Summary
THE invitation arrived some weeks before, embossed and on thick card, stating: 'The Lord Chamberlain is commanded by The Queen to invite ...' in this case, me. You may well ask why. I happen to occupy an honorary position at Westminster Abbey which goes under the glorious title of High Bailiff and Searcher of the Sanctuary, the kind of figure you'd expect in a Gilbert and Sullivan opera.
My role is to be a kind of spear carrier on State occasions when I appear either in blue velvet trimmed with gold and a Tudor ruff, or a red cassock and black gown. Needless to say there is more to it than that, for I offer what expertise I can to the Dean and Canons.See the full content of this document
Extract
Not so Much a Royal Family As a Tribe ... Chaos
It is easy to forget that the Abbey is the Queen's greatest private church and, thanks to that, I am well used to all that goes with these great State occasions. To get in these days calls for a security check and I was bidden to bring a passport or driving licence with a photograph of myself, together with something like a utility bill or...
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