This morning, the Queen came to Nottingham.
Being proud fans of the British monarchy, my housemates & I were in Market Square, forming part of the swarm of people gathered eagerly, awaiting the Queen's arrival. The clouds were looming overhead ominously but even the rain behaved whilst she was here. Flags were waving, cameras were rolling & kids were being held on their parents shoulders excitedly. It's safe to say the atmosphere was...for want of a better word...tingly. There was a buzz among the crowd - even more so after a few false alarms of a royal sighting. People were so keen to get a good view that three people were spotted on the roof of a rather tall building, hoping to get a better view!
Eventually, an hour & a quarter later she arrived, accompanied by Will & Kate. The crowds began manically cheering, flags were waving extremely fast &, all i can say is, thank GOD for the big screen next to the town hall, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to see anything.
The balcony wave was well worth it though. Unfortunately, from where we were standing, we couldn't quite see Prince William, courtesy of an unfortunately placed pillar. But this was what we could see...
Kate was respectfully singing along to God Save the Queen, as her Majesty herself occasionally waved and smiled to the crowd. What's more, is that she genuinely looked pleased to be there. There was no falseness in her expression whatsoever; perhaps that's why so many people like her.
After the song, the screen once more became vitally important; this time we caught a glimpse of the trio... (excuse the camera poking up from the bottom!)
And that was it.
After a few minutes, they turned back around & headed inside the town hall.
And we left.
Despite waiting over an hour, & despite the cold, & despite the threatening dark clouds, I still think it was worth going. How many times do you get to see the Queen in one lifetime...& how many times do you get to see not one but three members of the Royal family all at once?
Needless to say, everyone became rather supportive & patriotic this morning but the inevitable debate about the Royals arose as expected. I would like to settle this.
Whilst unlike some (I could mention Sara on Big Brother; ashamedly admitting that I now watch it) I wouldn't burst into tears if someone didn't like the Queen, I do think the Royal family is something we should keep and be proud of. It's a part of our heritage; it's tradition; it's England. Although the attention on more distant family members can seem slightly crazy to me, (it gets to a point where I'm not sure how they're related to her Majesty) I still believe they are a worthy figurehead for our nation. If it's old fashioned then fine, but I'd rather term it tradition!
Plus... just look at her smile - she looks friendly & caring & although I hate to use the adjective; genuine. Let's just face it, the Queen is rather quaint, isn't she?
