I knew Birthday Extravaganza 2019 was going to be marvelous, but little did I know how marvelous.
As I was planning activities for my mini-stay in London, I received an invite to afternoon tea with Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in recognition of my beginning a new decade of life. As I read the invitation, my jaw dropped at the list of guests planning to attend this special event. The list included guests from the world of film, music, politics, science, sports and more.
Oh, this is going to be fun. But what to wear?
I decided to just be myself and stick to my standard dress code: nice jeans, cool sneakers, travel backpack and of course, one of my “smart aleck” t-shirts. After a very lite breakfast, I headed out, ready to mingle and make new friends.
Upon arrival, I noticed security was extremely tight and thorough. Well, it would be given the VIPs attending. I presented my invite and proper documentation, and with the tip of the cap, I was escorted into “Party Central.”
Oh My Gosh!! What an atmosphere. Everyone who’s anyone is here today, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Benedict Cumberbatch, Leonardo DiCaprio and even Captain Picard himself, Patrick Stewart are also here. Sweeet!
Wait a minute, is that Dame Helen Mirren? I can’t leave without saying hello to her and Morgan Freeman. This is turning out to be the best birthday party ever (although it’s not really a birthday party).
As there was another hour before afternoon tea, I amused myself discussing the art of storytelling with The Bard himself, William Shakespeare. He told he loved my novels and short stories. He adored my novel “My Name is Karma: An Amazing Tale Based on True Life Experiences.” He gave me some awesome writing advice and said he’s excited to read my next novel – “Key 2 Destruction.”
After hanging with The Bard, I enjoyed a complicated rhyming session with Muhammad Ali. Of course I lost.
Afterwards I gossiped about Mary, Queen of Scots with Queen Elizabeth I.
Bess and I got along great, especially when she learned her father, Henry VIII, and I share the same birthday. She told me some stories about growing up and ruling England. She even shared how much she truly loved and missed her mother Anne Boleyn.
Donald Trump made an appearance, but he didn’t seem to want to chat with me. Wonder why?
Aww well, won’t lose any sleep over that one, especially when I got to sing a song with Ed Sheeran and dance with Michael Jackson and Ariana Grande, though I’m not a fan of her music. The boys from One Direction were so sweet and wished me Happy Birthday.
My head was spinning when Carol Danvers showed up, along with Nick Fury and a few other Avengers.
Captain America didn’t chat with me beyond initial greetings. Guess he’s still mad I don’t agree with the way he became a “superhero.” Sorry Cap, but I still believe the Super Soldier serum is nothing more than a PED.
Following a difficult foreign language session with Chewbacca, and an intense argument with Darth Vader over which was better – the light and dark side of the force – it was time for the main event.
I was escorted by a staff member to the Buckingham Palace gardens. A few moments later, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II arrived, accompanied by her loyal royal corgis. A short photocall was held, then Afternoon Tea was served.
My mouth watered the moment I was served a delicate delectable three-tiered cake stand tray of goodies.
Then I heard muffled whispers, or was that my stomach growling? Didn’t matter because they both spoke in the language from the “Land of Taste Buds,” saying “you cannot resist.”
As always, the voices, and my stomach, were right.
The finger sandwiches – especially the salmon and cucumber – called out, saying, “You know how much you love me.” Not to be outdone, the egg salad sandwich yelled for me to gobble it down – and so I did.
The hot scones added their invite, “Consider my sweetness; and I come with Jam and Clotted Cream, yum!” I passed on the raisin scones because I don’t like raisins. However, once again, my head and stomach got into a heated “What goes first – Jam or Cream” debate. I had to remind them that, as Americans, it doesn’t matter what goes first.
After devouring the sandwiches and scones, the nice slice of lemon cake and lemon mousse was a refreshing touch for my taste buds.
During tea, I chatted with Her Majesty. She is such a nice lady. She listened intently but didn’t say much, though the royal corgis were very playful and charming. Here’s hoping the movie The Queen’s Corgi is released in the USA.
The event ended one-hour later and I was escorted back to the main hall.
All-in-all, what a GREAT way to celebrate my birthday.
Almost forgot …
Special shout out to Madame Tussauds London! Thanks for the memories.
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