The Queen's Pen

[Bradley]

I don't remember where I came across this information, but I once read that Queen Elizabeth of England favors Parker Pens. (I bet that even she finds the new Conway Stewarts terribly overpriced!) Do any of you have any knowledge of this? Or do you have any interesting tidbits about the Queen and her pens, or about her signatures? It is Saturday morning, and I find my mind nicely wanders to less-than-practical matters.

[Ruaidhri]

In private she uses a 1952 Parker "51" aeromatic, black with gf cap.

 

She nicked this from Murphy Towers the last time she popped in for a glass of port and a chat

 

Luckily it was not Her Ladyship's burgundy demi or a state of war would exist

 

Seriously, David and Mark Shepherd's book (Parker "51") shows her mother using a "51" so there has to be at least one about the house

 

Regards,

Ruaidhrí

[Col]

I don't remember where I came across this information, but I once read that Queen Elizabeth of England favors Parker Pens.

I believe Elizabeth favoured a quill specially made for her by Goose & Co. of Jermyn Street... oh no sorry, you're asking about Queen Elizabeth, the second of that name.

 

I know that both she (and Prince Philip) were presented with 18-ct gold pens by Conway Stewart in 2002 for her golden jubilee. She probably just chucked those in a drawer somewhere, though - such ostentation wouldn't be her style at all. CS were probably just angling for a Royal Warrant.

 

Parker, on the other hand, are much less pretentious; more to the point, she would have heard of them, if you know what I mean, so it's not an unlikely choice.

 

---

Col

[RSVP]

I think I saw some film once of her writing with a gold coloured Parker, but I have also read that she owns a Montblanc as well as the Conway Stewarts. No doubt she is presented with many others so it depends on how you define the term.

[Bradley]

Oh, how interesting! I am amused, Ruaidhri; perhaps Her Majesty might dig up that ole pen of her mother's and send a pic. Yes, rimmerjar and col, I learned about that gold Conway Stewart set also, but I assumed she quickly added that to some collection or other. I know that during a European summit not too long ago, Tony Blair presented Conway Stewart sets as gifts to the other heads of state. I've sometimes wondered what the set included: a ballpen and pencil, or fountain pen and pencil, or what? Just the same, thanks to you who have responded thus far.

[ViolinWriter]

I recently found a Parker 51 in a box I now call the "mother lode" of lost pens. So far, I've cleaned up and inked 15 pens from the batch. Of course the Parker 51 was one of the first to get the "Royal Treatement". And one of the best of the bunch.

 

At the time I was inking and writing, I had no idea I was writing with a cousin of the Queen's own pen.

 

I shall now close all letters written with this pen, "Ne Plume Ultra".

 

Or some such drivel. :blink:

 

But more seriously, it is interesting to find out what tools certain of the more sensible famous use to write notes and such. Now I'm curious what Queen Elizabeth favors inside the pen.

 

[This post not composed with a Parker 51]

[kissing]

I've got a hunch that it's a Parker Sonnet Queen's Jubilee LE

 

http://www.adsources.com/PENS/PARKER/hist_img/parker12.jpg

 

 

Well, in the movie "Johnny English", the queen was depicted as using a Parker Sonnet when she signed the document about abdicating herself when her pet dog was taken hostage

[JimStrutton]

I've got a hunch that it's a Parker Sonnet Queen's Jubilee LE

 

http://www.adsources.com/PENS/PARKER/hist_img/parker12.jpg

 

 

Well, in the movie "Johnny English", the queen was depicted as using a Parker Sonnet when she signed the document about abdicating herself when her pet dog was taken hostage

Well then that has gotta be true

 

Also I think that in the 70's Parker in Newhaven had the Royal Warrant when they were still a UK independent company, but I could be wrong :blink: I think they had a picture of Her Maj using what looked like either a MKIII "51" or maybe a 61.

 

 

Jim

[*david*]

(Unfortunately for this discussion, it's entirely possible that HM doesn't mind what pen she uses, as long as it works properly.)

[Bradley]

Well, I finally saw The Queen -- an excellent movie, by the way -- and Her Majesty's pen figures prominently. There are a few scenes in which she twirls a capped pen -- appears to be steel and gold, or silver and gold; I could simply not see the pen long enough to tell what make or model, etc.

 

In another scene, in which Tony Blair phones the Queen at Balmoral to say that she might like to know her country is turning on her, she nervously fidgets with said pen, and then... the camera zooms in on the desk in front of her, and there are several of her pens all lined up!

 

I believe that the Queen rather enjoys pens. (I know this is a movie, but I've no doubt the producer must have been a stickler about these details.) I don't believe that she simply "makes due", for the Queen would have no patience with a poorly performing pen; Her Majesty's time is too valuable, after all. Also, in the documentary Elizabeth R, I remember one scene in which she is showing off Queen Victoria's diaries and makes a comment on her great-great grandmother's beautiful old-fashioned hand.

 

So, pooh-pooh my funny little thread no longer! And do be amused

[mike1]

Amusing comments.

[OldPott]

Don't forget the 23k gold plated Duofold presented to Her Maj in 2002 for the Jubilee;

 

She has number 001. I bet that's also slung in a drawer somewhere.

[johnr55]

I saw The Queen twice. The first time I saw the pen she was writing with but was too busy watching the movie. The second time I looked closer. It looked like some type of MB to me, having 'those' ends and what looked like a snowcap on the cap. When she's fiddling at her desk, what she had lined up was tougher for me, as I'm no expert.

[Bradley]

Thanks, John and OldPott. No, OldPott, I did not know about the Duofold presented to HM. And what a lovely photograph you included! I assume the pen was presented to HM from the Parker Pen Company itself? And John, I'm glad you know the scenes to which I referred. I wonder if they showed those old fountain pens lined up in front of her to make the point (so to speak) that she was stuck in the "old world"? I rather hope not .

[STU51]

Also I think that in the 70's Parker in Newhaven had the Royal Warrant when they were  still a UK independent company, but I could be wrong  :blink: 

By checking on royal warrant holders association I note that Parker do indeed hold a warrant from both Her Majesty and His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.

[JimStrutton]

Hey thanks for that link!

 

Jim

[Henry]

I can't make out the models either, but this is from the movie.

 

http://www.henrykwan.com/webpics/queenpens.jpg

[Bradley]

Thanks, Henry. (How did you do that?) It is the metal pen on the right that she seems to use most. Almost looks like a Parker Frontier.

[amadeus06]

well i dunt know what she uses in real life. But in the movie "The Queen" the actress protraying her uses a sterling silver montblanc throught out the movie, it's seems so often it appears she's making love to it, slightly sick. Somehow i cant see the queen using a montblanc but perhaps a parker she would