Invitation to the Palace

Trishna Devi Pall Kusbia

1997

There have been many days that I would love to write about but I think this one will remain with me forever. It was a normal Monday morning in April 1997 and I left the house, walked along Pilrig Street, down Leith Walk and into the office at 19 Smiths Place. There was no one else in yet. I always go in early just so I can spend some quiet time and reflect on what has happened the night before. Anyway the mail was on my desk and I had just acquired a new swivel chair so I was swinging it around just flicking through the mail and there it was; an invitation with the crest of St. James Palace on the back. I just looked at it and thought someone is winding me up. I opened it and by this time I was laughing to myself and thinking who thought this one up and where did they get the stamp and paper to look like this? Especially when I noticed the date for the event Friday 13th June 1997.

Then I read the whole thing and I was gob smacked there in embossed writing was my invitation from HRH Prince Charles the Prince of Wales inviting me to attend an event commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Commonwealth. I was being invited because of the voluntary work that I do with the Sikh Community. By this time I was really laughing out loud and had actually started phoning my brothers and sisters and asking them who was playing games. They all said dont be daft why would we do something like that why dont you phone up the number where you have to RSVP to and ask them what its about?

When I think back now I know it was the signature and the way my name had been written that made me still feel it was all a joke. Well, I phoned up and spoke to Juliet Franks, I dont think I will ever forget that name, she was very helpful and said yes I was on the invitation list and I had indeed been invited to attend this event and then she went onto ask if she should confirm my attendance. I didnt know what to say. I couldnt say to her well actually I have never been anywhere on my own, not even to a staff night out, (its all females that I work with) and let alone travel all the way to London to the Palace. I think I kind of stuttered something like well can I phone you back tomorrow to confirm? And she was fine about that as long as I didnt leave it too long as RSVPs needed to be in by May at the latest, for security reasons.

I remember coming home and telling the kids and showing them the invitation and they were really chuffed for me. My eldest son had just got married the year before so his wife was just settling in with us and she was really surprised and started asking me what I was going to wear, how I was going to get to London and even where I was going to stay. I couldnt think of anything else but the fact that the invitation was for me only so my husband had not been invited and how could I, a woman from a very restricted cultural community, actually go to London on my own? Although my husband was very forward thinking he was still in a way answerable to his family.

When my husband came home from work that night I showed him the invitation and he was very pleased and very proud of me. Then I said Well how could I go on my own? And he said Ill come to London with you and we can stay at my sisters and Ill chum you to the palace gates and you can go in. I was kind of still a bit shaky and then I started thinking, God what will people say? What will my mother-in law say when she finds out its only me thats been invited and not her son? I think I went into overdrive.

The next day I wrote a letter to the palace asking if it was possible for my husband to come with me because for cultural reasons it would be difficult for me to attend on my own. They wrote back saying no I was the one invited and that was it. So on the 12th June 1997, my husband and I travelled down to London and all the way my mind was wandering, here was me Trishna Devi Pall born of Sikh immigrant parents in the Oatlands area of Glasgow, left school at thirteen, didnt ever think I would be allowed to work or go anywhere because of the way our community is, and here I was going to the Palace in London to meet the Queens son! Unbelievable but true.

When we walked up to the Palace and saw the guards with their red uniforms and big bear hats it was like watching the telly. My Husband walked away and I went inside. It was magnificent and I actually shook hands with Prince Charles. You know the funny thing is that when I came back everybody asked me what he was like and all I remembered was looking at the lapels of his suit and thinking, My goodness it looks well worn.

Both my parents are dead but I kept thinking how proud they would have been of me, especially my dad and grandfather as they new all about Royalty. My mum would probably have been shaking in her shoes thinking, What is she doing now and what will people say! It was my day and I will never forget it.