Queen drops in on bash for her favourite man in tights
She may be in her 90th year, but that doesn’t stop the Queen enjoying a good party.
her Majesty was guest of honour earlier this week at the 55th birthday celebration of royal television commentator Alastair Bruce.
Alastair Bruce of Crionaich is no ordinary presenter. Besides his job providing commentary on the monarchy for Sky News, he is descended from Scottish nobility and boasts Robert the Bruce as a direct ancestor.
In 1988, the Queen appointed him as one of her heralds — Fitzalan Pursuivant of Arms extraordinary — which sees him dressing up in tights (‘quite legally,’ he has joked) and parading in front of her at the State Opening of Parliament and the annual Order of the Garter service.
he has also worked as a ‘historical adviser’ on the costume drama Downton Abbey and Oscar-winning films such as The King’s Speech. And as a former Scots Guard and Falklands veteran he held his black-tie birthday bash at the headquarters of the London Scottish Regiment in horseferry Road, Central London.
The Queen, who rarely appears at such social events, was accompanied by her son, Prince Andrew, and driven there from Buckingham Palace.
She returned to the palace after a few hours, however, having a full diary of meetings and audiences the following day.
Although it might be seen by some as surprising for her to attend a party thrown in honour of an employee of a Rupert Murdoch-owned organisation just days after his newspaper, The Sun, published home video footage of her giving a Nazi salute as a young girl, sources say she would have been too fond of Bruce to decline.
For despite making a living out of talking about the royals, Bruce is the very soul of discretion when it comes to his own links. When asked about the Queen’s presence at his party, he replied: ‘Feel free to write what you wish.’