HM the Queen and Prince Consort May 2015 and October 2014
Like James Bond in the thrilling opening to the 2012 Olympics, I took a Black Cab to Buckingham Palace. I hailed a cab, gave him my special piece of paper allowing entry and we drove to the gates. The crowd watching the Guards parted and we were swiftly admitted. I said to the cabbie, “not every day you get to come in here” and he affirmed in his East London accent, first time ma’am. We drove into the courtyard and under the portico. I was met by one of the staff and cordially led into the Palace. He gracefully asked if I wished to freshen up and so I went to the loo led by some more staff.
The night before, Brad and I were at an Eric Clapton concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Billed as one of his last concerts (apparently that’s a recurring event) we were squeezed into the very steep seats just behind the stage. It was an historic event as he surpassed 200 concerts in the Royal Albert Hall and celebrated his 70th birthday. It was also 50 years since his first performance in the Hall with the Yardbirds. A few nights later, the concert was filmed and recorded as “Slowhand at 70 – Live at the Royal Albert Hall”. The performance was brilliant, his enduring music with a few tempo changes and some reggae.
Unfortunately, my mind was elsewhere. I was thinking about my lunch the next day, at Buckingham Palace. I was planning to wear my new white pleated skirt with the sleeveless light blue top my mother knitted. I was panicking because I had no light-coloured shoes or handbag and no time to shop. I was going to have to wear black pumps and a black handbag with that springy outfit. Going home that evening, I Googled HM The Queen images and realised that she always wore black shoes and always carried a black handbag (what is in that handbag?) even with pastels. Even in the James Bond video. I would be in good company.
As I came out of the sumptuous toilet, they showed me the seating plan and, indeed, as my EA Rosie predicted, I was to be seated at the right hand of Prince Philip. Other guests included Director of Kew Gardens, the head of the Lawn Tennis Association and two other women, the Institute of Physics (IOP) President and the head of Equity, the Actors’ Guild.
Then led into a square room with marvellous paintings I found the other guests and staff offering drinks. Having learnt to ask which one is sparkling water (the one with a lemon slice is gin and tonic), I got my water and started chatting to the guests. The footmen then came and moved us into clusters of three or four. I was stationed with the two other women, by the door. I knew Frances from IOP had worked in liquid crystals and we had several things in common. We chatted amicably and were lined up - with me closest to the door. I would be the first to shake Her Majesty’s hand!! I conjured up a curtsey in my mind. I was ready.
HM THE QUEEN entered gracefully wearing a blue floral dress and blue jacket. She did have a beautiful brooch (as predicted by Rosie) and triple strand of pearls. All the women, including HM were wearing black shoes and carrying a black handbag with summery clothes. I was lucky that I didn’t have any white shoes!
THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH was very spry, walking very tall with a mischievous glimmer in his eyes. Quite a gentleman at ninety-four. They were given drinks, his looking like tomato juice and hers looking like a dark aperitif with lemon.
They brought HM to talk to us ladies. She is a lovely woman and we talked about getting girls interested in physics and about actors and how they were often out of work. She clearly pays attention to her briefings, asking me about the future for women in science and what I saw at Imperial. The Equity guest asked impertinently how HM viewed the woman portraying her in The Audience that had just been revived in the West End a few weeks ago. A slight crinkle in her laugh lines hinted at almost betraying a cringe; HM said she had not seen the performance, and, with a laugh, added that perhaps she should go to the theatre! She turned away to her next threesome clearly signalling that she didn’t seem to care how she was being portrayed.
After making the rounds meeting all the guests, HM led Prince Philip into the dining room, and we followed. The dining room was beautiful with fabulous paintings and a chandelier. Each of us had our own footman serving us.
Philip was an engaging and interesting luncheon partner. We talked about universities and leadership and the Dyson School of Design Engineering, our White City innovation campus and health and medicine. He told me that he loves to read.
When discussing his distaste for the extreme medical measures carried out late in life he said, “none of us are going to live forever.” He had read Atul Gawende’s book, On Being Mortal, and found some of it depressing. I countered with the parts I found inspiring, in the way people did well with less medical intervention and lived longer and enjoyed life more.
On my other side was the President of the All-England Lawn Tennis Club. He was pleased to hear that I had visited Wimbledon and we talked about tennis and the museum. He read maths at Cambridge and was an actuary with Towers Perrin - Towers Watson. He knew but had never met Lehigh Alum and Towers-Watson CEO Mark Mactus. His daughters were graduates of Harvard and Yale, both having played tennis competitively. We discussed universities and his impressions of those they visited. He thought Yale took great care of their undergraduates while Harvard is more sink or swim. I told him my similar impressions of Rice and UChicago.
We ate a lovely lunch of langoustines on pea puree, lamb chop and asparagus and aubergine fritters and a creme glacee for dessert. Cheeses were from England and the lamb and one cheese was from HM own farm at Windsor.
We had an array of wine glasses and a small glass with each course. Philip had beer. The one rule I learnt was that when The Queen puts fork down, we are all done, and everyone should follow. Philip is such a lively conversationalist, I found myself listening to him holding my fork. Upon hearing a discreet throat clearing from my footman behind me I glanced around, and to my horror saw that I was the only one with my fork still raised, and in the wrong hand as well. Putting it neatly on my plate, I sadly watched my langoustine be whisked away….
I managed the rest of the meal without mishap and enjoying fascinating conversation. Prince Philip loved to talk about his carriage driving.
Walking out of the Palace to get to the number 9 bus, it was fun to look at the tourists from the other side of the fence and have them wonder who we were.
So how was it that I was invited to lunch with HM the Queen? That goes back to October 2014, and the State Banquet for Tony Tan the president of Singapore.
Our black cab was duly inspected by the guards and then drove through the gates to the Palace, through the arches and into the inner courtyard.
When we entered, we were warmly greeted by footmen and butlers. They directed us up the stairs towards a video camera! The grand stairs are covered in red carpet and the landings have marvellous paintings. We were directed to the hall of paintings which is full of masterpieces. There are Rubens, van Dyck, Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Reynolds, La Tour, Bellini, Caravaggio… you name it. They handed us our booklets with the list of guests and seating arrangement. A red dot identifies where one is seated. Mine was at the corner of the head table next to the Prime Minister! I had to sit down on a bench and compose myself. What was I to say to PM David Cameron?
I never dreamt that I would be seated eight seats down the table from HM The Queen at a State Dinner for the President of Singapore at Buckingham Palace. I sat in between David Cameron and the son of the President, Peter Tan. It was a marvellous evening.
We spent the rest of the reception looking at things from the Palace archives about Britain and Singapore. Queen Mary (George V consort) visited in 1901 on an eight-month tour of the Commonwealth and her notes and pictures were there.
There were Beefeaters, musicians, many servants with medals on their chests. Trays of drinks, gin and tonic seemed the aperitif of choice served in gleaming cut crystal, looking just like sparkling water with lemon slices. Lesson learnt.
There were about 170 people at the dinner. I was seated at the corner of the head table with Cameron to my right and Peter Tan, President Tan’s son on my left. I had a wonderful view of HM The Queen and the Duke 8 seats away from me. We were seated and the Queen made remarks before her toast. She described several links between Britain and Singapore. Beyond Raffles, military and trade links, the other examples were Kew Gardens which provided seedlings for the Botanical garden. And she said, “today Imperial College is educating new doctors for Singapore…”. I resisted applauding at the “shout-out” but was thrilled that Imperial’s important role in Singapore was recognised.
It was fun talking to Cameron. We mostly spoke about US and UK science and education. I said how remarkable HM The Queen was, Churchill was her first Prime Minister. David said, “Yes, I’m number 12. I always assume that almost anything I bring to her she will have seen before. She has known 25% of the US presidents!” Of course, little did we know then that she would work with five prime ministers over the coming eight years.
I had read about the protocol and watched HM for cues. After the call for a toast, music is played, and you don’t lift your glass until it is over. Some further away had their glasses in hand but you are to stay at attention. After Tan’s toast, properly ended with “The Queen” (see Obama’s mistake in the news), they play God Save the Queen and you stand at attention before raising a glass.
The service was impeccable, food was good, the huge flower arrangements, salt cellars, candle holders all in gold. It was remarkable.
I was able to greet several people I had met in my first few months in London such as Richard Sykes, Paul Nurse, James Dyson and of course my good friend Andy Hamilton. Andy joked with me that they record a video of your arrival so you can’t wear the same dress twice!
To round off the week I had lunch earlier that same day in the House of Lords with Eliza Manningham-Buller, our Chair of Council and several women of Imperial. We also went to a Diwali party at Carleton Terrace, a palace from the past now renovated by the Hinduja family. It was a wonderful chance to meet leading South Asians in London.
After the dinner, I found some greeting cards with black and white photographs of “the women of Kew Gardens” working in the gardens during the war. I sent one of these to HM. I was told how to ensure that HM herself would see it. Apparently, it worked. The lunch invitation with the head of Kew Gardens and the President of Imperial College fit in well with the tribute to UK-Singapore ties.