With all the celebrations happening for the Queen’s 90th year it seems a good time to tell you about this book.
MRS QUEEN TAKES THE TRAIN by William Kuhn
The author won me over in the first chapter describing the Queen’s tussle with computers. – She’d called the IT man 3 times and couldn’t call again. She pressed the appropriate key, the screen changed colour – pressed again, document disappeared, pressed again –loud beep. In a flash of inspiration she turned the thing off and on again – all back to normal. Oh Queenie, I’m with you.
I found the fairytale aspect of the book very entertaining but appreciated the way many true happenings of her life that are remembered were incorporated in her musings.
The queen reminisces about Queen Victoria, the war years, the Diana upheaval, and questions her own life’s role – Had she really contributed anything ?
There was a lot more to the story than her escape to Edinburgh to see her beloved ship “Brittania” again, when she becomes friendly with ordinary people who don’t recognize her under her hoodie.
There’s Rebecca, from the Mews, attending to the queen’s horses whose hoodie unwittingly provides the means for the queen to succeed in her impromptu escape bid.
The story of Luke, the equerry, returned from Iraq struggling with memories; William the butler, extremely conscious of all palace rules and protocols who becomes very close to Luke.
And Rajiv, of Indian heritage but second generation British, who experiences racial discrimination throughout his life as a matter of course but still has a cheeky attitude to everything.
Lady Anne, Lady -in- Waiting and Shirley Mac Donald, Queens dresser normally keep a cool distance from each other but become allies and friends during the concerted effort to find the straying Queen and bring her back safely and without publicity.
Though it may seem a little whimsical, interesting things are touched upon as the story unfolds, the Queen has gained first hand experience as a commoner and nobody outside the palace is aware that their sovereign has had a most extraordinary adventure.
