Tripping waiters, iconic comments and an ex-prime minister falling off his seat are just a few jolly memories recounted from the Queen’s visit to Oxford University colleges.
Lord Butler of Brockwell, who invited the Queen to University College for the 750th anniversary of its founding in 1999, has recounted his memories of welcoming the Queen when he was still the Master of the College in 1999.
This was the first Oxford college to reach this milestone, and the first time a reigning monarch had visited the college since the 17th century when James II visited to see a statue of himself.
READ MORE: A look back at the Queen's visits as we celebrate 70 years
When Lord Butler pointed this out during his visit, he was countered by the Queen that it was the first time a reigning monarch had been invited!
The first time Elizabeth II visited was in 1947, whilst still a princess.
The horse-loving monarch was treated to a play in the Radcliffe Quad where a real horse featured.
The way the huge equestrian made it into the square without any mishaps is a mystery to the college to this day.
On a more recent visit to University College, Lord Butler said: “It was terrific. It was a marvellous day; the weather was great.”
He recounted how the Queen, who was dressed in a vibrant yellow ensemble, had requested to meet the students specifically, visiting the Junior Common Room to everyone’s shock, and a story about how the Queen put a student at ease.
The Queen visited with Prince Philip, who was made an Honorary Fellow at the University College.
He said: “At lunch, I sat on one side of her, and the president of the Junior Common Room sat on the other side and was understandably quite nervous.
“[The Queen] turned to [the student] and said ‘please give me some advice. How do I persuade my grandchildren to take their A level studies seriously?’.
“It was a brilliant opening gambit as he completely relaxed, and they continued chatting.”
The Univerisity College's Archivist Robin Darwall-Smith, 55, from Oxford shared that after the Queen arrived she visited the University Church, as the college's chapel was too small.
She then took a stroll through Radcliffe Square and to the Bodleian Library, where Dr Darwall-Smith and the events team had created an exhibition celebrating the long history of University College.
This was followed by a garden party in the University College Master, Lord Butler's, garden where the Queen met fellows before visiting the JCR - followed by lunch in the dining hall.
Dr Darwall-Smith said about the Queen: "The Queen is the most supreme professional. Everyone was understandably quite nervous, but she walked into the exhibition room and gave us all a big smile and we all knew that we were going to be fine.
"It was a very happy occasion and a most memorable day."
After reminiscing about the visit to University College, Lord Butler recounted a popular story about the Queen’s visit to Trinity College in 1960 when a multitude of disasters struck.
This story was also chronicled in the Oxford Mail.
The first disaster, though dramatic, was not even the worst of the night.
Oxfordshire's Lord-Lieutenant at the time, Lord Macclesfield, became ill at dinner and fainted, a professor remarking: “I’m afraid he is a goner.”
Unfortunately, on hearing this, his wife also fell to the floor!
The next mishap, Lord Bulter recounting with much glee, involved a pile of plates clattering to the floor in the dining hall after the Senior College Servant, 86-year-old Richard Cadman, tripped over an academic's gown.
Finally, in an epic finale, the Prime Minister at the time, Harold Macmillan, rose to his feet at the high table to make a toast ‘to the Queen’.
But on taking his seat, with everyone watching, his robes got entangled in the chair and his scout, who was supposed to tuck his chair in with him, was not able to catch him.
On being asked how she found her visit in the Trinity College Junior Common Room after the meal, the Queen reportedly told students: “We’ve had a wonderful lunch; bodies all over the place.”
Lord Butler, who was born in 1938, admitted he’s always followed the Queen’s career.
The 84-year-old who went to the prestigious Harrow School said: “She was coronated when I was 15. I remember being at school.
"The first time I saw the Queen was when she visited Eton College and walked around the cricket grounds and by chance I was playing there."
This was the first of many occasions meeting the Queen, due to Lord Butler's long career in the civil service in which he notably served as Private Secretary to two Prime Ministers, and Principle Private Secretary to Margaret Thatcher.
Lord Butler was made a Member of the Order of the Garter in 2003, one of the most senior knighthoods in the British honour system which he said, ‘Took him by surprise’
He also congratulated the current Master of University College, Baroness Valerie Amos who became, this year, the first Black person to be appointed to the Order of the Garter.
She will be inaugurated into the prestigious group, limited to 24 members, on June 13 at the same time as Tony Blair.
Now a retired civil servant who has three children and seven grandchildren of his own, he reflected on the Queen’s 70 years of reign ahead of her Platinum Jubilee weekend.
“My generation, which was a little bit younger than the queen, has been a very fortunate generation,” he reminisced.
“My first seven years of life were during Word War Two but since then there has been relative peace.
“We have all become more prosperous.
“I’m not sure that the world is going to be the same for our grandchildren.”
Read more from this author
This story was written by Shosha Adie.
She joined the team in 2022 as a digital reporter.
To get in touch with her email: Shosha.Adie@newsquest.co.uk
Follow her on Twitter: @ShoshaAdie
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