King Charles makes public appearance at church
survey of the relationships and dramas between Queen Elizabeth and the 13 U.S. presidents she met throughout her reign includes the 1961 social blow-up that occurred when JFK and Jackie came to London.
A Buckingham Palace dinner was organized, and “behind the scenes there were frantic exchanges about the guest list.” Jackie’s wish that her sister and brother-in-law (Princess Lee Radziwill, who was on her second marriage, or her husband, Prince Stanislaw Radziwill, who was on his third) attend was scotched because “both had previously been married, and in early 1960s Britain divorcees were still a no-no, even at ‘informal’ royal dinners.’”
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip pose with U.S. President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy at Buckingham Palace in London, Britain, June 5, 1961.
U. S. Department of State/John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum/Handout via Reuters
The Kennedys also requested that Princess Margaret and the queen’s aunt, Princess Marina, come. “Back and forth the officials went, until JFK gave an ultimatum: the Americans could dine elsewhere. Alarm bells rang, and the Palace caved in over the divorcees (seated as far as possible from the queen), but the atmosphere was still frosty, leading Jackie to gossip cattily to Gore Vidal: ‘The queen had her revenge … no Margaret, no Marina, no one except every Commonwealth minister of agriculture that they could find.’” Vidal also recorded Jackie saying: “I think the queen resented me.”
This week in royal history
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle launched their Instagram account “sussexroyal” on April 2, 2019, captioning their first post: “Welcome to our official Instagram; we look forward to sharing the work that drives us, the causes we support, important announcements, and the opportunity to shine a light on key issues. We thank you for your support, and welcome you to @sussexroyal.”
They wound the account down a year later on March 30, 2020, with a message partly reading: “While you may not see us here, the work continues. Thank you to this community—for the support, the inspiration and the shared commitment to the good in the world. We look forward to reconnecting with you soon. You’ve been great! Until then, please take good care of yourselves, and of one another.”
Unanswered questions
Has appearing at today’s church service helped bolster King Charles’ standing and visibility in the public mind, or raised fresh questions about the status of his health?
