Today I need to celebrate the Britons’ penchant for polysyllabic eloquence. From the Royal Ascot brochure: “Mrs. Gertrude Shilling was undeniably the premier indefatigable sartorial dame of Ascot.” I don’t know who she is, but I hope that is on her tombstone. Or, if she’s alive, her welcome mat.
You should read the whole anecdote though:
Mrs. Gertrude Shilling was undeniably the premier indefatigable sartorial dame of Ascot (nicknamed The Ascot Mascot), but she has met with competition from all over the world, including in 1976 when Australia’s Dame Edna Everage, alias Barry Humphries, attended with a four foot Sydney Opera House perched on “her” head. […] Royal Ascot is as much an institution in Australia as at home these days, but back then Dame Edna said to the
assembled press that she: “wasn’t aware it was a racing event until the other day. I always thought it was an exhibition of gas water heaters!”
In other news, I love Dame Edna.
In other other news: hats.
[Photos: Getty]
