Congratulations to HM The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on their 60th Wedding Anniversary today. The service at Westminster Abbey yesterday was a reminder of how difficult things must have been for them over the years. It spoke of a marriage lived in the glare of publicity and bounded by duty.
But the snippet I liked best from the news coverage was that old Queen Mary (who was a feature of my young years) looked at the wedding presents and mistook a gift of a traycloth of lace from Mahatma Ghandhi, for his loin cloth. She described it as “indelicate”. I also liked the idea of 151 nylon stockings as being part of the trawl of gifts.
I guess you can tell that I am an unashamed monarchist. However, I do concede that watching the monarchy can destract us from what government is up to.
I saw that story on the CBC news last night and I was surprised that it was up to 60 already. Thats more than many people accomplish, even because age creeps up and people pass away.
But there they are, still together after all these years.
Well done.
Her subjects must be praying for them well.
The Queen is almost always seen as “a jolly good thing” – the rest of the Royal Family come in for more stick. But you are right, Randall, sixty years is a lifetime for many.