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| Interviewing Lord Charles Spencer in March of 2014 |
I'm feeling a bit out-of-sorts today - suffering from a slight Crown hangover. I binge-watched Season 4 of The Crown (released last Sunday) with my husband, Chris, and we got through all ten episodes in less than a week. This morning's breakfast topic: why didn't we pace ourselves?
So, to shake off that "day-after-Christmas" feelz, I sat down with a cup of "The Queen's Evening Tea", (one of The Crown blends from The Republic of Tea) , and remembered the good times I've had with my connections to the Royals. Your humble blog writer submits these memories in hopes that this may also bring cheer to any fellow Crown bingers who are now left occupying their empty time with social media Royal click-bate and truth-or-fiction articles (including yesterday's Detroit Free Press - USA article: Historian Fact-Checks 'The Crown' Season 4,)
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| Enjoying a cup of The Queen's Evening tea to settle in apres The Crown |
In what will be a series of six, I start with my closest and one-degree-ish connection to Princess Di.
First degree-ish, Lord Charles Spencer, 2014: I met and interviewed Charles Spencer, current resident of the Althorp estate and brother to the late Princess Di, in March of 2014. At the time, I was writing for a now defunct national on-line newspaper and scored an interview with Lord Spencer when he came to the Art Van furniture store (also now defunct) in Royal Oak, Michigan. He was promoting a line of high-end furniture inspired by his family estate.
Lord Spencer was exceedingly charming as he greeted the large crowd that had come to hear him speak in the furniture show room. He was also delightful to watch. The heir to Althorp is much better looking than photographs portray; he's tall with strawberry blonde hair and, at the time of his visit, was lightly tan which set off those trademark Spencer big blue eyes. Indeed, he had all the ladies at "good day"!
When I finally got my turn to interview Lord Spencer, his unaffected and relaxed air made me instantly at ease and we talked about Althorp, his favorite tea (it's green) and Downton Abbey. He signed the Althorp-inspired tea caddy I purchased and gave me the history of the Spencer Coat of Arms which decorates the top.
But, the best moment was when I texted my husband to come in from the parking lot to take a picture of me with Lord Spencer. It was a spur-of-the-moment request. Chris had been painting our laundry room that day and was waiting patiently outside to pick me up from the event. Being ever the good sport, he walked inside, a bit messy, wearing old, paint-splotched jeans. Lord Spencer turned to me with a wink and a smile and said in the most magnetic, aristocratic British accent: "is that your man?"
Golly! It surely was.
After the interview was over and Chris took the requested pictures, I exited the furniture store elated. Not only did I get a wonderful talk in with Lord Spencer and a lot of good material for my article, I left with a couple of great treasures: my Althorp tea caddy and my man. Good day, you bet!
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| With "my man" - another cute, tall, British fair-haired chap with big blue eyes - at Buckingham Palace, 2006 |
And the countdown to The Crown Season 5 begins. . . I'm going to need a lot more tea. Stay tuned for more BTS Royal-phile stories coming up!
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