Kate Livingstone: It was certainly a party to remember

Well that was quite a party! There can't be many 90-year-olds who enjoy three days of celebrations for their birthday '“ far less two birthdays almost two months apart.
Kate LivingstoneKate Livingstone
Kate Livingstone

But, of course, the Queen is no ordinary nonagenarian.

I’m not an ardent flag-waving royalist but I do think that the immediate Royal Family has a place at the heart of our country. And few could argue, although I’m sure all the republicans out there would give it a try, that they do have their benefits even in the 21st century.

You only have to look at the amount of money they bring in to the economy through tourism to appreciate their role.

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Yes, they do cost us a lot of money to keep them ‘running’ but since they trimmed down those with royal protection and sent the majority of the lesser royals out to work for a living, the figure has been reduced.

It’s always interesting to hear Americans speak about their perception of our Royal Family. So many of us look on the Stateside way of life as being what we would want but it seems many of them like the stability that the United Kingdom has.

I was watching Kirsty Young on TV reflecting on the Picnic in the Mall and she was speaking to singer Will.i.am who said that as an American what he loved about a Royal Family rather than a president was the fact that we would know who was going to be around for years to come.

Americans on the other hand have all this hullabaloo every four years to elect a new president.

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However, he wasn’t quite so complimentary about the pork pies with piccalilli – think that is more of an acquired taste.

Watching the Trooping of the Colour on Saturday – I told you that I got right into the party spirit – I was taken by how well we do things like that.

But I couldn’t help but feel for the poor guardsman who keeled over. Must be their worst nightmare but totally understandable in all that heat and wearing that heavy uniform.

However, he did it so perfectly and just seemed to land the way he had been standing rather than sprawled all over the place.

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Of course, it had to prompt my Gary to say that it wouldn’t be a good party without a faller! But his gran gave him a row and said he should be showing a bit of respect.

These landmark events always start my mum off about all the ones she has seen before and who is who in the Royals – and who there mother was! See what I mean about tradition.