Though Bob Hope had reached iconic status entertaining Americans, he was inordinately proud of his British heritage and often mentioned his ties to Great Britain in his stage act.
For years he told audiences that he was born there, but decided to leave "... when I learned that there was no chance I'd ever
become King. Little did I know I could have just swum across the channel to Denmark and become Queen."
Bob had many friends in the UK including a performer he had met in vaudeville named Lou Grade who later became a
successful film producer and was ultimately knighted by the Queen. It was Sir Lou who was to produce Bob's final road picture with Bing Crosby, "Road to the Fountain of Youth," that was derailed by Bing's sudden death in 1977.
Over the years, Bob guested many times on "The Muppet Show" (and they on his)
which was filmed at Elstree Studios near London.
In the summer of 1983, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip embarked on a world cruise aboard their yacht H.M.S. Britannia. Their journey would take them to the U.S. where they spent a week visiting the west coast -- and their friends in Hollywood. Bob was among them and was invited to dinner
aboard the yacht.
Next day, he told me how luxurious the yacht was and how exciting it had been meeting Princess Diana for the first time. He was truly smitten by her charm and beauty.
While visiting Scotland recently, I learned that the Royal Yacht, launched in 1953, had been decommissioned in 1997 and was on
permanent display near Edinburgh.
The vessel had been retired because the new engines she needed were cost prohibitive -- even for Buckingham Palace. Never replaced, Britannia was the last in a long line of Royal Yachts.
As I approached her dockside with camera firmly in hand, she appeared as freshly painted and new as though just launched.
Our tour group was led to a reception center where we were given listening devices for a self-guided tour that was so detailed, it would take a full two hours to complete.
Among the fascinating facts surrounding the forty-four year life of the ship were these:
* She had sailed over one million miles, circumnavigating the globe on average once for every year of her life.
* She was commanded by nine admirals and a commodore responsible for a crew of nineteen Officers and 220 Yachtsmen.
* The ship had replaced the previous Royal Yacht, the Victoria and Albert III, and had inherited much of that ship’s furniture.
* Originally, she was outfitted with a garage to house a Rolls-Royce Phantom V which was eventually left back home when it
proved too difficult to get on and off the ship.
* When the Queen and Prince Philip were aboard, they were accompanied by a staff of forty-five.
* Members of the Royal Family often socialized informally with the enlisted men in the Petty Officers' Mess.
* The Queen and Prince Philip had separate quarters.
* Only the Royal Family had separate bathrooms -- the crew, except the commanding officer, shared facilities.
* Enlisted crew members weren't allowed to acknowledge the royals unless addressed. They worked hatless near their quarters so as to be "out-of-uniform" and thus not require a salute.
* The State Dining Room could accommodate up to fifty-six guests for a formal dinner which would be serinaded by the Royal Marines' Band, part of the Queen's security detail.
* Because she had been designed to double as a hospital ship if necessary in time of war, Britannia had a fully-equipped sick bay and operating theater.
* As a potential hospital ship, she was the only vessel in the Royal Navy with her own laundry, processing around-the-clock
up to 600 uniforms a day.
Making my way along Britannia's pristine decks and passageways, I could almost hear the Royal Marines' Band playing in the State Dining Room those many years ago. And,
although probably due to my over-active imagination, I could have sworn I heard Bob Hope ask Princess Diana, "Hey, how
would you like to guest star on an American variety show?"
[You can view photos taken during the tour, plus commentary at:
www.royalyachtbritannia.weebly.com]
[Bob Mills is the author of THE LAUGH MAKERS: A Behind-the-Scenes Tribute to Bob Hope's Incredible Gag Writers by Robert L. Mills with a Foreword by Gary Owens. Published by Bear Manor Media. Copyright (c) 2009. Available at: http://www.amazon.com
Or to download the e-version on Kindle for $2.99:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0041D9EPO
Photos from the book can be viewed at http://bobhopeshowbackstage.weebly.com]
