HM The Queen
In 2005 I was in Docklands buying a birthday card when the police suddenly coned off the pavement outside Reuters HQ and a couple of minutes later the Queen arrived by car and stepped out wearing a red hat and a dark red coat, then went inside to officially open the building. | Prince Charles (and Camilla)
In 2004 I went to a Prince's Trust concert at Wembley Arena featuring the music of Trevor Horn. Prince Charles was seated a few rows to my left. I'm not sure what he made of the Buggles, Grace Jones and Propaganda, but during Frankie's Relax he waved one hand vigorously while Camilla slapped her thigh three seats away. | Prince William (and Catherine)
In 2011 I stood in St James's Park to watch William and Catherine's wedding, or at least squint briefly at their passing carriage, then got lucky and paraded down The Mall to stand amid the throng in front of the palace, so was unexpectedly close when the happy couple appeared on the balcony for a wave and a kiss. | Princess Anne
In 2018 I was walking to the supermarket round the Bow Roundabout when Princess Anne's black limo whizzed past preceded by whistle-blowing outriders, and her briefly-flashed face was unmistakable. |
Queen Mother
In 1975 I spotted the Queen Mother's legs behind a helicopter at Alderney Airport. |
| On a soaking wet day in 1984, near the end of a long sponsored walk crossing the Balmoral estate, a Range Rover pulls up alongside. Passenger window descends. 'Hello!' says the Queen. Phil is driving. Back seat full of corgis. We had a good five minute chat. Always thought it was nice of them to stop. [Kevin] | I saw Prince Charles at the National Theatre watching The Madness of George III The whole area in front of our row was empty until the royal party entered as the play was about to start. He sat right in front of me and you could hear him chuckle. [Dave B] | In 1990 I was walking down the quiet end of Floral Street en route to the Royal Opera House when a grubby-looking Ford Mondeo stopped immediately ahead of me. The rear door opened and a very shapely pair of legs emerged and there stood Princess Diana looking as glamorous as you would hope/expect. [Waterhouse] | In 1986 I glimpsed the top of Princess Diana's head as she did a walkabout in Exeter after opening a new swimming pool. [Jonathan] |
| In 1979 the Queen visited Abu Dhabi and I was part of the school band that played the National Anthem. I was the only one to dress up properly in bowtie etc. [ianVisits] |
| In 2008 at the reopening of the Royal Institution, Peter Watts and I were asked to guard the handbag of historian Lisa Jardine while she got to meet Her Maj. We then witnessed the Queen snub some of Heston Blumenthal’s liquid nitrogen ice cream, though Philip was very keen. [M@] | In 1957 my school was 400 years old. The Queen, who was young and beautiful, visited us for a couple of hours. She and Prince Philip watched me for a few seconds in the fencing display. Four years later, I took a posy from the headmaster's garden to the Palace in remembrance of her visit. [JeremyB] | In 1980, whilst learning to drive in York in a BSM Mini, I gave way to a rather aggressively driven Escort XR2 coming the other way down a narrow street. Prince Andrew was at the wheel. He was doing flight training at one of the North Yorkshire RAF bases. He didn’t acknowledge my kind gesture. [Jeremy] | The Queen & Duke of Edinburgh came to open a toilet block at a Scout campsite in Sheffield. I was one of the Venture Scouts lining the path. [Anders] |
| In 1951 Queen Mary (the Queen Grandma) visited a maternity home and commented to my mother that my newborn sister was "damp". [Malcolm] |
