This is a story that I heard years ago, and I have no reason to believe it isn’t true. Time for a Christmas story so let’s go.
It was about mid afternoon on Christmas Eve and mum asked her son Charlie if he’d like to go for a spin. Of course Charlie thought this was a splendid idea, but he must ask dad and he wasn’t quite sure. After much discussion and pleading of both granny and Charlie, dad gave his consent.
Granny’s personal Packard was brought around front and things were starting to get serious. What I haven’t told you was that Granny had a lust for speed. Fast cars and fast horses were her downfall. This car had been made especially for Granny and it had her name on gold plates inside both doors.
It had 285 screaming horses under the hood and Granny had been known to open it up.
But today was just going to be at leisurely drive out in the country and Granny had promised. What I haven’t told you was that it started snowing about noon and now there was about three inches on the ground and still snowing hard. But granny was a good driver and they were enjoying their drive out into the country.
When all of a sudden granny came upon a turn that she didn’t know and the car started sliding off the road. They slid down into a ditch, the car flipped over on his side, and Granny landed on top of Charlie. Now the only thing they could do was climb out, start walking, and look for a house. As they went they saw a house, but it was a good ways away.
When they got near the house it looked like someone was home and they were able to make it to the front door. Three ladies were preparing for Christmas Eve dinner, and the men were out feeding the animals. They would get a team of horses and have them out in a jiffy. They were quite surprised to find that their Christmas Eve visitors were the Queen of England and the heir to the throne Prince Charles.
You can imagine they had a grand time entertaining their visitors, and the men pulled the car out and brought it around. A simple call to the palace and they told them they would be a bit late but they would be back shortly. After a bit more visiting and reminiscing it was time to say goodbye.
That evening at the Christmas Eve celebration at the palace, Charles had something to tell them. After telling his story with great relish, and Prince Philip being scared of his wits, they all had a good laugh. This would be a Christmas Eve which they would never forget. And the people in a farmhouse in rural England would tell a story no one could believe and every Christmas Eve would reminisce about the time that Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles payed them a visit.
—James Neuhouser
