“Will Britain’s watching millions be let down today by the weather?” asked the Daily Sketch on Tuesday 2nd June, 1953. The Coronation forecast was as follows:
WINDS northerly fresh or strong and gusty, some SUNNY intervals. Occasional SHOWERS, heavy at times, perhaps with HAIL and THUNDER here and there.
Those camping out on pavements lining the Queen’s route were urged to “take umbrellas and raincoats with you.”
But the clouds had a silver lining in the form of Queen Salote of Tonga. The “friendly Queen of the friendly Isles,” who rode through London’s rain-swept streets in an open topped carriage (see above). The “dusky, 6ft 3 in tall Queen” in her soaking wet robes rapidly became the second most popular person in the procession. As Tonga’s rainfall is around 70-110 inches per annum against London’s 24, she must have felt quite a home.
When the temperature plummets and the heavens open for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations this weekend, you’d be as wise to take a raincoat and an umbrella as you would have been sixty years ago. But I wonder who will take centre stage, next to Her Majesty, this time round… Will there be a new Rain Queen, or will the event be totally dominated by talk of the predictably disappointing British weather?
Isn’t Cliff Richard our Rain Queen?
According to YouTube the Wimbledon Wonder’s song titles include Summer Rain and Silvery Rain – I hope he’s rehearsing Wet Rain for tomorrow.
Hands up, all of those among us, who will be glued to the screen, watching the Madge, Phil and Worzel Gummidge show, and Allan Titchmarsh of course, the new royal lapdog.
Dear old Worzel has spent 25 million buying an old house in Ayrshire, creating ‘fifty jobs’. Listen Worzel, that 25 million, invested in manufacturing, even high tech, would create from four to ten times as many jobs.
Best stick to your stumpery, the shires Madame de Pompadour and recycling, leave the meangfull stuff to your loyal subjects.
Stood in line, in me Boy Scouts set, at the top of the high road, freezing cold, east wind, showers, circa 1954. Two hours later this Roller wafts past containing aliens with fake tans. A weird shield on the bonnet said that it contained Windsors, they looked as if they were having a stooshie.
Dib, Dib, Dib.
As madly maltilicious a comment as ever! I’m so glad having a ‘stooshie’ doesn’t mean what I thought it might.
The pictures of the Q of T are great – you either have it or you don’t and she certainly had it, soakin’ cold and smokin’ hot both! I wonder if one of the barges in tomorrow’s flotilla will contain the National Treasures. If so, perhaps the present monarch of Tonga could be persuaded to step on the back thereby catapulting a few score thespians and Royal Academicians into the Thames for a mid-morning dip. Anyway, if the X90-Men are up for it I hope to be there, somewhere on the Embankment, with some friends, a good day and a very pleasant lunch in prospect. It’s not about the Windsors or the weather.