I remember the day the Queen ascended to the throne. It was February of 1952 and my father had heard the announcement and walked into the kitchen of our home and told my mother and brother and me. I remember my mother saying, “Poor Elizabeth. She has a hard road ahead.” Indeed, she has over the last 70 years.
The year before she and Prince Phillip had visited Windsor. My father, who had come from from the English Midlands not longer before, led the family in a walk down to the waterfront to greet the Royal couple. My mom talked for days after about how elegant the Princess has been and at her weekly hair appointment had her hair styled like the future Queen’s. The Queen wore a smart tailored suit on the visit to Windsor and suddenly my mother’s daytime wardrobe always included a blazer paired with black leather gloves.
If the press mentioned a favorite food, my mother would get the recipe and practice as though the Royals might drop by for a Sunday dinner. One article mentioned the Princesses love of a venison roast and my mother searched everywhere for venison. Thankfully, she did not succeed in finding it.
Until the day she died, my mother modeled herself after the Queen who she considered the model of elegance. She always said, when my father teased, that it wasn’t about being the Queen, it was honoring her image.
Happy 70 years to the Queen!
Dorothy – 90 – Windsor
Picture from Wayne State University. Click here to see original source.
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