When I was 20 years old I watched Diana Spencer marry Prince Charles and from that point on I was hooked on royalty. I was fascinated with the whole fairy tale princess thing. And while I thought lady Diana’s dress was more dress than her frame could handle, I enjoyed how it turned bridal fashion on its ear.
But I was a bigger fan of Sara Ferguson—the Duchess of York. She looked like fun. She looked like someone you wanted to hang out with. She appeared warm. She exuded a commoner feel. When she kissed Andrew on the balcony after her wedding you knew she had pissed off the queen. Sara pushed the royal buttons—and I liked that.
On a cold February day during winter break from school I went to Fortunoffs in Westbury with Sam and Briana—they were about 11 and 9 years old at the time. And as I went into the store there were signs plastered all over: Meet the Duchess of York at 2 pm for a Wedgewood demonstration. Really? Royalty in Westbury, Long Island? At Fortunoffs? I turned to the girls and excitedly told them: we’re not leaving yet. I want you to see a Royal. And we sat in our third row center seats for 45 minutes until the demonstration began.
And there she was. An actual British Royal 15 feet away from us talking about Wedgewood china-- and what pattern she had-- and how she and her daughters Beatrice and Eugenie ate on them every day. I was enthralled. I was star-struck. I was having an out of body experience. My children were bored to death.
When the presentation was finished, I forgot who I was---a mother who should have been more concerned with my children’s welfare than my own desires. But this was an opportunity that would NEVER present itself again so I told my 9 and 11 year old to stay put and I flew like superwoman over the 3 rows and landed right in front of Sarah Fergurson—the Duchess of York-- my idol. And when I landed like superwoman in front of her there wasn’t even one security person near her to push me away. And when I approached her and said I am such a fan of yours and I am a lifetime Weight Watchers member (Sara was a spokesperson for Weight Watchers at the time and I thought that by telling her that I too was a lifetime member like she, Sarah would think I was cool—a comadre) and Sara, with sparkly effervescent blue blue eyes and a big warm smile said with genuine (likely fake) inflection: Oh that’s wonderful! Keep it up! and then she extended her hand to shake mine and she put her other hand on top of our handshake as if we were old friends and said It was so lovely to meet you.
The Duchess of York thought it was lovely to meet me—a dirty American—a Garden City housewife--a plebian. On some level I understood that she gave me a rote response but I chose to believe that she really meant it—she actually was happy to have met me. I was in a cloud. It was ethereal—surreal--and then like a needle scratching across a record I heard my children yell Mom!!!! We want to leave!!! Oh yeah. I suddenly remembered. I had kids. Damn it. Fantasy over.
And so we left. And when I got home I immediately called my mother-in-law Anna who was just as incredulous about my good fortune as I was. And we discussed my 15 second encounter with Sara Fergurson for almost an hour. And she would giggle and say I can’t believe you met the Duchess of York! and I would say I know! And then I would tell her I can’t believe I met the Duchess of York! and she would say I know! And we went on and on ridiculously like that repeating ourselves until we were exhausted.
Last spring while I was visiting Kara in Atlanta she and I went to the Lady Diana Exhibit. And when I saw Diana’s wedding gown I gasped. Words cannot describe its magnificence in person. And the displayed crowns she wore, and the evening gowns that I remembered from photographs, left me in awe. But that does not compare to seeing actual royalty—a real person—someone who was Diana’s friend---someone who had worn a crown and driven in a horse drawn carriage. And on that day in February that I forgot I was a mother, I was literally touched by royalty. The Duchess of York held my hand like I was her friend. And it gave my mother in law something special to tell her friends. And I think it gave Sarah Fergurson something to treasure too—she did say it was lovely to meet me. I wonder if she mentioned me in her new book? Maybe she might even comment on my blog—it could happen—she came to Westbury, Long Island once.
No comments:
Post a Comment