By Marie Sallinger
It’s just an ordinary day. You shuffle through your mail and see a nice official-looking envelope from Buckingham palace. There must be some mistake, you think. But no, it is addressed to you, and inside is a card with the Queens royal cipher and the words: The Lord chamberlain is commanded by Her Majesty to invite – and yes, that’s your name – to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace… Oh, my goodness!
Just imagine receiving such a letter! What would you do? Well, for one thing, such an invitation coming from Her Majesty, Elizabeth II, can certainly add a certain charm to one’s life that can not be measure. An ordinary day has just turned into the day I was invited by the Queen to have tea. What will I wear? How should I act? What will I say?
Back in America, some 80 mothers and daughter attending the TFP’s “Tea with the Queen” manners-and-social-graces program in St. Martinville, Louisiana, June 11-12, discussed answers to those questions. It is unlikely that any of us will actually have tea with Queen Elizabeth II. However, 40,000 people are invited annually to join the Queen at Garden Tea Parties at Buckingham Palace in London and Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh. The Garden Tea Parties are grand and dignified events, an unforgettable moment of life and an honor to attend,
The inner desire to tough royalty and enjoy the more refined things in life led 15-year-old Miss Angela Mayard to comment, “Oh, I really liked the ‘Tea with the Queen’ program, held in the historic Maison Duchamp in St. Martinville. The best part was sipping the authentic Buckingham Palace tea,. I never tasted anything so delicious, delicate, and aromatic. When I got home, I went online and ordered some for myself.”
Why Our Lady Weeps
The participant enjoyed several activities during the two-day program that showed how embroidery, gift-wrapping and bow-making, and the use of hand bells enhanced the beauty of ordinary life.
The hands-on activities and the Ladies’ Tea Program were balance by inspiring talks given by Mr. Thomas Drake, president of TFP Louisiana. With visual presentations, Mr. Drake explained what life is really like for Queen Elizabeth II. As Mr. Drake pointed out, the sense of responsibility, serious dedication and commitment for the good of her subjects, while maintaining her feminine dignity and poise, has earned Queen Elizabeth II the admiration and respect of people all over the world.
Later on, 17-year-old Miss Julia LaMotte commented, “I really enjoyed Mr. Drake’s talk. It was very interesting, and I am a big fan of royalty. One thing I thought was just so amazing was how the Queen of England treats her subjects. She goes out and meets as many people ass she is able. In doing this, she is reenacting what Christian kings and queens did of old. Her example is an inspiration to her subjects and to people everywhere.”
Mr. Drake’s talks also dealt with the concepts of authority with examples of historical kings and queens who are canonized saints today. His instruction used a Christian monarch’s mage to illustrate the queenship role all mothers share. While the Cultural Revolution has been striving to distort this image and the natural God-given order and dignity belonging to families, activities such as the TFP Ladies’ Tea Program hope to re-kindle a proper understanding of these familial roles and duties these activities also remind participants that as family members in the kingdom of the Queen of Queens, one’s conduct can contribute to the triumph of Mary’s Reign since she is our true spiritual Mother and Queen.