When Grandpère and I visited England for the first time in 1982, we had the great pleasure of attending the Trooping the Colour parade in honor of the Official Birthday of the reigning monarch, when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth still rode her horse, Burmese, in the parade. As we were lined up waiting, just before the parade began, a light rain began to fall. We asked a couple nearby if the parade would be cancelled. The English woman replied, "Indeed not! We would be very upset if the parade was cancelled." And not long after, there came Her Majesty, riding in the light rain, looking not the least bit dismayed. The year before, in 1981, a man fired blank shots at the Queen during the parade, frightening Burmese, but HM quickly brought the horse under control. I realize my story has not much to do with the Diamond Jubilee Celebration, but it does demonstrate the Queen's pluck and devotion to duty which have been evident time and again over the 6o years of her reign.
The photo is not mine, although I have a picture somewhere, hidden away in my multitude of photo albums, not all of which are labeled.
