Speaker: Mark Worden (Standard British accent)

The Queen Mother

It is said that the late Queen Mother was a friend and protector of Britain’s gay men. This, it might be added, was rather brave of her, given that homosexuality was a criminal offence in Britain until 1967. She was also believed to have employed a number of gay men on her domestic staff. Legend has it that one night her butler and footman were late in bringing up her bedtime drink, or “night cap.” She is supposed to have picked up the phone and called down to the kitchen. When the butler answered, she said: “Now, I don’t know what you two old queens are up to down there, but this old queen up here would like her night cap!”