Staircase spat a “black eye” for Tattoo: Monarchist
Posted Mar 30, 2010 05:30:05 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A spat over a staircase is becoming an international issue.
Buckingham Palace has cancelled plans for the Queen to take in a performance of the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo this summer.
According to a palace spokesman, it seems Tattoo organizers think Queen Elizabeth is too old to climb a staircase to address the event.
The story has generated dozens of headlines in British media and the Nova Scotia branch of the Canadian Monarchist League is calling Canadian MPs to express its concern.
Tattoo organizers are emphasizing, the issue is not the Queen’s age – but her safety, saying the 17 stair steps to the Metro Centre stage – which the Tattoo’s artistic director says are actually steep theatrical risers – are simply too steep for Her Majesty .
Ian Fraser says he’s not sure Buckingham Palace realizes the risk..If they saw the staircase, he says they’d agree.
“In a heartbeat,” he said. “Not only is it, in our view, putting her at risk, it’s also going to be immensely undignified climbing up those stairs.”
Fraser says while age may be a concern for some, he says the risers can’t be negotiated unless someone’s had a rehearsal – which isn’t practical for a visiting monarch.
He says Tattoo organizers have offered alternative arrangements in hopes that the Queen will still attend.
“Look, I hope she comes, we want her to be here,” he said. “We’re prepared to do anything, provided safety’s not the issue.”
But officials at Buckingham Palace say the Queen’s quite fit, noting she ascends 47 on the palace’s Grand Staircase on a regular basis, and say it’s the stairs or nothing.
Bob Finch of the Monarchist League of Canada calls the spat unfortunate and says if the Queen wants to climb the stairs – the Tattoo should acquiesce.
“They’re in the press today, the world press, for all the wrong reasons,” he said. “I think it’s a bit of a black eye for them.”
Although the Queen won’t attend the Tattoo, Finch says he doesn’t think the issue will overshadow the rest of the Royal Tour.
