My grandmother on my mother’s side hailed directly from England. She died before I was born, but to hear my mother tell it “Grandma and the Queen” were just like “this”—and she holds her crossed fingers up to indicate just how tight they were.
From time to time, I find myself pondering my English heritage, wondering about my ancestors, what their lives were like, and what possessed my great-grandfather to bring his two teenage daughters to America after his wife passed on.
And from time to time, I find myself pondering the English Royals as well, wondering about their lives, too, and what possessed them to do the things they’ve done.
I was a true fan of Diana, rising as she did from a nervous, insecure kindergarten teacher to a fairytale princess with much dignity and high public regard. And last year I became a fan of Katherine as well, watching her assume the responsibilities of her position with much more poise than William’s mother had had when first thrust into the limelight.
After watching “The King’s Speech” a couple weeks ago (a movie I highly recommend, if you haven’t already seen it), I took a keener interest in tracing the lineage of the House of Windsor, trying to make sense of all the Georges and Elizabeths, ad infinitum.
My investigation led me to the fact that on this date in 2002, the funeral service of the Queen Mother (also named Elizabeth, mother of Prince Charles) took place. And oddly enough, on April 9, 2005, just three years to the day later, Prince Charles married Camilla.
What in the world was Charles thinking? I’m sure neither his grandmother nor mine would have approved.