The Unofficial British Royal Family Pages

What a difference a day makes...

24 little hours. Where do I begin? How about the afternoon after I left off. I got a hold of Chris and Tara Ogden. The said they would meet in Lancaster House at 7:00 p.m. by the Milkmaid's Lane Gate. There were over one million people all down the mall, which was packed the whole day. It took me nearly an hour to cross due to the masses of people all trying to find a place to stop. The Police are amazing. I wish I were that patient. They can say no fifty times without losing their patience. They were extraordinary. Well, after I made it through the Mall back to Lancaster House I wrote a piece about the history of the building. I'm going to try to write about a few more places so perhaps I'll finally be ahead on my writing - a goal I've been waiting to attain for two long years! 

Well, I stayed at Lancaster House for several hours until the meeting time glad of the refuge from the chaos outside. There we met and I slid past security with Chris as his badge has more stripes than mine. Then he took me to where the cameras were on a high platform outside the Canada Gate. I sat down sort of dangling over the lower camera platform and had an amazing view of the screen. The sound was incredible - even that close. Surprisingly, I recognized all the performers with the exception of Mis-Teeq and Blue. Mis-Teek sang with Ricky Martin on Living La Vida Loca and then sang their own song later on.

Camilla wasn't at this event - not that I saw anyway. The people outside booed her at Saturday's Prom at the Palace though I'm told there wasn't a sound inside and I believe it. Robert Lacey reported on Sunday morning's David Frost show that she came out rather timidly, which he found charming. Well, William and Harry were at this concert and the audience outside, inside and everywhere went wild to see the two Prince Charmings. It was such a rollicking good time I hardly noticed that 3 � hours passed before it was over. Some of the highlights were Brian May, lead guitarist for Queen, playing the National Anthem on the roof of Buckingham Palace ala Hendrix. (It reminded me of Jimi Hendrix's famous Woodstock rendition of the USA's National Anthem.) The Motown Tribute featuring Phil Collins, Will Young, Atomic Kitten, Blue, Emma Bunton and Mis-Teek was awesome. When Cliff Richards came out to sing "Living Doll" his number one hit of 1958, the crowd went wild. Everyone was swaying and singing along. I saw Ross Benson and Ingrid Seward on the lower platform with two girls who looked to be about 13. They caught my eye because of the obvious pleasure they seemed to take from that song. Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys had some huge stars on his tribute to the Beach Boys music. There was Eric Clapton, The Coors, Cliff Richards, Emma Bunton and Atomic Kitten joining in for the finale of "Good Vibrations". That was another crowd pleaser.

When Ray Davies came out to play Lola, he said, "First I want to thank the owners of the Property for lettings use their back yard." The Queen did smile. Dame Edna was hysterical. She told the Queen that it was all rather loud and she may want to listen from Balmoral as it would still be too loud from Windsor. Ozzy was very funny as well coming out to sing before his introduction was through and then, when corrected, screaming "Sha-roooooon!" just like he does on the show. When they played "Hey Jude" all the performers came on stage to join in and Ozzy went crazy. He really, really enjoyed himself and I loved watching him acting just as I felt - awed, happy and making the most of a memorable moment.

The Party was followed by a parade through the street of these giant flowers that were lit up and dancing down the Mall to the Nutcracker Suite. The Queen followed in a black car and lit a rocket that came shooting down this wire and lit the beacon. The beacon looked like a 1970's disco ball and was located on the Queen Victoria Memorial in the center of the Mall. Then came an awesome firework display. It was fantastic and oh so memorable.

Then I went with the BBC and Dickie Arbiter, who was the Queen's Press Secretary from 1988 through 2000. He was very knowledgeable and quite charismatic as well. I enjoyed meeting him. Then it was my turn and it all happened so fast I hardly remember any of it. Tara set the scene at the Mall at that point, which was a massive clean up in progress, and I was asked if many Americans feel as I do about the Royal Family. Thankfully I'd just written that piece so that was an easy one. The hard one - believe it or not - was what do I collect? I mentioned some things, but not even half of what I'd had in my bag! I got back to my hotel just past three o'clock and had a glass of wine with the front desk clerk who was celebrating alone and asked me to join him.

Tuesday, I had an eight o'clock wake up call. I stopped at Taste Caf� and got a tea, a banana and a muffin to go as I wanted to get to the Palace as soon as possible. The South Stand gate was due to close at 10:00 a.m. and I wasn't sure how long it would take me to pass through the already packed streets. I was seated just before ten and guess who sat next to me? Sandi Lacey, Robert's wife, (he was in the television booth at the top of the North Stadium Seating doing color commentating for ITN) and she's an even bigger fan of his work than I am as she knew all the books, not just the royal ones. She was charming and very well versed on the royal family, the pageantry, etc. We talked about the time they were in Wellington, Florida as I was in West Palm Beach at the same time and remembered reading that they were there. Mostly, we talked about all things royal and I felt as though I had my own personal mentor/tour guide. It was wonderful! Then her friend, Gerald Grant, came and sat next to her. Sandi told me he was an expert on Royal Pageantry and asked him to share some of what he knew with me. He was very personable and has agreed to speak to me tomorrow. I have to call today to firm up a convenient time.

The day was wonderful! The crowds went crazy when William, Harry, Prince Andrew and Beatrice rode out in the first open top landau. From the monitors I saw them smiling and waving all the way to St. Pauls Cathedral. I can't describe how beautiful the Gold State Coach is. It is fairytale like and Her Majesty and Prince Philip looked so regal passing in it. HM was wearing a blue suit and hat. It was a robins egg blue. Prince Philip wore his uniform with so many medals it's a wonder he was able to maintain his robust posture! Then HM took the pearl handled sword from the Lord Mayor of London at the Temple Bar - a ritual that has been performed (I'm told) since Queen Elizabeth I presented the then Lord Mayor with the sword during her reign. Then the Queen returns the sword and continues on to St. Pauls while the Lord Mayor runs like a crazy man down the side streets in a wig in order to get to St. Pauls before Her Majesty and Prince Philip so that he can greet them upon their arrival.

The Thanksgiving Service was beautiful. The lunch with the Lord Mayor had some great moments as well. Tony Blair's speech about the Queen hit all the right notes, I thought. His point was that people don't just respect the Queen for all her devotion to them and Her duty they love her as well. You know that's how I feel. The Queen also thanked Prince Philip and the other members of her family for their unfailing support, as without it she couldn't do her job.

The Royal Family including Princess Beatrice, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Princess Anne and her family and Prince Charles and his boys all came back first and sat upon the dais at the back end of the Victoria Memorial to watch the Parades. Then Her Majesty returned this time wearing an orange suit with black trim. Then guess who sat next to me on my right side? Richard Kay of the Daily Mail. He had a laptop and binoculars and was writing his article while we sat there so I didn't say much to him. He seemed quite personable and witty. Next Her Majesty watched the special parades and then was escorted back to the Palace by the Chicken Shed Children. The Chicken Shed Children is an outreach group of children ages 7 - 18. After reaching the Palace, the Children of the Commonwealth unveiled a banner they had made in honor of the Jubilee with interpretations of their flags on it. Next HM and family went up to the balcony for the flypast. How amazing to be sitting directly beneath the flight path!! 

The people went crazy and Her Majesty and Prince Philip made two other balcony appearances before the rain started. Then everyone left. Amazing, amazing day. I was back at my hotel after stopping for tea by 7:00 p.m. (The Internet Caf� was already closed or I would have had my tea there while I wrote.) There I watched the ITN show "Elizabeth and Bertie" which made David and Wallis look like two cads and King George V look like an ogre. I did enjoy watching the interaction between the actors portraying Bertie and Elizabeth. So all in all it was worthwhile.

Well, sorry for another long one, but wow! Look at all that's happened. Glad I could give you a bit more inside scoop. This trip is certainly a dream come true for me!

All the best,

-- Eileen Sullivan --