Queen Betty

Mom attended church with me and, unfortunately, the choir didn’t sing in harmony today. There weren’t many of us and we sang in unison. Afterwards, we went to Hillsborough Castle, the queen’s residence in Northern Ireland.

I was surprised by the access we had to the castle--sitting on the furniture, walking around the rooms, getting as close as we liked to the paintings. There were a lot of photos of the royal family. It really was like being in someone’s home.

The red room, where the peace process for Northern Ireland was advanced on multiple occasions. The room was selected for these meetings because it was “intimate” (ha!) and the round table removed a sense of hierarchy as the queen of England met with the president of Ireland (both female).

The throne room was quite grand. I’m giving the royal wave a go.

In the drawing room, I was creeped out by photos of Bush and Blair plotting the Iraq war. Bastards.

The rhododendron at the back of this garden was billed as the largest in the world until a Japanese visitor corrected the tour guide. It is now the largest rhododendron in Europe.

Mom and David at the castle.
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