This piece isn’t that old, but it makes me smile. So I’m reposting it on the day when Queen Elizabeth II becomes the longest-serving monarch in British history. Well done, your Majesty. Well done.
One Badass Broad
In 1973, I went on a field trip with my high school acting group. To London. To a week of plays in London’s West End.
Because I was far too cool to be a tourist, I did almost none of the typical tourist things while I was there. (I was an idiot. There is a reason folks want to visit the Tower of London, etc.). There was one exception, though. I went to Madame Tussaud’s — the famous Wax Museum. While there, I was still too cool to be impressed by how realistic the wax figures were. Well, until something happened to really make me smile.
My friends and I had just about finished touring the museum, when we entered the exhibit for The Royals. From behind me I heard the sweetest voice.
“Mummy! That’s Our Queen!”
A little English boy, no more than four had entered the exhibit. He wore navy blue shorts and suspenders, and his cheeks were as rosy as a young English boy’s should be. He lit up the room with his pride. In his Queen.
“Yes, Darling,” replied his Mum. “That’s our Queen.”
From Madame Tussaud’s Website
At that time, Richard Nixon was President of the U.S. I was quite sure that there was no little boy in my country who would speak with similar pride about Nixon.
The image of that boy comes to mind every time I see Queen Elizabeth. And I always smile.
Today I read something about the Queen, though, that makes me smile even wider.
The Huffington Post reported a delightful anecdote about a visit from the newly-late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to the Queen’s Scottish castle, Balmoral. The story was recounted by Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, who was the British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. He’d been told the story by both the Queen and the King, and relayed it.
“After lunch, the Queen had asked her royal guest whether he would like a tour of the estate,” wrote Cowper-Coles, who is said to have heard the tale from both Elizabeth and Abdullah themselves. “Prompted by his foreign minister the urbane Prince Saud, an initially hesitant Abdullah had agreed. The royal Land Rovers were drawn up in front of the castle. As instructed, the Crown Prince climbed into the front seat of the front Land Rover, his interpreter in the seat behind.”
Queen Elizabeth and King Abdullah. Photo Credit, Associated Press (but I got it from the Huff Post)
Little did Abdullah know, however, that his driver for the day would be none other than Elizabeth herself.
“To his surprise, the Queen climbed into the driving seat, turned the ignition and drove off,” Cowper-Coles wrote. “Women are not — yet — allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, and Abdullah was not used to being driven by a woman, let alone a queen.”
Not to mention a queen who can drive like the wind. According to Cowper-Coles, Elizabeth didn’t just drive the SUV, but rapidly whizzed along the estate’s roads as she chatted, prompting Abdullah to become increasingly anxious.
“Through his interpreter, the Crown Prince implored the Queen to slow down and concentrate on the road ahead,” the diplomat said.
Queen Elizabeth II is one badass broad. On behalf of drivers of my gender, as well as men far more enlightened than King Abdullah, I bow to you. I’d curtsey but I’m not that kind of girl.
***
Quick thank you to Peg for correcting my typo! Next time, lady, please read my post before everyone else does.
FiftyFourandAHalf 
I’ma bit late to the party here. I hadn’t heard that particular story Elyse and I get a kick out of it. I watched a documentary on her an she was a mechanic and drove a jeep in WW2. If she and the royal highness had broken down she likely could have fixed it as well. Very down to earth in certain ways. The one who pops to mind as a comparison was Russia’s Peter the Great, who worked as a laborer and shipbuilder for a while to find out how his country was doing. Great post Elyse. thank you.
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I didn’t know that about Peter the Great! Fascinating!
There was a great routine I posted awhile back where comedian Danny Bhoy tells of meeting the queen. I will look for it again. She is likely very different from the royal image!
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Waaaay too cool. I once met the Queen Mom, she patted my head. She was pretty badass too.
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I loved the Queen Mum. I hope you didn’t wash that head
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I think I was five, and didn’t really know what was going on. She patted the heads of like every third kid in line, and I happened to get lucky. Even though I didn’t really understand, I remember it was kind of awesome, a memory I won’t lose.
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Awwww. Lad you got lucky once.
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Hooray! One up for women’s rights!
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Hooray indeed!
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I remember this one! She really IS a bad-ass broad, while still being a textbook definition of a lady – an unbeatable combination.
Sorry to be a spelling-Nazi douche-bag, but majesty is spelled with a “j”, not a “g” and it’s bugging me. I MUST do something about these OCD tendencies. Unless that’s the British spelling and I’m not continental enough?
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Oh yo9u’re right! I’ll fix it. But not that typo. It’s been a long friggin’ week!
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This is a great story … gotta love it! … and she is very worthy of a tip of the hat.
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Do you wonder if she sat around and thought to herself, ‘lets take this ass backwards twat on the ride of his life’.
I wonder that. I love this story.
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I hope so!
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I love that thought.
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sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet
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Exactly!
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yup
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I’ve always been fascinated by the royal family. I have tickets to a Broadway show—King Charles III—that imagines a post-Elizabeth monarchy.
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I can’t wait to hear about that one!
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It’s a transfer from London where it was a HUGE hit. It doesn’t go well. Charles becomes a paranoid King, circles Buckingham palace with tanks and shuts down the media. A plot to overthrow him is launched by Kate Middleton. At least, I THINK that’s how it goes. Sounds like typical royal family history to me!
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It sounds quite plausible!
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God Save the Queen!! I love that story.
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After all, she let you tromp trough her country!
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God, I love that story every time I read about it. She *is* a badass broad!
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😏
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Well, I suspect that king Abdullah went home even more convinced that women shouldn’t be allowed to drive…
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Yeah probably. But at least he learned that they can do it and do it well.
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What a cool high school trip! Can’t feel the same way about a queen, though, any queen. Or king or emperor. I’m glad to get rid of anybody after 4 or 8 years and wouldn’t want to live under even a half-assed monarchy. That said, I love England and the rest of the UK.
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It was a great trip. And it cost $150. Can you imagine?!?!
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Today a meal can cost $150 if you’re not careful!!!
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Exactly! That included the cost of theatre tickets, too.
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Oh man, that can be MORE than $150 now. Speaking of which I might be going to see Hamilton this fall. Keeping my fingers crossed!
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Did you see the picture of her teaching Charles and Andrew to ride go karts? Pretty cool. 🙂
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I just looked it up! Thanks.
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I’d read these stories before, and it makes The Queen more ‘human’ instead of just a Figure of State. Her length of reign is History in my lifetime, and although I would not say I’m a royalist, I think it is a wonderful landmark of our times.
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I like the symbolism of the office, and the Queen. Prince Phillip? Charles? Not so much. I like the younger generation, though!
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Yes, I refer William and Kate to the rest. Mainly I think because it come across that he won’t stand for any nonsense as people can observe their life through the media goldfish bowl on His terms.
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Yes. Wouldn’t you hate to lie like that?
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I have not heard that story before. I like the picture of her behind the wheel, showing Abdullah what a badass women drivers can be. 🙂
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That would be mental picture provided by the story. My comment, as is, seems a little unclear as to what picture I was referring to.
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I figured! It is a great image, isn’t it?!
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The story of E II and Abdullah never gets old. I can just picture him flopping all around the passenger seat while the Queen is chatting happily away about bird migrations and thistle growth. Royal passive-aggression has to be extra special.
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I love that image, too. X thinks it wouldn’t improve the Prince’s image of women drivers. C’est la vie!
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Love this story! Go, Queen Elizabeth, go. (Apparently she did just that!)
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I think I mentioned this (maybe even to you), but years ago I heard Paul McCartney say that early on, the Beatles were at a party at Buckingham Palace. “You know you’ve seen everything when you’ve seen the Queen doing the twist!” he said. Or something like that!
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I didn’t realize she was such a wild child. Very cool.
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