The Queen's poetic talents will soon be going on display when the Castle of Mey, the late Queen Mother's home, is opened to the public at the weekend. The 16-line ditty, which she wrote as a thankyou after a three-day visit in 1987, will be on show in the castle's guest book.
A spokesman has revealed that the poem was relayed from the royal yacht Britannia after her stay at the Highland retreat. "Before the Britannia was decommissioned, there was a tour of the Western Isles before the Queen was taken round to Aberdeen for her holiday at Balmoral," he said. "The ship would lie off Scrabster and she would meet the Queen Mother for lunch at the Castle of Mey."
It has been noted that Her Majesty misspelled the word "splendour", but Professor John Kerrigan of the English literature department at Cambridge University says, "technically it's as competent as anything by Bob Dylan". The poem is "a cheerful piece of doggerel", he said, "with an airy informality which does the author - so often thought grand - some credit".
Poetry Society director Jules Mann was also pleased by the verse: "We often think poetry is something that happens in times of grief, but it's lovely to hear someone is moved to write about a happy occasion."
The monarch's literary contribution to the guest book was as follows:
Although we must leave you,
Fair Castle of Mey,
We shall never forget,
Nor could ever repay,
A meal of such splendor,
Repast of such zest,
It will take us to Sunday,
Just to digest.
To leafy Balmoral,
We are now on our way.
But our hearts will remain
At the Castle of Mey.
With your gardens and ranges,
And all your good cheer,
We will be back again soon
So roll on next year.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
