One day you talk to the best statesmen in the world, the next day you talk to the chief of a remote station somewhere in England. Most people, in one case or another (depending on whether you are more interested in politics or the railways), despite their best efforts, would casually show their disinterest or boredom.
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She never, ever talked about herself. She never complained about anything. She always focused on the other person and she lectured as if she really cared about my answers.
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Not so Queen Elizabeth II. “He’s the best conversationalist,” James Rosebush, a former senior White House official during the Reagan presidency, told Business Insider years ago.
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In the interview, he describes how he once gave her a computer as a gift. “What do you think of the growing use of computers?” snapped the Queen. At dinner she was again very interested in what Rosebush was drinking.
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“It could be anything. Trivial or important. But he was always focused on me, like I was the important one,” Rosebush said. “She has never, ever talked about herself. She never complained about anything. She has always focused on the other person and she has lectured as if she is really interested in my answers, “she added.
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To this she was able to add her dry British sense of humor. When the Canadian Prime Minister reminded her that she was the 12th Prime Minister in her administration prior to the start of her speech, she said curtly, “Thank you for reminding me how old I am.”
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He used a saber again during the cake cutting ceremony for his recent jubilee on the throne. After being politely informed that she also had a knife available, she retorted with borderline irritation. “I know there is. But it’s more interesting this way.”
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However, not all meetings were always to his liking and he was not always in the mood to continue the conversation. Therefore, he had arranged subtle signals with his people using his bag position. When he passed it from hand to hand, it was a signal that he wanted to end the conversation. In that case, someone rushed in and took the queen away for other tasks.
QUIZ: How well did you know Queen Elizabeth II of England?
Cocktail
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However, regardless of whether the queen liked the conversation or not, the vast majority of people thought she was a charming and curious woman. After all, even according to Elizabeth II. this was one of her real duties of hers. And she accepted it with honor and grace.
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