Think that Canberrans only want to see the Queen when it's a poifect day and any old excuse to hang in the sunshine will do? Think again, republican naysayers.
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The rainy fog was so thick yesterday morning, one couldn't see the War Memorial from Parliament House. Yet hundreds of Canberrans were gathered outside the AWM. Ponchos on. Novelty umbrellas out.
But that didn't mean the crowd was filled with brolly-to-brolly monarchists. Most people interviewed by The Royal Diary claimed this was their first attempt to see the Queen. So really, the crowd members should best be described as ''royal procrastinators''.
Impromptu celebration
FOR many individuals, their 21st birthday is marked by a haze of Midori shots and humiliating speeches, which see your friends tell your family about the people you pashed in high school. Canberra student Josie Hornung had a more civilised idea. Yesterday, on her 21st, Hornung skipped a Spanish class to see the Queen. Hornung wasn't planning any other immediate celebrations because she is just about to bunker down for exams. However, she did have regal-style garden party on Sunday. ''There was lots of floral,'' she said. Her pal Joshua Margach, 20, ditched a class on immunology to see the Queen (no jokes about the Spanish flu, please). ''I'm just excited to see what she's wearing,'' he said.
Good match
AFTER the Queen had pulled up and vanished inside the War Memorial with the merest of waves, Hornung was pumped but Margach was disappointed. ''I missed her,'' he said, with a deflated sigh. It's hardly surprising. HMTQ was a tricky one to catch with the naked eye. Not only did she zip out of sight, she was impressively camouflaged. You could barely tell her apart from the War Memorial. The Queen's ensemble has been billed by media outlets variously as ''taupe'', ''champagne,'' and ''fawn''. But it was an exact match with ''wet sandstone''. Was this blend-in a nod to the military theme? Was it to escape the posies? Or had Her Majesty simply run out of options in the wardrobe rainbow?
Young and excitable
THERE was a noticeable number of high school students at the AWM yesterday, providing a timely reminder to anyone hung up on cute kids bearing fleurs. They grow up to be teens with smartphones. When the students weren't being stirred up by TV crews (to wave flags and yahoo for HMTQ), they were busy chasing the royal motorcade down the hill as it left. Also overheard while the youfs were waiting in the three-deep crowd: ''Which one's the Queen?'', ''Long live Queenie!'' and ''It's like a concert!''
She will rock you
ACCORDING to Thomas Keneally, ''concert'' is a good way of describing it. Yesterday the author and republican downplayed the high turnouts and warm fuzzies for the Queen during her tour. ''She's a very good rock star,'' he said at the launch of his book, Australians: Eureka to the Diggers. Arguably, the Queen is the third biggest celebrity in the world - behind Madonna and Justin Bieber. But against any objective standard, the Queen is a very average rock star. For starters, she didn't stay in a hotel. And we understand she did not trash her suite at Quentin's. Nor did she appear on the balcony waving a cigar and a bottle of Moet at the paparazzi. She didn't turn up at ICBM at 3am and demand a VIP area. She didn't sell out the Convention Centre five times over. And the only chickens harmed during her trip appeared in a terrine at the PM's reception.
Tips for this week
CANBERRANS come down with Monarch Separation Anxiety. For almost a week, Elizabeth II has practically been the Queen of Canberra. Now we have to hand her over to Melbourne and Perth. What's the word for that weird jealous pain again? Queen-vy? For anyone struggling to cope, be cheered in the knowledge that Princess Mary and King Obama are both coming to Canberra next month.
