Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
I talk to her as if she were my Aunt Liz
Henry Winkler received the royal treatment during a recent visit to the UK.
The “Barry” actor, 78, was present at this year’s Royal Ascot in England, where he had a private conversation with Queen Camilla, 77.
“We were invited to Ascot, the royal races,” Winkler told People. “You heard about [Ascot] in ‘My Fair Lady,’ you hear about it all through history, and we were invited.”
The “Happy Days” legend donned a top hat and tails, mandatory for guests in Ascot’s Royal Enclosure.
The week of races at England’s Ascot racecourse is a key event attended by the royal family in June each year. Winkler recalled King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s grand entrance arriving “in an open carriage pulled by these incredible horses” on June 22, the fifth day of this year’s races.
But the excitement didn’t end there. Winkler enjoyed a “three-course lunch” and received an unexpected summons from Queen Camilla.
“Then all of a sudden, a rumor or a buzz goes through the room,” Winkler said. “‘The Queen wants to meet Henry,’” he remembered hearing.
“So we walk down onto the paddock, onto the green, and all of a sudden these 12 men in forest green cutaways march out,” he said. “She comes in white in the middle of them and walks up. I tip my hat, and I talk to her like she was my Aunt Liz.”
During their chat, Winkler noted, “There is no disconnect. There’s no royalty. There is just this lovely woman who knows about my children’s books, the ‘Detective Duck’ series.”
Winkler authored the first of his two “Detective Duck” books in 2023. The series follows Willow Feathers McBeaver, aka Detective Duck, a precocious young duck who solves mysteries stemming from human-induced environmental issues like water pollution, garbage, climate change, and human encroachment.
Winkler was in England for the Royal Ascot while promoting his 2023 memoir, “Being Henry.”
The Queen’s interest in Winkler’s work as a children’s book author aligns with her well-known advocacy for literacy. According to The Royal Family’s official website, Queen Camilla is described as “an avid reader” and is a patron of several UK organizations that promote and support literacy. Her affiliations include the National Literacy Trust, Book Trust, First Story, the Wicked Young Writer Awards, and Beanstalk.
The Queen also founded a community space and book club called “The Queen’s Reading Room.” Initially launched as “The Duchess of Cornwall’s Reading Room,” it was renamed after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II to reflect Camilla’s new title.
Source: People, The Royal Family
