A bloody meeting with the Queen
7th February 2022 7/7
Hello Hello you awesome beautiful troop of readers.
A new week has started and yesterday was the sixth of February. It is a very special day, as it was on February 6th 1952 that Queen Elizabeth II acceded to the throne.
On February 6th she was Princess Elizabeth and on a royal tour in Kenya. Her father had been due to go, but due to his poor health he had to cancel and Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip went in their place. So it was in Kenya, Africa when her father King George VI died, and it meant that she immediately became the Queen.
70 years! That is how long she has been Queen, so this year is her Platinum Jubilee Year. Growing up she never thought she would be queen.
This is a mural in Belfast that I took a couple of years ago. In Belfast you either love the Queen, the monarchy and Great Britain or you detest them, depends which side you were born on. Me, well No Surrender, I am on the side of the Queen!
Everything was to change in December 1936. Her uncle – King Edward VIII - abdicated which meant her father was now King, and Princess Elizabeth (then aged ten ) was next in line to the throne.
Princess Elizabeth took her role seriously from an early age and Her Majesty’s life of duty and service began long before she took to the Throne.
So seeing her anniversary, it took me back some years, to when it was our schools 150th anniversary. Sir Walter Scott was one of the founders. If you ever get to Edinburgh do go up his monument there are quite a few steps to go up as you can tell by the picture below!
Back to the school anniversary. I was ten and we were to have a special guest, yes non-other than Her Majesty the Queen. the week before she was due to visit, we were all made to bow as if we were being introduced to the Queen.
Now boys, you do not speak to the Queen unless she speaks to you. You may answer her with You Majesty, but you must only say it once.
If you have to speak again you say ma'am, but you say it like mam as in jam.
That is very important. Boys do you understand!
Yes we did and for me it was very easy. My grandfather believed that children should be seen and not heard, and that little boys should not speak unless spoken to.
So I was sure that this would be piece of cake for me.
I practised the head bow, the handshake, saying Your Majesting and mam, I was ready to greet the Queen.
Bring her on!
On the morning of the visit, I was in my form class, which was class 6B(N). B of Mr Benson, and we would be doing crafts when the Queen would be visiting our class!
I was quite excited as I would be one of the three boys in our class that would be presented to the Queen.
Have you ever used balsa wood? We were making aeroplanes out of balsa wood.
Now then for your information, ten year old boys and craft knives do not go together, well not for this little rascal anyway🤣
I was slicing a little shaving off the balsa wood, and was being really good. Always cut away from you, they said. Okay, I was cutting away from me, the only problem was, is that I mistook my thumb for the balsa wood and sliced off part of it.
Auckland Museum, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
That picture is similar to what we were trying to make.
So lo and behold I cut my thumb, and I was not too happy. I didn't want to tell anyone, I did not say a word, and thought I would just wrap my thumb in my handkerchief. By this time we were told the queen was in the next classroom and so we would be next. Luckily it was on my left hand and I am right handed. My thumb wrapped in handkerchief was stuck in my left trouser pocket.
You can do this Edward I thought, just put your hand behind your back.
It all went well, the Queen came in and spoke to the first boy.
Then she came over to my table, my teacher introduced me to the Queen, and I shook her hand, and answered her question. Yes Your Majesty I am making a plane.
All I remember was her saying, and do you paint it before you finish it, as she pointed to yes, bloody blood spots on the wood! I can remember my teacher giving me a horrible glare.
She then said she was looking forward to hearing me sing as I was in the choir that would be performing for her at The Usher Hall later that night.
Yes me too mam I beamed at her, and then quick as you light she was out of the room and it was over. Mr Benson came back afterwards and demanded to know what had happened, so I pulled out my now red handkerchief and showed him my thumb.
This little rascal was given six of the best by Mr Benson, before being sent to the boarding house to see matron, complete with a sore arse.
Later that night we did go and sing at the Usher Hall for her.
Some years later, I was invited to one of the Queen's garden parties at Holyrood Palace, but I was out of the country and unable to attend.
Whenever I see or hear the Queen I always look down at my left thumb which still has a faint white scar where part of it got sliced off!
Thank you for reading and enjoy your week.
Copyright @TengoLoTodo 2022 and yes All Rights Reserved. All images, words, and ramblings are from the author unless otherwise stated.
100% original content from this mad Scotsman
And don't forget ;)
Haste ye back.
Surely it was all worth, what happened to your thumb, for you were able to talk with her and sing for her too!
That monument looks like a portal to another world. I'm thinking Lord of the Rings! :D