Queen Elizabeth’s ‘twin’ celebrates 81st birthday
FOR A young Marlene Keats, meeting the then future Queen of England, Elizabeth II, was just a dream – until it actually happened.
Keats, 81, carries fond memories of her 10th birthday on April 21, 1947 when she met Princess Elizabeth, who was turning 21 on the same day, during the royal family’s visit to Johannesburg.
“The royal family was visiting South Africa in 1947. When their motorcade came past our school the Reverend Mother gave me a bouquet of flowers and said: ‘Marlene, because it’s your birthday and also Princess Elizabeth’s birthday, and because your surname is King, you are going to give the flowers to her. But don’t you dare tell her it’s your birthday’,” recalled Keats on her 81st birthday on Friday.
The Durban resident had not realised at the time just how nervous she was to meet the princess, until she noticed the flowers shaking in her small hands.
“Princess Margaret was also in the car but Princess Elizabeth got out first and walked towards me, so I curtsied and said ‘Happy birthday your highness’.
“She said: ‘Thank you very much’ and asked what my name was.
“I said: ‘My name is Marlene King and it’s also my birthday today’,” she said with a laugh.
“She wished me happy birthday and kissed me on my forehead.”
Keats hopes to see Queen Elizabeth again and recently received a royal invitation to come to England. The invitation arrived via her brother, Professor Mervyn King, who is an internationally renowned senior counsel and former judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa.
“Because of his job, he is often around members of the royal family and he recently met the queen and asked her if she remembered me. She said she did, and would like to see me again,” said Keats.
Keats is still full of life and has a laugh that fills up a room, but the mother-of-three has not always had it easy. Her first three husbands died of illnesses, including cancer, but she is grateful that this difficult journey led her to her current husband, Leslie Keats, who has been there for her for 11 years.
“He has been a truly wonderful husband and very supportive. We also keep each other young because we enjoy the same things, like walking on the beach and going to the vintage car club.”
A man of a few words, Leslie complimented his wife for looking years younger than her age and joked that she had a “queue of future husbands” waiting to marry her when he died.
“Thank you for the lovely years together and I hope we still have many more ahead of us,” he said.
Sharing her secrets to living a long life, Keats said: “You have to have love for people, life and what you do.
“Love all people the same and be fair to everyone. Always remember that everyone deserves the same spoons of sugar in their tea.”
nokuthula.ntuli@inl.co.za