Книга - Corgi and Bess: More Wit and Wisdom from the House of Windsor

Corgi and Bess: More Wit and Wisdom from the House of Windsor
Thomas Blaikie


Following the success of ‘You Look Awfully Like the Queen’, this is a second anthology of hilarious and touching royal anecdotes, collected by Thomas Blaikie.An unfortunate culture clash occurred when a Geordie councillor was invited to one of the Queen’s informal lunches. As is the old-fashioned custom there were two puddings. The Queen enquired, ‘Would you like cake or meringue?’ ‘No, y’er not wrang, Your Majesty,’ the councillor replied. 'I'll have the cake.'On a Royal visit to St Albans Abbey in January 2006, the Duchess of Cornwall spied a ladder in a corner and attempted to make an unscheduled ascent. ‘Not in those shoes,’ her lady-in-waiting said firmly, bringing the runaway Duchess back into line.‘It’s for my nanny,’ Prince Harry thoughtfully explained to a somewhat wide-eyed assistant at Selfridges as she popped his purchase into a bag. It was a maribou-trimmed thong.The Royal Family has been a source of curiosity and amusement for centuries, and in this delightful little book, Thomas Blaikie takes a second fond look at the UK’s first family. Published to mark the Queen’s 80th birthday, this second instalment includes more stories of our favourite royals, along with newer additions to the adult clan, including the Duchess of Cornwall and Princes William and Harry.







Corgi and Wess

MORE WIT AND WISDOM FROM THE HOUSE OF WINDSOR

THOMAS BLAIKIE



















Contents


Cover (#u9e68240f-dc3c-5e37-ad96-d242fe6c4419)

Title Page (#ue4105011-e1ea-56a0-b8b5-8cea0976be2c)

Introduction (#uc2461e57-df48-5989-ac74-a69a1e716629)

Royal to the Core (#ue97fab99-dec7-5735-b393-0c5a8b57b466)

Family Rivalry — Who is the Loveliest of Them All? (#u34d58b0d-ad81-55c9-a3ac-d19d07c047f3)

Who’s in Charge? The Struggle for Power (#u4db61d23-d53b-563e-9598-4066a717800d)

They’re Really Quite Normal (#u63b6c5f4-d981-5753-9dd5-6be934e7e065)

Home Life (#u9d1163ce-cab5-5d29-8233-61485ce97cb1)

Don’t I Get No Respect? (#ucdfadd4b-ca9e-5ac7-beff-4148d16bbdf4)

Going About My Business (#u4ff4ddf2-d22f-50a6-8c37-bea0af46cbaf)

How Much Does it Cost? (#u1c85b261-f79d-5f7e-88eb-5c0651ca2100)

Our Real Friends (#ufcabe758-e147-5742-88b2-62329c0dba13)

All in Good Taste (#ua030790d-9337-5941-bb2d-d3514bb7f1db)

In the Cradle (#u32952519-7cb2-5a16-9b3d-56af5ff03733)

Intimate Moments (#uf1284bfa-4b8a-5be2-8a2d-b6ac49dad035)

The New-look Monarchy (#u8a59c8b5-3b48-5b27-add3-601b461663f3)

Abroad (#u43feb9a3-9ed6-5b80-934d-35b87de8fac2)

Sources (#u48f6b8d5-c61f-5e87-8f3a-e19291d8c827)

Notes (#u1196cbf5-0bf4-56ea-a2d7-f690f12141e3)

Acknowledgements (#u66c9a358-d7c0-5794-9285-274732538f91)

ALSO BY THOMAS BLAIKIE (#u6d43a2cc-9482-55ba-939a-c9a49f76845b)

Copyright (#ua8da7ef8-a541-5a0d-9bfa-cde3e663c46e)

About the Publisher (#u931c20c0-97ca-5fc6-960b-f074849ce2c0)




Introduction (#ulink_8f2aa060-a9ea-578e-8e24-3f9e8f54c8ac)


You Look Awfully Like the Queen, my previous collection of Royal stories, was my first book. For me, it was thrilling enough just to be published. It never occurred to me that anyone might buy the book or that sales might even be necessary.

But fortunately many of you did buy it, and in quite large numbers.

Informal, behind-the-scenes glimpses of Royal life, sometimes quirky (for the Windsors are odd, as you might expect), not always as fawningly flattering as old-fashioned deference would have demanded, but always affectionate, seem to be popular. Perhaps it is that they catch the spirit of the modern, more cheerful and friendly Monarchy which we all want and in fact have — for the Queen and the Monarchy have changed, despite all claims and appearance to the contrary. Gratifyingly for me, members of the Royal Family have taken to telling Royal anecdotes themselves. To mark his mother’s 8oth birthday, Prince Andrew gave a number of interviews in which he retold the title story of You Look Awfully Like the Queen, getting it slightly wrong, if I may say so.

Here, in Corgi and Bess, you will find many tantalising vignettes, the majority of them never before published or from elusive sources, of all the peculiar, contradictory traits of Royalty. One minute they are just like us, worrying about the shabby state of the curtains, and the next doing something really quite strange, like kissing a small child goodnight with a crown on or showing astonishing knowledge of the smoking habits of goats. You will find yourself experiencing, perhaps, equally contradictory feelings about them, veering from anxiety as to exactly how seriously to take them to respect and admiration.

You will see also changes in the Royal Family reflected. There are a number of exclusive stories about the Duchess of Cornwall, as well as Princes William and Harry. It is interesting that Princess Margaret, a few years after her death, begins to look less and less … well, I hesitate to say this … awful. Her idea was that there was no point in being a Princess unless you could do exactly as you liked — and that’s just what she did, with breathtaking dash and aplomb. You’ve got to give it to her.

Royal anecdotes may be popular but that doesn‘t mean they’re easy to come by. No, they are rare. People who know them guard them jealously. I could write another whole book about the struggle I’ve had to excavate the stories in this one; but I was fortunate to come across some highly exclusive sources without, I can honestly say, having to penetrate the Palace disguised as a footman.

But in one maddening instance no amount of digging could achieve anything. Somebody told me a story about the Queen walking her dogs and meeting a member of the public who didn’t recognise her (this could be true if it happened some time ago). This person had the cheek to suggest that the Queen’s dogs were badly behaved and she ought to do something about it. Her Majesty made some funny reply, but my source couldn’t remember what it was. Can you believe it?

So, if anyone thinks they know, do be in touch. I’m sure a suitable reward can be arranged.





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