Lunch With the Queen

Alexandra Shulman, the editrix of British Vogue, joined the cream of British womanhood Women Achievers who lunched with Queen Elizabeth on March 11th.

Shulman writes in the Telegraph:

"At midday, the Victoria Memorial was surrounded by rows of taxis and chauffeured cars, waiting for access to the large palace courtyard. It looked like an upmarket queue for the cross-Channel ferry and included the same maddening experience of watching a car that seemingly joined later than your own getting ahead. Security was tight, with every car's undercarriage scanned for explosives, and progress was slow.

"Once through the portals, we were given name badges and, surrounded by signs for the Ladies everywhere you looked, were ushered upstairs. We gathered in the sequence of massive staterooms, heated by electric bar fires and looked down upon by the spectacular royal art collection, including Vermeers and Van Dykes. Drink was copious - stiff gin and tonics outnumbering glasses of water, orange juice and wine - and, so civilised, smoking was allowed.

"Baroness Thatcher stood in the centre of one room, shorter than one would have imagined, in a brilliant fuchsia suit, seemingly in top form and defying rumours of ill health as she tucked into her G&T. Cherie Blair, in blue stripes, chatted nearby. Zadie Smith floated around like a beautiful blues singer in a white fur jacket and red silk skirt with flowers in her hair, while Twiggy sported a purple tail coat as she chatted to Kate Moss in her vintage blue silk dress."

Sounds yummy.

The Age wrote, "Over sauteed loin of lamb and passionfruit cheesecake, the cream of British womanhood joined the Queen for a historic girls-only lunch to celebrate female achievement."

Also at the gals only affair were the melancholy-eyed JK Rowling, Heather Mills-McCartney and teen diva Charlotte Church, were among the 180 powerful attendees.