Her Majesty is waiting for you.' I might as well confess to you that my idea of a Queen had been formed by seeing the play of Hamlet, where the Queen of Denmark comes on the stage with long white fur robe, covered with pieces of cat's tails and a crown on her head.

I certainly did not think that the Queen of England would dress in this exact way, but I thought she would have something to distinguish her from the coterie of ladies that surrounded her on deck.

So I walked aft, paddle in one hand, rubber bag in the other and dressed in my suit.

I came to a group of ladies, a little separate, around whom bare headed courtiers stood and was about to pay homage to a fine, grandly dressed maid of honor, when turning around I observed the face of the Queen which was made familiar by the thousands of photographs, which grace the windows in nearly every store in London.
She is a stout, motherly woman, more plainly dressed than any one around her.

I looked at her for a second and said: 'Your Majesty, I believe.' With a kindly smile she answered, 'Yes.' 'Will I take the water, Your Majesty ?' I was confused by the mistake I came near making, in taking the maid of honor for the Queen.
'If you please,' she responded with the same kindly and encouraging smile.
It didn't take me long to get over the side of that vessel, you can rest assured.