Way to go Your Majesty/Royal Highness/foxy aristocrat

Princess Michael of Kent

Well, I might as well come clean straightaway. I only attended this event because it involved royalty - Her Royal Highness Princess Michael of Kent to be exact. And I might as well come clean again: I wasn't expecting much (well, anything to be exact). But there's nothing quite as sobering - and refreshing - as being proved wrong. And on this occasion, you might as well serve me a large slice of crow pie. That's how good she was. HRH was talking about the third and final volume of her Anjou trilogy, which frankly I've never heard of but might actually pick up later today, so vibrant was her talk. In short, this story centres on merchant Jacques Couer, a man of humble origins who rises to become a trusted confidante of the Anjou royal family and one of the most powerful figures in 15th century France. What could have been an astonishingly dry talk was actually invigorating, refreshing and hugely entertaining. There was a bit of a kerfuffle when it turned out that the 'Royal' pointer, vital for pointing out the borders of France, appeared to have gone missing from the lecturn, but apart from that, it was all rather smooth. I sat next to HRH's Lady-in-Waiting which was a bit of a thrill for me but clearly a source of huge tension for her. Still, great 60 minutes. Thanks Ma'am.