Lt.-Gov. Antoinette Perry feels well prepared to realize her lifelong dream of meeting the Queen.
First, she has her outfit ready: a deep navy blue Joseph Ribkoff sheath dress with a slight cowl neck that she purchased from a local boutique specifically for her special 20-minute audience with the Queen taking place at noon Thursday in Buckingham Palace.
Second, she has done plenty of brushing up on protocol, both reading up on the dos and don’ts, as well as drawing first-hand advice from two former lieutenant-governors and a current one on their experiences of meeting the Queen.
“One thing I know is I don’t have to make any questions up because it is her majesty who leads the whole conversation,’’ says Perry.
“But one thing I’m reassured with is that she puts you at ease…as soon as you walk into the room, she puts you at ease. She’s an excellent conversationalist.’’
Prince Edward Island’s 42nd lieutenant-governor, who took residence in Fanningbank in late October, also knows the Queen will be well briefed on her.
Best behaviour
Here are some of the Dos and Don’ts when in the company of the Queen
Do:
- Curtsey or bow (the head only).
- On presentation to the Queen, the correct address is Your Majesty and subsequently Ma'am (pronounced like jam).
- Take the Queen's lead. Don't talk unless spoken to, sit until she sits or begin eating until she does.
Don’t:
- Touch Her Majesty. Only shake her hand if she offers it.
- Turn your back on Her Majesty - it is considered rude.
- Take pictures when visiting her at home. She may be one of the most photographed women in the world, but unofficial photography is not permitted in royal palaces.
- Ask personal questions. Small-talk should be as far as you go.
SOURCE: BBC News
Perry, a former French teacher and the first Acadian woman to hold the post of the Queen’s representative as provincial head of state, is eager to discover what language – or languages – the Queen will choose to speak in when the pair meets.
“I’m kind of excited to see if she will converse with me in French because I’ve been told her French is impeccable,’’ she says.
Perry is also doing all she can to be in peak form for her brief encounter with the Queen.
She will arrive in London with her personal assistant and aide-de-camp Tuesday, giving her time to adjust to the four-hour time difference and rest up before the large double doors to the receiving room open and she is greeted by the Queen.
“I want to be as sharp, as present in the moment, as I possibly can be for those 20 minutes,’’ she says.
Perry learned in late January the date of her audience with the Queen.
She has had a good deal of time to reflect on her journey from a girl who always had “that aspiration of meeting the Queen’’ to a woman actually packing her clothes at Government House in preparation for that long fantasized encounter.
“Maybe I’ve been a little more pensive in the last week just thinking about all that – my journey to get here, what brought me here,’’ she says.
“All the validation I have received, all the encouragement, all the support, that leads me to firmly believe that I’m in a place where I should be. I’m in the right place. This is my place right now. I feel totally comfortable.’’
Perry, who is single, was allowed to bring a sibling with her to meet the Queen, but that unfortunately did not work out.
So, the magical experience will be hers and hers alone, what she calls the realization of a dream.
“I just want to be able to fully experience this whole adventure,’’ she adds.
“It’s tasting the experience.’’
Special visit
The only time Lt.-Gov. Antoinette Perry was in England was a quick stop at Heathrow Airport on her way to Paris.
This time, travelling to the U.K. Tuesday promises to be far more eventful. As if an audience with the Queen at Buckingham Palace Thursday at noon was not enough, Perry will spend a week in England visiting the House of Lords, having tea at the High Commission, paying her respects at Canada’s First World War memorial and taking part in St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, among other engagements.
“It is very busy, (and) we plan to do a bit of touring,’’ she says. “It’s an ambitious schedule but highly interesting.’’
