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| The royal family watches the Diamond Jubilee river pageant in the rain | The royal family watches the Diamond Jubilee river pageant in the rain |
| (4 months later) | |
| There's been nothing like the Diamond Jubilee pageant since 1662. The Tudors used to go down the river and, for me, the Queen in her white and gold outfit really was Elizabeth I on the barge that day. Winston Churchill once told the Queen that the river was like a silver thread linking our history, and this was an incredible celebration of our past as a maritime nation. To see all those valiant Dunkirk boats collected together was particularly amazing, especially as Elizabeth herself was at Windsor Castle when she heard the explosions that indicated that the battle of Dunkirk was under way. | There's been nothing like the Diamond Jubilee pageant since 1662. The Tudors used to go down the river and, for me, the Queen in her white and gold outfit really was Elizabeth I on the barge that day. Winston Churchill once told the Queen that the river was like a silver thread linking our history, and this was an incredible celebration of our past as a maritime nation. To see all those valiant Dunkirk boats collected together was particularly amazing, especially as Elizabeth herself was at Windsor Castle when she heard the explosions that indicated that the battle of Dunkirk was under way. |
| I watched the pageant from near Hammersmith Bridge, and the crowds were huge considering it was one of the wettest and coldest days of the year. I was wearing three pairs of tights and two pairs of trousers and I felt for the Duchess of Cambridge – the poor girl has been mocked for wearing black tights, but if she ever needed a thick, woolly pair it was then. I can't imagine how fast the Palace kettle was boiling when they got back. | I watched the pageant from near Hammersmith Bridge, and the crowds were huge considering it was one of the wettest and coldest days of the year. I was wearing three pairs of tights and two pairs of trousers and I felt for the Duchess of Cambridge – the poor girl has been mocked for wearing black tights, but if she ever needed a thick, woolly pair it was then. I can't imagine how fast the Palace kettle was boiling when they got back. |
| Remember the divorces, the scandals and the death of Diana? By contrast, this year has been the best for the Queen since thousands crowded in front of new TVs to watch the Coronation in 1953. Prince Charles won people over with his tribute to his mother at the Jubilee concert, and the Queen shook hands with Gerry Adams – an event unthinkable in the 1970s and 1980s. The reaction to the Prince Harry pictures shows what a good year the royal family have had: support for him was pretty high. Apparently bookings to Las Vegas went up by 30%. | Remember the divorces, the scandals and the death of Diana? By contrast, this year has been the best for the Queen since thousands crowded in front of new TVs to watch the Coronation in 1953. Prince Charles won people over with his tribute to his mother at the Jubilee concert, and the Queen shook hands with Gerry Adams – an event unthinkable in the 1970s and 1980s. The reaction to the Prince Harry pictures shows what a good year the royal family have had: support for him was pretty high. Apparently bookings to Las Vegas went up by 30%. |
| People felt even more sorry for Kate when she was photographed topless. The royals are celebrity big game and I don't think they always realise how much so, especially when they're abroad. In a world in which all currencies are crashing the one currency that's high is celebrity gossip and photos. | People felt even more sorry for Kate when she was photographed topless. The royals are celebrity big game and I don't think they always realise how much so, especially when they're abroad. In a world in which all currencies are crashing the one currency that's high is celebrity gossip and photos. |
| Privacy is a relatively recent phenomenon for monarchs. In the court of Henry VIII a monarch was under obsessive scrutiny, even when he courted, while the consort's body was endlessly scrutinised: everyone knew whether or not the Queen was pregnant. And we are essentially going back to that; Kate's pregnancy has been a real icing on the cake, but it's terrible that it's been tinged by this awful tragedy of the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha. The more official royal coverage we have of the royal family smiling and waving, and getting it all right, the more people want to see the behind the scenes. | Privacy is a relatively recent phenomenon for monarchs. In the court of Henry VIII a monarch was under obsessive scrutiny, even when he courted, while the consort's body was endlessly scrutinised: everyone knew whether or not the Queen was pregnant. And we are essentially going back to that; Kate's pregnancy has been a real icing on the cake, but it's terrible that it's been tinged by this awful tragedy of the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha. The more official royal coverage we have of the royal family smiling and waving, and getting it all right, the more people want to see the behind the scenes. |
| Victoria, the only other monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee, was too lame to climb the steps of St Paul's. Not so our Queen. If next year's great grandchild inherits the Windsor predilection for long-living, few of us will see him or her come to the throne. At 86, Elizabeth II shows no sign of slowing down. | Victoria, the only other monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee, was too lame to climb the steps of St Paul's. Not so our Queen. If next year's great grandchild inherits the Windsor predilection for long-living, few of us will see him or her come to the throne. At 86, Elizabeth II shows no sign of slowing down. |
Kate Williams is author of Young Elizabeth: the Making of our Queen (£12.99, Orion) | Kate Williams is author of Young Elizabeth: the Making of our Queen (£12.99, Orion) |
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