Contracting a nasty stomach bug is par for the course when visiting new places but Queen Elizabeth II has developed a simple formula to stay well when abroad, a British lawmaker revealed .
“I once asked a courtier how she did it. To which I received the characteristic reply: 'By not eating salads, shellfish and watermelon while travelling',” Peter Tapsell told the House of Commons.
He was speaking during a discussion about the queen's diamond jubilee this year, during which Prime Minister David Cameron paid tribute to the monarch's “unerring grace, dignity and decency” over the course of her 60-year reign.
Cameron said she performed her duty whatever it required, saying: “We know there are highlights in the royal calendar, like handing medals to our brave troops, or the Royal Windsor horse show.
“And then there are things that are more of a chore, like spending New Year's Eve in the Millennium Dome”, the controversial London exhibition centre created to mark the year 2000.
The project was widely derided as a waste of money, although the distinctive building has since been turned into a successful entertainments venue.
While the vast majority of lawmakers paid rich tribute to their queen during the parliamentary discussion, opposition Labour MP Paul Flynn complained about House of Commons rules which prohibit criticism of the royals.
“If, in the future, a monarch or a relative of the monarch should stray from the paths of sainthood and perfection, it's impossible for a member in this house to be critical of that person,” Flynn said.
“That is not sensible and we should be allowed, if that circumstance should arise, to talk freely if criticism is necessary.”
Members of the royal family are touring the globe to mark the queen's jubilee, while there will be four days of celebratory events in Britain in early June. - Sapa-AFP