An Unlikely American Friend

When Richard Nixon appointed his friend Walter Annenberg Ambassador to the Court of St. James's in 1969, the choice was greeted with derision by much of the British press. The wealthy Annenberg, then publisher of TV Guide, the Daily Racing Form and two Philadelphia newspapers, knew nothing of statecraft. When he first met Queen Elizabeth II, he replied to her polite question about where he was living with his simulation of politesse: "We're in the embassy residence, subject, of course, to some of the discomfiture as a result of a need for, uh, elements of refurbishment and rehabilitation." One of the few Britons who did not join in the unkind laughter was the Queen. She went out of her way to get to know Annenberg better, and was so impressed that in 1976 she made him an honorary knight. That odd affinity between the prim and discreet Queen and the rough-hewn millionaire partly explains why she accepted his invitation to join him for lunch last week at his desert estate near Palm Springs. Another probable reason was royal curiosity about the estate itself. "So many members of her family and friends have visited Sunnylands and told her so much about it," Annenberg explained.

In Annenberg's "Room of Memories," the Queen shares wall space with mementos of her host's acquaintance with world figures. The Christmas cards that Annenberg has received annually from the Queen Mother since 1972 are on the wall. So, too, is a copy of his condolence letter, and Queen Elizabeth's reply, after her cousin Lord Mountbatten was killed by Irish terrorists in 1979.

Annenberg's wealth does not seem entirely inconsequential to his unusual relationship with the Queen. In his 5 1/2 years as ambassador, he contributed lavishly to favored royal causes like the restoration of St. Paul's Cathedral. He also published, and sold at cost, a luxurious volume on Westminster Abbey.

Still, the Queen of England and the king of the Palm Springs desert would seem to have so little in common that even a member of the royal entourage seemed puzzled. Said he: "There are other ways the Queen could have spent her Sunday. One must assume some element of friendship between the two." Annenberg is reluctant to discuss their relationship. "One has to be terribly careful," he said last week, "or the iron curtain will fall around you just like that." This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.