SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Queen Elizabeth was a world traveler, and as we remember her legacy, we are reminded about the time she visited Sacramento.
In 1983, her majesty visited the state Capitol and took a tour of Sutter’s Fort. When she arrived, the Queen and Prince Phillip were escorted down the street by a band of historical characters, according to State Parks Interpreter and Sutter’s Fort curator Nancy Jenner.
“Apparently, Queen Elizabeth specifically asked to visit Sutter’s Fort. She was a big history buff,” Jenner said.
Not wanting to disappoint, California State Parks rolled out the red carpet. Escorting the Queen and Prince Phillip were the Kit Carson Mountain Men, one of the many volunteers dressed in period clothes. They wanted to take the Queen back to time when John Sutter lived here, but they only had a short time to do it.
“It was very tightly scheduled. She was here for just 25 minutes,” Jenner said.
The Queen had a lunch date at the Capitol, so she got a crash course in California history.
“She didn’t say a lot but indicated by her expression that she was interested. Prince Phillip, on the other hand, asked a lot of questions and even gave some advice to the men shoeing horses,” Jenner said.
Even though her trip was short, the queen's visit left a lasting impression on the people of Sacramento.
If you want to pay your respects to the queen, you can come down to Sutter’s Fort and take a tour. They have a photo album full of images chronicling her visit to Sutter’s Fort.
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