asked for the Queen’s permission to marry at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor. The Queen was delighted to say yes and the date for the wedding was set for May 10, 2008. Now we are being told by the press that the wedding will take place in Scotland, at Craithie Kirk, on the grounds of the Queen’s Balmoral Estate, and no date has been set for the wedding. Why should we consider this story any more reliable than the one about a wedding at Windsor?
By Arthur on January 27th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
That is a good point, Arthur. Perhaps we shall just have to wait and see. As John points out, Peter Phillips is a man who values his privacy, and he may have recollected, reevaluated and decided that Craithie Kirk at Balmoral would provide more privacy than Windsor. I would suppose that security at Balmoral, and the larger private estate grounds, would afford the wedding a wider perimeter, which is always an advantage.
I also love the photograph of Zara in Vanity Fair with Toytown! Wonderful photograph of her and I believe this is a shrewd marketing campaign for Rolex. Royal patronage always gives any project or product a golden cachet that can be obtained by no other means. In the past, Rolex has chosen Hollywood celebrities to represent their label, and those of us who view Hollywood celebrities with distaste, myself among then, grimaced. Label representation by a member of the Royal family is a greatly to be desired, in my view, and a huge step up!
By Gigi on January 27th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Gigi, you and I will have to wait until we receive our wedding invitations to know for sure where Peter’s and Autumn’s nuptials will take place.
By Arthur on January 28th, 2008 at 12:50 am
True, Arthur. It will be difficult for me to coordinate my accessories, but wait we shall since wait we must!
Both settings–Windsor and Balmoral–are breathtakingly beautiful, so we win no matter which place they select!
By Gigi on January 28th, 2008 at 3:50 am
Gigi, I agree I’d be happy to accept an invitation to either venue; both of them are equally romantic. While Arthur is right there is no reason to suggest either report is accurate I feel that Peter is more likely to plump for Scotland, he went to school there, he nearly got picked for or did play junior rugby for Scotland, he has a great affinity for the place and he is very low key in his approach so I think he could very well go for Balmoral. Balmoral would make it as private a cermony as possible.
Princess Anne is low key too so I reckon if it is Windsor it will be because the Queen would prefer a fuss for her favourite grandson and doesn’t want it done too quietly.
By Eliza on January 28th, 2008 at 11:16 am