While the Twitteratti of the UK are at a loss to understand
why Westminster Abbey honouring the king of a country where Christianity is banned, Amanda Taub on
Vox has a ripping good yarn to tell, courtesy of a then- newly appointed ambassador to Saudi Arabia, takinga meeting with Hew Majesty:
:
At the time, Abdullah was
technically still the crown prince, though he'd been de facto ruler for
several years. During their meeting, [the Queen] gleefully recounted the story
of Abdullah's first visit to Balmoral....
After lunch, the Queen had asked her royal guest whether he would
like a tour of the estate. Prompted by his foreign minister the urbane
Prince Saud, an initially hesitant Abdullah had agreed. The royal Land
Rovers were drawn up in front of the castle. As instructed, the Crown
Prince climbed into the front seat of the front Land Rover, his
interpreter in the seat behind.
To his surprise, the Queen climbed into the driving seat, turned the
ignition and drove off. Women are not — yet — allowed to drive in Saudi
Arabia, and Abdullah was not used to being driven by a woman, let alone a
queen.
His nervousness only increased as the Queen, an Army driver in
wartime, accelerated the Land Rover along the narrow Scottish estate
roads, talking all the time. Through his interpreter, the Crown Prince
implored the Queen to slow down and concentrate on the road ahead.
That's right: Queen Elizabeth basically spent an afternoon using her
military-grade driving skills to haze the crown prince of Saudi Arabia.
Result: Elizabeth 1, Abdullah 0.
One wonders, did Westminster abbey fly their flag at half mast for Saddam Hussein?
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