bjarvis: (Elizabeth II)
bjarvis ([personal profile] bjarvis) wrote2005-12-19 09:51 pm
Entry tags:

What to wear, what to wear...

Suppose you were out on the lake ice fishing somewhere in northern Saskatchewan when your cell phone rings & you discover that Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, Canada and Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, is about to pop by unexpectedly on a tour. Where do you turn to determine what to wear? Here's a handy guide.

You're welcome.

PS. Don't call her Liz or Betty. She hates that.

[identity profile] beartalon.livejournal.com 2005-12-20 03:48 am (UTC)(link)
I should send this to some of my coworkers, with invitations stating my working hours :)

[identity profile] tdjohnsn.livejournal.com 2005-12-20 04:21 am (UTC)(link)
Especially if they have been calling you Betty!

[identity profile] rsc.livejournal.com 2005-12-20 04:48 am (UTC)(link)
Don't call her Liz or Betty.

Probably not a good idea to call her Lilibet, either.

True story.

[identity profile] allanh.livejournal.com 2005-12-20 07:35 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, it's SO much easier when Prince Philip comes to call. All he needs is for men to wear a simple business suit.

And he tells jokes. Bad ones. Terrible, horribly politically-incorrect ones.

It's no wonder the Palace doesn't hardly let him out by himself any more.

But he has some majorly cute secret service men.

[identity profile] ebearboston.livejournal.com 2005-12-20 01:51 pm (UTC)(link)
OK, I knew all this. Now tell me something I don't know... like where, in my little ice-fishing hut in northern Saskatchewan, I'm going to put my evening gown and gloves and saphire parure?

the age-old question: "what to wear, what to wear?"

[identity profile] trawnapanda.livejournal.com 2005-12-20 02:43 pm (UTC)(link)
nononononono, you're confusing guest and host. Her Maj would not announce that she's coming to visit your home, that would be presumptuous. it's up to you to extend the invitation first. besides which, given a choice between my 21st floor hovel and Windsor Castle / Sandringham / Balmoral / Buckingham Palace / Holyrood House , I doubt that the Wolery here is going to hold much appeal.

But even if HM *is* coming to dinner chez vous, you're the host, so YOU get to tell everyone else what to wear.

I noticed particularly "black shoes and black socks". Well of course, but it's sad that protocol books have to mention this. Michael Jackson has a lot to answer for, and white socks with black trowse is on the list.

Re: True story.

[identity profile] bjarvis.livejournal.com 2005-12-20 04:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, quite the old perv. Best to keep him in storage in the basement of the castle.

[identity profile] bjarvis.livejournal.com 2005-12-20 04:39 pm (UTC)(link)
It's a really big hut!

Re: True story.

[identity profile] allanh.livejournal.com 2005-12-20 04:45 pm (UTC)(link)
But VASTLY more entertaining than Liz.

[identity profile] billeyler.livejournal.com 2005-12-20 04:49 pm (UTC)(link)
This is definitely on my priority list! I love morning coats. :-)

And here I thought that actually buying my first tux for the cruise was a fashion coups!

[identity profile] gingy.livejournal.com 2005-12-20 05:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Don't be silly. As a former Northerner (NWT), I would have to insist that I'd still wear my parka and kamiks, HRH Elizabeth II, Regina, be damned.

[identity profile] bjarvis.livejournal.com 2005-12-20 05:17 pm (UTC)(link)
There's always exceptions for health, safety & protection from the elements.

Of course, I've always believed that HRH's weighted skirts are more to protect our peril-sensitive eyes than her dignity. :-)

[identity profile] bjarvis.livejournal.com 2005-12-20 05:18 pm (UTC)(link)
"Off with his head!" :-)

Re: True story.

[identity profile] bjarvis.livejournal.com 2005-12-20 05:18 pm (UTC)(link)
In a can't-take-my-eyes-off-the-rolling-train-wreck kind of way, yeah, I guess. He just makes me cringe.

[identity profile] gingy.livejournal.com 2005-12-20 05:19 pm (UTC)(link)
You just know she's wearing long johns under there. And mukluks.

Re: True story.

[identity profile] allanh.livejournal.com 2005-12-20 07:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Remind me to tell you the full story some time ... but I can testify that at the event at which I met him, he blissfully blathered on to the assembled audience while all of the protocol people could be detected because they all flinched at once every time he uttered another faux pas. It was highly amusing, and really, he was quite charming despite his train-wreck observations.