“I don’t have to curtsy, do I?”  

When VisitBritain, the UK's tourism bureau, invited my husband, Paul Lasley, and me to come to London in June and meet Prince Philip, it sounded like a fun adventure. Even though we’re not royalists. My theory about royal blood is that several centuries ago, one gang beat up another gang, and the gang that won got to say that they and their descendents had “royal blood.” But a chance to go inside Buckingham Palace and meet the Duke of Edinburgh? We couldn’t turn it down. 

“I don’t know. Someone will explain the protocol,” said VisitBritain’s Joanna Allen. We didn’t know much about Prince Philip, except that he’s Queen Elizabeth’s husband. So before leaving for England, I asked my friend, Myrna, who follows the royal family, for some background. “Prince Philip is famous for his sense of humor,” she said. “And his frankness. He’s known to put his foot in his mouth. He’s going to be 88 years old on June 10.”

June 10—we were to meet his royal highness on his birthday. “Should we wish Prince Philip ‘Happy Birthday’ when we meet him?” we asked VisitBritain’s Paul Gauger after we arrived in London. “Better not to,” he said. “He likes to keep his private life separate from his public duties.”

Along with about 70 other journalists from around the world, we boarded double-decker red London buses that had been commandeered for the occasion. They took us through the Buckingham Palace gates, and we entered the palace. No cameras allowed. Mobile phones off.

“The Queen’s art collection is the largest and oldest collection of paintings in Britain,” said the Royal Collection’s Jonathan Marsden as he led about 15 of us on a tour of the State Rooms, where Queen Elizabeth receives visitors: elegant drawing rooms with silk wall coverings and crystal chandeliers. “The point of the collection was to surround the monarch with the best art available.” Only a portion of the collection’s some 6,000 works are on display at any one time, but the paintings we saw in the picture gallery were amazing: three Rembrandts, several Canalettos (the collection has about 50), a Vermeer, and a Rubens self-portrait the artist had given to Charles I.

We could have lingered there for hours, but it was time to meet the Prince, so we all gathered in a room off the main gallery for tea. “You don’t have to bow or curtsy, unless you want to,” said Allen. “It’s fine to shake his hand, but wait for him to offer his hand first.” We stood around in clusters of six or eight. Prince Philip entered—looking shorter than I’d imagined, and younger than his 88 years. Walking gracefully around the room in a perfectly tailored suit, holding his left hand behind his back and shaking hands with his right, he chatted briefly with each group. “Apparently not everyone got the message,” said Gauger, smiling, as he prepared to introduce our group. “I don’t think Prince Philip has ever received so many Happy Birthday wishes.” So much for protocol

“This is Elizabeth Harryman,” said Gauger, when Prince Philip approached. His royal highness offered his hand, which I shook. I didn’t curtsy. “And this is Paul Lasley.” Prince Philip looked at our name tags. “We’re actually married,” said Paul. “We just work together under different names.”  "We’re a team,” I added, wondering whether I should add, “rather like you and your wife.” Prince Philip smiled that slightly mischievous smile for which he’s famous, and said, “Do you live together?” “Oh, yes,” we assured him, laughing, before he moved on to greet the next journalist in the group. When our red double-decker buses left the grounds, pedestrians waved at us and photographed us. We waved back. We could just imagine someone in the crowd saying, “Funny, I didn’t know Buckingham Palace was a stop on the London bus line.”

You might not be able to meet Prince Philip, but you can visit the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace. They’re typically open to the public during August and September, when the Queen and her family take up residence at Balmoral, Scotland. This year the State Rooms are open July 26 through September 30.
Hours: 9:45 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (last admission: 3:45 p.m.)
Admission: Adult: 16.50 pounds (about $27); Over 60/Student: 15 pounds (about $25); Under 17: 9.50 pounds (about $15); Under 5: free; Family (two adults, three under 17s): 44 pounds (about $73).

Have any of our readers had royal encounters?