EX-MP recalls Queen’s ‘warmth and empathy’
A former MP for Bath got to know first-hand the Queen’s warmth and sense of humour – and discovered that Elizabeth II was a keen user of Wikipedia.
Don Foster, now known as Lord Foster of Bath, was the city’s member of parliament for 23 years.
From 2013 to 2015, he served as “Comptroller of the Household,” a position which involved accompanying the Queen while carrying a white “staff of office”.
Lord Foster recalled that during a state opening of parliament, one of the page boys fainted. Proceedings continued and later the MP returned behind the Queen’s carriage to Buckingham Palace where around 30 people gathered for a reception.
The Queen entered the gathering, spotted the page and made her way straight to him through the crowd. Lord Foster said she reassured and comforted the page boy for over ten minutes, using her legendary sense of humour and telling him that he hadn’t let the side down, and he could just get on with things without feeling ashamed.
“It was a lovely, lovely occasion showing her complete warmth and empathy,” said Lord Foster.
On another occasion at the opening of the London Olympics, Lord Foster was in the royal box.
“Suddenly I realised that somebody had squeezed into the group with a drink and had joined in the conversation. It was the Queen. A lovely person. Warm. She could slip into any conversation without any ceremony.”
When his position as Comptroller of the Household ended after the 2015 election, Lord Foster had to return his staff of office – a ceremonial stick assembled from two pieces with a screw fitting like a snooker queue.
Traditionally it would be broken in two at the end of his assignment and handed to the Queen but nowadays they are merely unscrewed.
“It’s fascinating this business of breaking the stick in two,” remarked the monarch after the service. “Why is that, I wonder?”
Lord Foster explained the tradition, which fascinated the Queen.
“And how did you discover that,” she asked.
“I found it on Wikipedia, Ma’am,” replied the MP.
“Oh Wikipedia, isn’t it wonderful?” replied the Queen. “I learn so much on Wikipedia.”