My Three Close Encounters with the British Royal Family

Yes it is true, I've had three close encounters with the British royal family - well maybe the close part is a bit of a stretch, but three encounters nevertheless.  Well maybe encounters is not quite the right word - how about stories.  Yes, three stories about the royal family.  


Story #1
The year was 1977.
The Queen was celebrating her Silver Jubilee.
I was an exchange student in the Netherlands and in June visited England and was able to enjoy the Silver Jubilee festivities.  I saw the Queen on a barge on the Thames.  She was the small turquoise dot!

My Silver Jubilee souvenir teaspoon

Story #2
The year was 1981.
Hubby and I got married in February and ten days later the announcement was made that Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer were to be married.  I watched with interest as she planned her wedding as I had just gone through the same thing.  

Hubby and I had summer jobs that year in Northern Ontario:  he was working on the pipeline and I was collecting tree samples for a professor.  We lived in small tourist cabins when the weather was cold and camped when the weather was warmer.  By the time July 29th rolled around and it was time for the royal wedding, we had been living in the bush for almost three months, five weeks of which had been spent tent camping.   We decided that we would  treat ourselves to a nice hotel room so we could watch the wedding on TV.  The nearest town was Dryden and we opted for one of the best places in town, the Riverview Lodge.  It had a picturesque dining room that was in an old log building.  I loved the contrast between the rustic wood walls and ceiling and stone fireplace and the patterned carpets and fine china.  I looked online for a photo of it so you could see what I mean and these were the best I could find.

Riverview Lodge

After we had enjoyed a lovely dinner complete with a glass of wine, we went to our room for the night.  We were surprised and dismayed that the room was not only small and very basic, but had NO TV (I hasten to add that it was thirty years ago and the place has since been remodeled).   We went to the front desk to see what they could do and they very kindly brought a TV from the owner's home for us to use.  Thus we did get to join the 750 million other viewers and watch the wedding.  I will always remember feeling that Diana and I couldn't be any further apart, with Diana living in such refined elegance and me in my grubby unsophisticated bubble of tents and trees and bugs. Fortunately our lives were different in other ways as well, as my prince turned out to be the real prince charming.


Story #3
The year was 1983.
In June the Prince and Princess of Wales came to Canada for their first official visit.
Hubby, my two sisters, and I went to Ottawa to brave the crowds and see them.  

Diana, Princess of Wales with Pierre Elliott Trudeau, the Prime Minister at the time (on the right) in Ottawa, June 1983 (photo taken by me)

Prince Charles (and the edge of Diana's hat to his left) (photo taken by me)

Prince Charles inspecting the guards (photo taken by me)

And so you can see what Diana really looked like that day, here is a photo from the newspaper.  Didn't she look lovely!

Toronto Star

I think it is worth mentioning that 1981 was the year the Prince and I got married, and thirty years later, 2011 is the year my son and Prince William will get married.  Hmm, not sure that came out the way I intended.

I just read that William and Kate will be visiting Canada in June.  Unfortunately I will be out of the country at that time so they won't get to visit me.  I'm sure they will still have a nice visit though!

Linked to Royal Wedding Party Ideas at Decor to Adore