Wednesday 7 August 2013

Sir Thomas Beecham's best gaffe: "Still King".

Princess Mary
"In the foyer of a Manchester hotel, Beecham saw a distinguished-looking woman whom he believed he knew, though he could not remember the name.  He paused to talk to her and as he did so vaguely recollected that she had a brother.  Hoping for a clue, he asked how her brother was and whether he was still in the same line of work.  "Oh he's very well", she answered, "and still king".

Sir Thomas
Although I first read this in a biography of Sir Thomas, it is a slippery quote. In one version he is on a train. Almost identical tales ending in "Still King" or "Still Queen" abound with different actors.  Snopes gives a few samples.

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