|
Written by Joanne Leyland
|
|
Wednesday, 11 October 2006 |
|
 The Princess Royal must have thought
she'd found a new, particularly keen admirer during a formal visit to a
school last week.
Having departed the royal helicopter, a loud wolf whistle
pervaded the air. But sadly for 55-year-old Anne, it
wasn't quite all that it seemed......
The Queen's hard-working daughter was on a visit to Prince Henry's Grammar School in Otley, Yorkshire, when the sound of the whistle was heard by all, including horrified school officials.
Explains headmaster John Steel: "Princess Anne landed and got out of the helicopter and all the kids were around to form a greeting party. But as she started walking across the grass there was this loud kind of wolf whistle which we didn't realise was coming from a tree to begin with, we thought someone had whistled."
In fact, the 'offending' noise had been made by an escaped parrot called Ozzie which has been free in the town for almost two months.
Initially, though, the finger of suspicion was directed towards the school's pupils, as Mr Steel admits: "
"I have to admit I was ready to blame the kids and I couldn't believe it when it turned out to be a parrot."
"But we quizzed the kids afterwards and they pointed out that it had come from this lost parrot of Otley' which was up a tree right beside the landing spot. It must have come in just after the helicopter had landed and turned its engine off, and it stayed up there for the rest of the day — and kept wolf whistling all day, too."
"This bird is certainly making a name for itself! But everyone saw the funny side of it, including the Royal party who heard about what had really happened afterwards."
"But the visit actually went really well and the students were very well behaved. It was the parrot, which I understand there is a capture reward for now, who behaved abominably!"
The Royal Family are no strangers to parrots. King George V famously owned a pet parrot called Charlotte which he used to allow to fly free in the rooms at Buckingham Palace.
Unfortunately, his rather stern wife, Queen Mary, was less than amused by the bird due to its tendency to suddenly squawk profanities of the worst kind at visitors to the monarch's private quarters.
Worse still, the beloved royal pet was even allowed to walk along the breakfast table and defecate into the sugar bowl!!!!
Comment on this article
Leave your comments (Show/Hide Form)
Other Visitors Comments
|
