England - Tea with the Queen
All dressed up in my new $5 CAD straw hat with black trim (from 'Giant Tiger' in Gravenhurst, Ontario), my new 2-piece black and white dress, my 20-year old low-heel black shoes, my 40-year old white kid skin gloves in my Tilley purse -just in case, I was ready for tea with the Queen.
I took the Underground to Green Park station and walked through the 'Canada Gates' to Buckingham Palace. There were several line-ups of women in hats and very dressy dresses and men in top hats with canes or in suits. Almost everyone was in pairs, few alone like me. We quickly went through the outside and then the inside pink-gravelled courtyard of the Palace to the portico and into the Palace itself. The inside courtyard was bare of any decoration - there were columns here and there and newish looking black and glass awnings. The rooms that we went through had maroon carpets, guilded high ceilings, and the grand staircase off to the side had intricate gold ironwork under the banisters. The rooms weren't as grand and lavish as other palaces I've seen in Europe, like the Hermitage, but of course it was quite elegant.
The ushers moved us through quickly onto the terrace outside. The terrace was nothing special. The biggest surprise was that there were no flowers anywhere to be seen. The 'garden' was a lawn and the only flowers I found later were off to the side away from the Palace building. I turned back and looked at the back of the Palace. On the 4-story roof were several men with high power telescopes and one with high power binoculars peering down over the crowd. I was quite apart from others and felt quite noticeable. I'm sure they could read the notes I was writing in my little notebook. There was a small electric fan in the window of one room and that seemed out of sorts for a Palace. Someone must have read my thoughts as the fan disappeared as I watched.
Tents were set up for the tea and refreshment service, and one just for royalty and dignitaries to sit under. At the back of the lawn a lake surrounded by willows, large trees, and greenery was a very pleasant oasis. Two military brass bands were set up under little tents. They each had a flag pole and ran up a flag when it was their turn to play. I really enjoyed listening to the bands and sometimes felt like I was the only one paying attention to them. The William Tell Overture and Les Miz medley were my favourites.
The conductors wore their swords and waved a small white baton with their white gloved hands. Their uniforms were sharp -- navy blue with red stripe down their pants to their spurred boots. At the end of each performance the conductor turned and saluted the crowd, who were finally paying attention and applauding.
Then it was time for the royal family to appear. Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, and the Duke of Edinburgh walked out onto terrace to the playing of 'God Save the Queen.' There were a few presentations being made, according to the program. I couldn't see anything and there were no microphones to amplify any words. The 5000 people there began lining up in two rows forming aisles for the royals to walk down. As they walked by, the lines closed in behind them. They walked very slowly and I'm sure those at the end of the row had to wait a very long time for a glimpse of them. Queen Elizabeth walked down one row and Prince Charles and Duke of Edinburgh went down the other row. It was choreographed so that along the way people were introduced to them. The Queen, handbag on her arm, smiled at the crowd as she walked from those being presented to the next set. Prince Charles talked to the crowd as well as those destined to meet him. He looked quite snappy in a morning coat, carrying a cane and umbrella. I saw him quite close and his blue eyes are very bright and he seemed very friendly. I was able to get close views of the royals without having to wait because I just went to where the lines were closing after they passed and it was very easy to get into the rows there.
The people were obviously very excited at being at this event, but everyone was very quiet. Some were dressed up fancier than the Queen. The food being served looked quite good. I had the ice cream and a couple of the small pastries. There were tables set up and some chairs, but not very many.
The nicest surprise was when I went back into the Palace to return to the real world. I wasn't hurried through and was allowed to browse all I wanted. The fireplaces had what looked like paper cut-outs of flames coming up from the wood and there were painted portraits on every wall. Back to the portico, that I remembered seeing on TV when Charles and Diana got married, and onto the outside courtyard where the royal family walked to pay respects to Diana's funeral cortege, I was struck by all the history that has gone on in this Palace and what a treat it was to have 'Tea with the Queen' and be inside Buckingham Palace.