Royal repast and respect

In this diamond jubilee year of the Queen’s coronation, several Zoroastrians were able to interact with the royalty. On March 29 when the Queen and Prince Philip lunched with local dignitaries at Walthamstow Town Hall, the meal was prepared by celebrity chef Cyrus Todi­wala of Café Spice Namaste. He offered them a fusion dish, The Country Captain, an Indian version of the British classic, Shepherd’s Pie, followed by clotted cream bread and butter pudding.
The 13,000 guests at the Queen’s Jubilee Picnic on June 4 were each presented with an individual hamper donated by the supermarket Waitrose containing a menu designed by Heston Blumenthal, the renowned chef. As well as being given archetypally British dishes such as country garden soup, salmon smoked in Lapsang Souchong tea, Sandringham strawberry crumble crunch and Diamond Jubilee chicken or mushroom parfait, guests could choose to drink either Moet & Chandon Champagne or Cobra beer, reported The Telegraph of April 18.

Clockwise from above: Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at the diamond jubilee celebrations; flotilla pageant; Paurushasp Jila and Malcolm Deboo attend the Thanksgiving Service at St Paul’s Cathedral; (below) Cobra beer served at the Queen’s Picnic

The tabloid quoted Cobra founder Lord Karan Bilimoria as stating, "Cobra has existed for just over one-third of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, and in that time it has become a household name. Given Cobra’s Indian heritage, we feel our presence at these celebrations also serves to represent the Commonwealth, an institution which we know Her Majesty values greatly… We know that this will bring a great deal of pride not just to the UK’s 2.5 million-strong Asian community, but also to the 1.2 billion people in India…” Of the 13,000 picnickers attending the London event, 10,000 were chosen from a public ballot. The Picnic was followed by a rock concert in the Palace grounds where Sir Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder performed.
On the same day, in his role as Deputy Lieutenant, Bilimoria was privileged to receive Princes William and Harry and Lady Kate during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee flotilla pageant.
The next day, president and vice president of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe Malcolm Deboo and Paurushasp Jila were invited to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral. According to them, the weekend festivities "brought the country together in celebration of the outstanding contribution which Her Majesty has made in selfless service to the community.” This event was followed by a reception at Guildhall where they met the Earl and Countess of Wessex who remembered visiting the Zoroastrian Centre 10 years ago on the Queen’s golden jubilee and conveyed their good wishes for Prince Philip’s recovery.
Interestingly at the Royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, Shireen Fraser (née Patel) was also present at the ceremony as her husband Simon is currently the permanent under-secretary of state and head of the diplomatic service responsible for the management of the Foreign and Commonwealth office in London.