It isn’t every day that you meet a Royal. It isn’t every day that you have a chance to meet a Royal. On Tuesday, I had the rather wonderful opportunity to be invited to an event, where at a specific time and location, I was pretty much guaranteed to meet one. Oh come on—I was going to be introduced. What Royal am I talking about, you may possibly wonder? Yes, the two in town this week: the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, or as some chose to call them, Will(s!) and Kate. Just in case the Palace is reading this right before they send out my notification of a Knighthood, I am sticking with William and Catherine, Their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Yes, unbeknownst to me and my ego, I had managed to land more squarely on the radar of the British Consulate than I had ever known, and was invited to a gathering of ‘creative types’ to celebrate British innovation...in the presence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
I responded immediately—one doesn’t need to deliberate too long for an opportunity like this—and I waited patiently for more details. All we were told was time and date. No place. Security, you know.
Curiously, the invitation listed a dress code. And it was what the dress code said that made my stiff upper lip snarl. “Business Casual.” What? Cognitive dissonance. Royal, “In the Presence of,” and Business Casual just don’t coexist in my rules. I ignored it, of course, and put on my best suit, tie, cufflinks and shined shoes. I was taking zero chances. If the Duke was coming in tie-less, I might judge him, but he wouldn’t be able to judge me!
The timeline was specific. Arrive at 11:45 am, doors close at noon, and you will be free to go at 1:45 pm. And so I did. A nice crowd was already there scoping out the nice crowd. I knew some folks from BBC America and recognized the Executive Producer of Downton Abbey (PBS pledge drives). Of course, a solidly British event had lots of booze and a sparing amount of food. Then some more famous folks arrived. Harvey Weinstein, Sir Patrick Stewart, the creative director of J. Crew and I am sure a whole host of others. Distracted, you might think? Of course. At any minute, the D+D were going to walk in and I wanted to see that as it happened.
Where does one stand in a room full of people with the same goal as you—to meet a Royal? Luckily, one of my colleagues from the Consulate positioned me and some folks from BBC America to stand in a certain spot. She assured us it was a good place to be, nod-nod, wink-wink. So we stood. And stood. Nursing my sparkling Malvern water, and occasionally snacking on some passed thingy. 12:30 pm. 1 pm. 1:15 pm. No Royals. There was some polite muttering about tardiness, but it was also raining biblically outside, so we assumed that might be causing some of the trouble.
Suddenly, a minor commotion. At 1:25 pm, in they walk.
I want to say from the outset that I am not often awestruck. Meeting Murray Perahia at Carnegie Hall recently was close, but suddenly seeing the Duke and Duchess super close left me a little speechless. Not for long, but momentarily. Catherine is truly stunning. Elegant, tall, gorgeous, perfect. Oh William…he seemed nice too.
Catherine came in our general direction–seemed like my Consulate mole was right. She chatted with a small group behind us, and then, as if by magic, it was our turn. I remembered my protocol cheat sheet: YRH, then “Ma’am,” as in ham, and introduce myself. I said I run WQXR, the classical radio station in New York City. She got distracted by the "Downton Abbey" lady, telling some story…and then she asked about some others in the group. I started to accept my fate that my introduction might have to suffice in terms of Round #1 Royal Conversations, 2014 edition.
But then, she turned to her right—in slow motion, I am sure—and said to me, “Is classical music radio thriving in New York?” WHAT? Did she just ask me a follow-up? Was she actually listening to what I had said earlier?
Turns out she had. We chatted for a little longer, and she told me proudly, “I am listening to a lot more classical music at home with George,” as in, Prince George, “so we are all learning together.”
Knock me over with a feather. Did the Duchess of Cambridge just tell me that she listened to classical music—radio, even—with the future King of England? I think she did folks. I think she did.
First reaction—remember everything she said. Second—compose the tweet in your head. Thirdly—remember first reaction. The event carried on for a good while longer, so that the D+D could mingle with the really famous folks and have their pics snapped. We all looked on, feeling a fraction peckish. Finally, the British Ambassador gave a lovely speech, thanked everyone, and reminded us all how bloody creative we Brits are and will likely remain. A rousing chorus of Rule Britannia wouldn’t have been out of place, IMHO.
Back to the office it was for me at that point. Fun over. Tweet sent. Family in London to report to. What I failed to do, it seemed, was to wipe the grin off my face for the rest of the day. I will admit it. Meeting a Royal was amazing. Chatting with the Duchess about classical music—a perfect bloody Tuesday.
