Guess who I saw today??

[justginger]

Well, we're in London and it is the OFFICIAL Diamond Jubilee weekend.

When I hear them talk about it, I hear DIAMOND(jubilee). Like maybe QEII herself will be standing on the balcony of Buckingham, tossing out diamonds to the crowd.

Anyway, we decided to do some sightseeing in the dismal London weather, staying as far away from the Thames as possible. They were having a 1000ish boat flotilla, led by the entire royal family and the city was HEAVING with people, scampering for the water to catch a glimpse of the spectacle.

We went the other way, wandering around Parliament and Westminster Abbey, and then headed back towards Buckingham. Thanks to the Jubilee, Buckingham is pretty much closed off and seeing it is all but impossible. We consoled ourselves by doubling back to find a pub we had passed earlier, for some bangers and mash, and a pint of ale.

We were walking and walking, and at a corner we saw some police officers hustling a few pedestrians out of the middle of the street. There were a couple of motorcycle cops coming towards us with their lights on, and 2 cars following behind them. We decided to pause to see if it was anything exciting - just having a stickybeak, as they say in Oz.

There were only maybe 10 of us standing around the intersection...and there they were in a Bentley, followed by a cream Range Rover. Camilla and Charles.

HELLO ROYALTY!

I was too dumbfounded to take a photo, but I did smile and wave. Camilla raised her hand to wave back and they were gone in a flash. They were moving quickly, it was only about 15 minutes til 2, which was the starting time of the event. They looked really, really lovely - Charles was done up in all of his military medals and whatnot, and Camilla (as always) was wearing pastel and a GIANT hat.

It was exciting...but I couldn't believe how little security there was around them. Two motorcycle police officers, and a Range Rover with another 4 officers inside. For the future king?...

 

[lucyloo]

WOW!! What a great story to take home from your trip

 

[Enerchi]

Cool! That's major in the 'celebrity sighting' category!!

 

[minousbijoux]

That is a major event and a unique souvenir of your trip - glad you had clothes to wear when she went by - she was probably waving at you trying to get your attention to find out where you got the gorgeous bling!

 

[justginger]

LOL - I can imagine Camilla asking for my jeweler's number!

Honestly though, I was chuffed. They were only a foot away, windows rolled down and everything. I think it's a toss up whether I was more excited about this, or the time I had the most awkward conversation ever with Britney Spears in the LAX bathroom!

 

[Enerchi]

LOL - I can imagine Camilla asking for my jeweler's number!

Honestly though, I was chuffed. They were only a foot away, windows rolled down and everything. I think it's a toss up whether I was more excited about this, or the time I had the most awkward conversation ever with Britney Spears in the LAX bathroom!

Do tell!.... What did you and Britney chat about?

 

[iLander]

That's cool! I can't stand Camilla, but I would have been pretty thrilled to see her and Charles.

 

[kenny]

Cool.

Do you think Prince Charles will be king or will they skip him for the more popular and unsullied Prince William?
In fact, CAN they even skip Charles?
Who decides these things?

People loved Di and he is half Di (and looks 3/4 Di) and has no unfortunate past.

 

[justginger]

As much as the general population seem to WANT to skip Charles and go straight to William, I don't think it will happen like that -- not if Charles is still alive when Elizabeth passes. IMO with monarchy, it's not really about what the people want - it's about standards, tradition, rules. And the fact is Charles is the next in line, despite his son being more popular.

Who decides these things? I don't know. They've just been in place for hundreds of years. One person is the leader, then their oldest son takes over (unless there is no son, in that case their daughter becomes Queen). You can't skip that son if he's alive and competent, simply because he is unpopular. It's not a democracy or republic or a prom king competition, it's a monarchy, and the rules of the monarchy are followed regardless of popularity.

I do find it interesting that if a certain number of people die off (I don't mean that rudely, I just don't know how else to put it), we'll be all the way to Beatrice (think it's Charles, William, Harry, Andrew, and then her). I'd like to see her on the throne with one of those crazy hats!

Personally, I can't wait to see Kate with a crown on her head. I think she's the bee's knees.

As for Britney - it was awkward. I just looked at her, like a deer in headlights. She laughed and said that I must not be a fan, as most people try to hug her. I then, with great wit and a vocabulary to envy, mumbled that I wasn't an "unfan." Yes, an unfan.

 

[Maisie]

I think Charles will be king. And rightly so. You can't change up the succession just because you prefer his son. Even though I suspect most people do prefer William and Catherine.

I actually don't hate Camilla. She seems to make Charles very happy and they were in love for such a long time. I don't agree with them having an affair while they were married to other people but ultimately they were able to be together again and who are we to say they shouldn't? We don't know what goes on behind closed doors. For all we know Diana might have been having affairs long before Charles and Camilla took up again.

Any other couple and a lot of people would have thought it was hugely romantic that they were separated in the early days, yet married each other later in life.

 

[zoebartlett]

That's pretty cool, justginger!

I don't follow the Royal family too closely, but Charles and Camilla seem a thousand times better suited for each other than Princess Diana and Charles were. I disliked them when Diana was alive because I saw them as destroying her in a lot of ways (and the press too), but I don't really feel the same way now. I can see how they can be sort of likable. They were with the wrong people before but now they're with the right one and they seem happy. I see your points, Maisie.

Funny conversation you had with Britney Spears, justginger!

 

[ame]

I will be curious if Charles WANTS to take over the throne as he's expected. He might prefer to skip it himself.

 

[justginger]

This is what they looked like, only that enormous hat was wedged into a Bentley!

http://www.itv.com/news/update/2012-06-03/prince-charles-and-camilla-arrive-for-river-pageant/

And here's an article about them joining a street party that afternoon - we must have seen them after they had been here, on the way to the Tower Bridge.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/a...e-surprise-visit-Fortnum--Mason.html?ITO=1490

It was really an experience to be in London on this particular day. There were SO many people...and they were all done up to the nine's in the Union Jack. I've never seen anything like it, in either Australia or the States. Union Jack rhinestone tattoos, Union Jack gumboots, Union Jack flags, Union Jack capes, Union Jack leggings, Union Jack purses, Union Jack jesters hats, Union Jack headbands, Union Jack face paint, Union Jack dog jackets, Union Jack raincoats, little balloons shaped like Corgis with crowns on them, giant signs with the Union Jack and a tongue-in-cheek "Thanks for the day off!" written on them. Guys in FULL Union Jack suits. I've got a photo of that somewhere, will post it.

 

[Polished]

Lucky you justginger there experiencing the atmosphere of this event first hand. It's possible Charles may not be on the throne that long if Queen Elisabeth lives a similar length of time to her mother. I'm in Australia and I stayed up till after 3.00 am last night watching the flotilla - the finale of the members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and choir drenched with water in the rain, singing their hearts out to "Land of Hope and Glory" to the Queen was rather moving.

 

[Rhea]

We were at the river yesterday! Yay! And drinking plenty of Pimms and eating cucumber sandwiches today (I'm not a native Brit and I think of them as being *very* British)! The concert is on right now and my dual-nationality self is feeling very British.

My sister saw Charles and Camilla in London on Oxford Street right before their car was hit in the riots in Dec 2011.

My mom and I had a long talk yesterday about Diana vs Camilla. Americans, in general, seem to much perfer Diana. The conversation was this whole, in depth explanation about my take on royality and the British public. It's so different from the US. The culture shock of moving over here was actually shocking. It's not a simple case of thinking that we both speak English therefore we are similar.

And I like Camilla. But the converts are always the worst, aren't they

 

[Laughinggravy0]

Gosh, that was quite funny on Britany's part. Unfan - new word. I love the idea of you trying to be polite and not to lie at the same time. You are a nice person. "I'm not an unfan" - that hilarious. How else could you say that anyhow - I'm not a not fan

So you were in London for all this, cool. Part of me vaguely wanted to be there. I can remember the Golden jubilee and curly edged sandwiches and choccy digestives at a street party, with orange squash.

Hope you are having a lovely time - I think it was your luggage that went missing, hope it's turned up

 

[rosetta]

Im back home in london now but I went to NYC last week and saw Michelle Obama.

Not quite royalty, but a new one for me!

I've seen quite a few members of royalty, living in London. Good timing JG!

 

[Enerchi]

Hey that is equally as cool, Rosetta! Exciting for both you and JG... I never meet anyone when I travel, even as an "unfan" of Britney!! That was funny justginger! "unfan"! I'm sure she thought - wow, someone 'normal' not an insane stalker, which was probably refreshing for a change.