The
Queen is used to receiving oh-so-dull briefings about affairs of state from our
elected leaders.
For one night only, however, Her Majesty was treated to a
performance like no other by America’s Secretary of State.
As part of an official visit to Britain and other parts of Europe ahead of the handover from George W. Bush to Barack Obama in January, Condoleeza Rice signed off at Buckingham Palace last
night
with a piano recital for the Queen.
Accompanied by the wife of Britain’s
Foreign Secretary, Louise Milliband, and three members of the London
Symphony Orchestra, Miss
Rice performed music by Johannes Brahms.
It was a dream come true for the woman who was once tipped to become
America’s first black female President.
A classically trained pianist, the Secretary of State had according to a Palace spokeswoman "expressed a wish to play at Buckingham Palace and the Queen offered her to play in the music room".
While the Queen is known to be no fan of classical music – or indeed music in
general – she seemed delighted by the performance, later presenting Miss
Rice with a special recording of the recital.
With Barack Obama having now nominated the ever colourful Hillary
Clinton to take over from Miss Rice, we can only imagine what may await
the Queen the next time America's Secretary of
State - accompanied by Bill?! - pops in to the Palace!
