More Fun Stories About Queen Elizabeth II
I hope you don’t mind a few more stories about Queen Elizabeth II. I continue to learn fascinating things about her. It’s been fun to find out how much she likes to have fun. For example, in 1957 she decided on a special way to greet her husband, Prince Philip, when he returned after traveling without her on a five-month royal mission on the royal yacht, Britannia. Prince Philip grew a beard while he was gone. When the two were reunited, Queen Elizabeth II greeted him wearing a fake beard, and she had gotten the others who were greeting him with her to don fake beards, too.
Speaking of the royal yacht . . .
Once, when Prince Charles was a little boy, he sent his soccer ball flying overboard. One of the naval officers decided that they could justify retrieving the Prince’s soccer ball by using it as a practice exercise. Prince Charles got his soccer ball back. Deciding that the kick and the rescue were great fun, off went the soccer ball again. Even a prince has to learn life’s lessons. Once was enough. Prince Charles never saw that soccer ball again.
Here is a peek inside Britannia. Last week I shared this photo of Prince Philip, First Lady Nancy Reagan, Queen Elizabeth II, and President Ronald Reagan celebrating the Reagans’ anniversary on Britannia.
Prince Philip took great delight in hosting barbecues with himself as the chief cook. The Queen regularly made salad and her own special salad dressing to go along with the meal. Once Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher joined the Queen and Prince for one of his famous barbecues. Mrs. Thatcher could hardly stand watching the Queen washing the dishes, or “washing up” as the British say. And the Queen wanted Mrs. Thatcher to leave her alone and let her just do it.
Evidently the Queen made drop scones when President Eisenhower came to visit her at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The President also enjoyed cooking. Eisenhower had grown up with several brothers and no sisters, and his mother made sure her sons knew how to cook. Eisenhower asked the Queen for her scones recipe. I recently came across a letter to Eisenhower from the Queen and also her recipe for drop scones while finding photos of the Queen on a National Archives website. I love scones, and I love the idea of drop scones, which sounds much easier and faster than rolling them and cutting them out.
Here are the letter and the recipe. I’m looking forward to trying them.
While writing this, I looked on the official royal website to check on when Prince Philip made his five month journey. While doing that, I found the Queen’s 1956 Christmas message, which she gave while he was away on his trip. Following is a quote from her Christmas message that year. Speaking of Jesus’ birth, she said:
Neither the long and troubled centuries that have passed since that Child was born, nor the complex scientific developments of our age, have done anything to dim the simple joy and bright hope we all feel when we celebrate His birthday.
As we live in this troubled century with its complex scientific developments, I am grateful that you are sharing Jesus with your children.
Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters,
by the mercies of God, to present your bodies
as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God,
which is your spiritual service of worship.Â
And do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
so that you may prove what the will of God is,
that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2