Doc Butler's Close Encounters of the Royal Kind

Close Encounters of the Royal Kind

This page inspired by the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, April 29, 2011.

Between July 1976 and May 1991 I had several close encounters with various members of the British Royal family on both sides of the Atlantic. I've seen Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Phillip (a.k.a. the Duke of Edinburgh) the most (7 times, so far). Sometimes my wife and/or my sons were also present; other times I was alone. On some of those occasions I had the good fortune to have a camera handy. The "thumbnail" pictures below are a result. CLICK ON THE "THUMBNAILS" TO SEE A LARGER IMAGE.

Queen Elizabeth II, Newport, RI, July 1976

Prince Phillip, Newport, RI, July 1976

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, London, State Opening of Parliament, November 1, 1978

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret, Trooping of the Colour, London, June 13, 1981

Queen Elizabeth II on horseback, Trooping of the Colour, London, June 13, 1981

Prince Charles at Greenwich, London, August 29, 1982

NOTES

These aren't all of my Royal Photos, just the best. I took quite a few when we first saw the Queen at Newport, Rhode Island (where she had dinner with President Ford aboard the royal yacht Britannia). This was during the United States' Bicentennial. Many years later, I saw the Queen in Dallas, Texas. Most of my royal encounters, however, were in London, England, where I lived from 1977 through 1982.

In addition to the above occasions, there were times when I encountered members of the British royal family but didn't happen to have a camera handy, or simply wasn't quick enough to get a good photo. These are listed below:

Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Phillip, and Prince Charles on horseback; also Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, Trooping of the Colour, London, June 16, 1979. I have some photos of Prince Charles and his father on horseback, wearing red tunics and big Bearskin hats but it's hard to tell who they are due to the hats and shadows.
Lady (later Princess) Diana, Trooping of the Colour, London, June 13, 1981. I have a photo of Diana, but it only shows the back of her head!
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, outside the Royal Opera House, London, 1978 or 1979 (exact date uncertain). I was on my way home from work, walking to Charing Cross Station, when I saw a bunch of people milling around outside the Opera House. Out of curiosity, I went over and was informed by someone that the "Royals" were about to arrive. The Queen and Prince Phillip came up in a limousine with very tall glass windows, got out and walked into the Opera House. If I had had a camera with me, I would have got some good photos.
Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Phillip, Prince Charles, Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Princess Anne and Mark Phillips, The Strand, London, July 26, 1982. I was on my lunch hour, walking along the Strand, when several of the "Royals" passed by in limousines, on their way back to the Palace following a Thanksgiving Service at St. Paul's Cathedral in connection with the British victory in the Falklands War. Charles and Diana's car actually stopped momentarily for a traffic light and Charles waved at me (and anyone else standing nearby). Diana smiled. Too bad I didn't have my camera.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, Hall of State, Fair Park, Dallas, Texas, May 21, 1991. When the Queen arrived for dinner in the Hall of State, I was one of several Dallas Historical Society volunteers invited to greet her (but not personally) as she entered the building. We were told not to bring cameras and I obeyed the admoniniton but afterward regretted it because again, I could have got some good photos.