Diamond Jubliee

I've lived in California for more years than I care to admit to and most of the time I think of myself as American. But this weekend I've been one hundred percent British. I have watched all the Diamond Jubilee festivities religiously on the telly. I have even stood and sung Land of Hope and Glory along with the crowd.  And secretly I've been glad that I didn't have to personally stand out in that rain. I love my native country dearly but not the weather. It was why I left in the first place.

The Brits were so good about standing outside in that awful weather,weren't they? The queen in her light outfit on the Thames. Those singers standing on their barge while rain cascaded down their faces. All those people on the Mall waving their flags, little children sitting on shoulders cheering. My hats off to them all.

I thought the queen was marvelous. She's 86 and she didn't flag, didn't need to sit down all that while on the Thames and went through a whole concert looking interested while obviously she was worrying about her husband in hospital.

The only disturbing factor to me was that she took Charles and Camilla, Wills Harry and Kate everywhere with her, but no sign of her other children or grandchildren. I glimpsed Anne once, sitting in the audience, but what happened to Andrew and Edward and their offspring? Why didn't they get a chance to wave from the balcony? If I'd been them, I'd have been miffed that Camilla, of all people, got to be in the spotlight, up close and cozy whispering to the queen, while they were shut out. Has there been anything about this in the British papers?

One thing was clear--the Brits really know how to put on a good show. I'm going to be there for the Olympics and I'm looking forward to more of the same, and to an umbrella with the Union Jack on it!
By the way, did I ever mention that I had tea with the queen when I was a girl?
I'll tell you more about it in my next post.