Royal Visit

It was announced in a regional newspaper, the Press & Journal, that Stornoway will be visited by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on July 29th. She will arrive on board the cruiseliner Hebridean Princess, but further details of her visit have as yet not been publicised. The HP is a former CalMac ferry, which was converted into a luxury, 49-passenger liner, which charges up to £7,500 for each cruise. The HP will be escorted on her travels by a state-of-the-art warship, the HMS Argyll.

At this rate, I'm gonna need a haircut, need to dig out my three-piece suit and Union Jack hat and put on my most gracious smile. At least I'll be able to see her coming, watch with the binoculars and shake my head at all the fuss. I mean, 5 months ago I came across the Scottish First Minister, and you don't want to know about the entourage that Jack McConnell has in tow.

Four years ago, I attended Pop in the Park, part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations in central London. As I ambled forward, towards Buckingham Palace, the atmosphere became threatening and aggressive, and an elderly couple had to be escorted away from the madding crowd by police. For reference, the Queen was witnessing the series of performances from the balcony of Buckingham Palace. I watched proceedings from half a mile away in the park on a big screen.

My Queen is not called Elizabeth II, and when she goes amongst the population, the atmosphere is a lot more relaxed and convivial. Security is in attendance (as well), but it's a far cry from what I witnessed that day in London, in 2002. I once met her future successor in a public toilet, and he motioned for me to go first.