Kindness for the Queen

At first glance, I was a bit puzzled by the following note from Damian Bergen-Corby and his memories of the late "Queen Susan of Albania." A little research revealed that I did write a commentary about this shadowy woman who hailed from the verdant landscape of Australia, not the rugged terrain Albania.

This piece and the attendant obit appeared a year ago, in July 2004, on Rod McKuen's famous and venerable web site, "Flight
Plan." As homage to Queen Susan and to all obscure, displaced historical characters and, as Bob Dylan, wrote, "for every hung-up person in the whole, wide universe," I include it here. First, a little personal note from Damian Bergen-Corby.

"Back in the early 90's when I lived in Manhattan, I often dined at a restaurant called "Sam's Place", on E.33rd.St. Although it served Italian food, it was owned by a prominent Albanian family. The restaurant is quite popular with European royalty, and frequently Queen Susan dined there. Actually, she never really dined ... she more or less did work there. Pushing her salad aside, The Queen would fill out Visa applications, apartment applications, job applications -- you get the picture, for any number of rude, chain smoking Albanian exiles in NYC. Albanians are a fairly aggressive lot, but The Queen never seemed to
mind her work,even as her food got cold and wilted, and cigarette smoke engulfed her lovely, smiling face."

I know her life and title "Queen of Albania", does seem odd, but she was, by all accounts, a kind, generous and good humored women. I guess considering what a miserable job she had to perform, one would have to possess such traits ... just to get thru the day. I just wanted to say something kind, on behalf of my Albanian friends who loved her deeply; about a woman who has had too few kind words spoken about her - even in death
Dear Damian, The stories of exiled royalty in Manhattan always intrigued me. One of Charlie Chaplin's last films (the last he appeared in) was called "The King In New York." Our hero in the movie is, of course, an impoverished monarch of some obscure European principality, who's toppled by the inevitable populist vagaries of 20th century history.

To this day Americans remain obsessed with royalty, for some perverse reason. I confess I am no better on this account: I still keep my diamonds secretly sewn into my bodice in the event there is another assault on the throneMany thanks for the colorful reminiscence.
Best, Bellingham