The Queen

I am not sure if I have blogged about my meeting Her Majesty? I was reminded of that wondrous occasion, thanks to Denise's sending me an article about another woman who had met her. 'Sovereign Dress Crisis -- Some occasions stump even the pros', was the title of the story.

My moment came in 2006 in London. We had journeyed there for an international meeting of the Royal Commonwealth Society and as Canadian president, B had been invited to meet Elizabeth when she came to open the newly-renovated Commonwealth Club. The evening before, the London head had approached me and said, "Mrs. Marley-Clarke, it appears you and Mr. Marley-Clarke will be representing Canada tomorrow when Her Majesty opens the club." "What," I said! "Yes, indeed. Do you have a proper frock to wear?" he added. Obviously, what I was wearing was not considerer "proper" for the Queen.

"Yes, I have a proper frock," I replied. I had brought the grey silk dress and jacket I had had made by Richard Robinson for my step-daughter's wedding. It was perfect. But this was meeting The Queen. I did not have a hat. So it was off the next morning the high street to buy one.

Buying a hat in London is really an occasion. Wandering through the hat department, I met and overheard many other women trying on hats. Some were for weddings, others for fancy garden parties. "What are you buying a hat for?" one woman asked. "I have to meet The Queen," I said. "Oh my God," she shrieked. "The Queen!" Well, that was it. Ten other women gathered 'round and took charge of my hat purchase. "Darling, what is your dress like?" "Oh this would be perfect!" In the end, after trying on about a dozen, I settled on a spectacular burgundy chapeau, which would perfectly match my burgundy heels.

I didn't know it, but one cannot wear a hat if the Queen is not wearing one. Happily, she was. We had been told to arrive at 9:30 a.m., as she would be arriving at 11. Naturally, I had expected many other women to be wearing hats, but shockingly Her Nibs and I were the only ones so attired. Very strange for London, I thought. But I had to keep the hat on because as everyone knows, when you commit to a hat, you're committed. "Hat head" will not permit its removal.

We took our places in line and along she came. Very short, she has the most beautiful blue eyes and wore very pink lipstick. She was absolutely gorgeous. She stopped and looked at me. I could literally see my fanatically royalist grandma and aunts all dancing above my head as she began to speak. "You're here for the meetings, I gather," she said. "Yes Your Majesty," I replied. "Awfully useful to exchange ideas,don't you think?" she added. "Oh yes, Ma'am," I said (you only call her "Her Majesty" the first time, after that it's "ma'am", pronounced "mom"). I was tempted to say "especially if you are on the receiving end of mine," but I didn't. Instead I said, "I have certainly learned a lot." She smiled and as she moved off I added, "And I thought I knew everything." She turned back and actually guffawed. It was perfect. I had coaxed a real laugh out of her. She noted, "It happens, believe me, it happens." And then she was gone.

I had had a glimpse of the real woman inside The Formal Queen. She knows of what she speaks because, of course, everyone she meets actually does think they know everything. She sees and puts up with it all the time.

Ater she left there was a charming reception, during which an elderly gentleman came up to me and said, "My dear, The Queen's hat was lovely, but yours is a cracker!" What a moment.

When we left, I had to cart this enormous hat box onto the plane. Standing in line at Heathrow, the ticket agent said I would have to check it. I said, "This hat met The Queen and I would hate to have anything happen to it." "Met The Queen," she said. "Girls, look, this hat met the Queen. Take it out and try it on. So there I was, holding up the entire line, while I put on the hat. What a palaver! But it did result in my hat being taken aboard the plane and stored with the crew's belongings.

So that's the story and me, the hat and The Queen.