British civil servant

Reporters from major British newspapers were already waiting outside the church, preparing to broadcast the coronation ceremony in real time, letting people all over the world know that the Elizabethan era was coming.

The weather was not perfect, and it was raining heavily in London. Outside Westminster Abbey, many officials from Whitehall whispered under umbrellas, but the sudden rain did not disturb the coronation ceremony for even a second. so it is.

British citizens living outside London watched the entire coronation on television.

The Archbishop of Canterbury crowns Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey.The ceremony dates back centuries and showcases all the pomp and pomp of the greatest royal celebrations.

All the royal paraphernalia such as Crown Orbs, Sceptres, Holy Oils and St. Edward's Great Crown are displayed in front of the audience.The new queen had fully rehearsed in advance and appeared dignified and generous in the ceremony.

Queen Elizabeth's coronation gown was sewn in gold and colored silk thread, embellished with diamonds, crystals, pearls, amethysts and rose gemstones, and it took six embroiderers [-] hours to complete.The gown also featured motifs from across the UK and the Commonwealth: Canadian maple leaf, Pakistani ear of wheat, South African lotus, English rose, Welsh leek, Scottish thistle and Irish shamrock.

The Queen's husband, Prince Philip, in front of all witnesses, pledged his allegiance to the Queen's wife.Inside Westminster Abbey, countless luxuriously dressed nobles, along with Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, pledged their allegiance to the crowned queen.The Duke of Edinburgh stood beside the Queen, the first member of the royal family to pledge his allegiance to her.

Outside the church, under a field of umbrella flowers, there was another scene. The officials of Whitehall conducted an open-air office.

Overseas commissioners with umbrellas around Alan Wilson also talked about their work.

"The momentum of Farouk I's coming to London this time has attracted the attention of the whole of Egypt. He wants to talk to the cabinet about the Suez Canal issue."

"The situation on the Gold Coast is generally stable, and we have reached an understanding with the new leaders of the independence movement. But buying them is a big price."

"Soldiers, especially officers who participated in the world wars, have always been the key targets of the colonies. For example, the local officer class in Nigeria has at least reached an understanding with the colonial government."

"We all hinted at the right time to put the country in the hands of trusted and reliable people."

Burke Trend was on the opposite side of these overseas commissioners. Looking at Alan Wilson who was surrounded by them, he felt a strange feeling in his heart, but then he couldn't help laughing, sighing secretly that he thought too much.

When the Archbishop of Canterbury hoisted the St. Edward's Crown high in the air and then lowered it to fit on the head of Her Majesty the Queen, there was a uniform cheer from all over London and even the whole of England.

In this crowded and economically strained island nation, people are always feeling sorry for themselves, complaining about politicians, the weather, prices, and foreigners, and they need something or someone to make them proud to be British.

The words echoed across Westminster as Elizabeth sat on the throne where Edward I once sat, holding a crystal ball and scepter, and answered the Archbishop's question with "I do" about her willingness to take on the burden and make the sacrifice The church, spread across the streets and across the sea, everyone believed in it.

It unites the British people.Everyone stared intently at the slender and elegant black-haired woman in the center of the picture.

Queen Elizabeth, who was wearing a heavy dress, walked out of the church slowly at this time. The crowd outside the church was immediately silent. The Whitehall officials outside the church all put away their umbrellas, and the tips of the umbrellas touched the ground, as if they were wearing long hair. A knight of the sword, to show his loyalty to the queen.

Queen Elizabeth nodded slightly, and got into the golden carriage.The carriage drove towards the cheering crowd.Thousands of soldiers in neat uniforms, some on horseback, some on foot, and their team marched for several hours.A quarter of Londoners braved the rain just to witness this scene, enjoying every minute of it.

Seeing the enthusiastic people on both sides of the road who came to watch in the rain, President Xi Jinping still smiled and waved to the people along the way.

Off the Thames River, a huge ship review ceremony has been launched under the auspices of General Mountbatten. There are also formations of aircraft flying low in the sky. The Royal Navy fleet is celebrating the arrival of the Elizabethan era in its own way.

Chapter 714 Mountbatten and Ridgway

After the coronation, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip waved to the cheering crowd.

As the night wore on, the Queen appeared in public with her mother, husband and two children.Later, Elizabeth turned on the switch, the lights lit up the ancient city, and the fountain in Trafalgar Square glowed with strange brilliance.People once again strongly felt the feeling of being a family of all people,

The rest of the time belongs to individuals. When British citizens talk about the coronation ceremony during the day, Buckingham Palace invites celebrities and elites from various industries to come here to attend the meeting of the royal family.

On such a rare occasion, the queen and his wife only showed one side, but it was enough to show the importance the royal family attaches to all walks of life. Alan Wilson looked at his sister-in-law vigilantly.

Here he has two purposes, because Vivien Leigh also came as a representative of the showbiz, which is actually not a big problem.The problem is that the invitation list also includes her ex-husband Laurence Olivier, as well as Vivien Leigh, the representative of British actresses Greer Garson, Greer Garson's entry into the showbiz, Laurence Oliver.

Although not worried about what happened under the audience in the hall, Alan Wilson couldn't help staring at the situation over there.

In the end, he squeezed past with his wife and introduced to Pamela Mountbatten, "Ms. Vivien Leigh helped the Governor's Mansion a lot when she was in British India. She used her kindness and love to resolve the Hinduism. The government has a lot of hatred."

"I've heard of it!" Pamela Mountbatten said obediently to Vivien Leigh with a look of admiration, "Member Churchill said that you are the national treasure of the British Empire. This appearance is really enviable."

"Not everyone is envious." Vivien Leigh's eyes sparkled, and she glanced non-stop at the faces of Pamela Mountbatten and Alan Wilson. She knew why this man came here. It was because her ex-husband was here this.

Jealousy and possessiveness are both right. Vivien Leigh did not reject this feeling, and greeted her with a smile. The threesome directly turned into a group of five, and the chat was extremely enjoyable.

"It's hard to imagine that Greer Garson is still so young." After the Buckingham Palace session ended, Pamela Mountbatten drove home and yelled at the co-pilot's husband.

"Indeed, it's amazing. There is a kind of person in this world, even when he is old, he can still see the beauty of his youth." Alan Wilson nodded in agreement with his wife.

Of course, it's not like he hasn't seen similar people before. Greta Garbo is the same type as Greer Garson.In the silent film era, when you are in your early twenties, you can play roles in your 40s and [-]s.Now that we have really reached the age at which most women are old, there is not much change.

The difference is that at this age, the face of this kind of woman will become more fierce and less soft than when she was young. Alan Wilson thinks that this may be the difference between being natural and not having a knife.

"If it wasn't for Greer Garson who is 20 years older than you, I really doubt that my husband would not be able to hold on." Pamela Mountbatten joked.

"No!" Alan Wilson was categorical, and he was really embarrassed to say that as long as he is beautiful enough, age is not a problem at all.Greta Garbo didn't let him go.

It's just that it's not like when he was in British India, he couldn't walk when he saw a beautiful woman.When I saw the first Great Britain Treasure this time, I just admired that a person who is almost fifty can still be in such a state.

At this time, the Comet airliner on the given route has already transported the video of the coronation ceremony and ship review during the day to various countries for broadcasting, so as to promote Britain's entry into the Elizabethan era.

"By the Grace of God Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and other territories and dependencies, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Anglican Church ****." Will be Head of the British Empire at this time!

If it wasn't for something, Alan Wilson would definitely have an in-depth communication with Vivien Leigh the next day.But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does have something to do. The problem lies in one of the visiting heads of state, King Farouk I of Egypt.

Before leaving Cairo, Farouk I said that without a real solution, he would live in London.Regardless of whether this statement is hypocritical or not, it really moved the Egyptian people, and they were eagerly waiting for the good news.

All the cruel words have been released. With the Suez Canal's important position to the United Kingdom, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now facing an enemy.

Prime Minister Attlee's lifelong enemy in the party, the current Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary Herbert Morrison, is helpless against this menacing king.

As early as before World War II, among the top two colonial protectorates in the hands of the United Kingdom, British India and Egypt ranked the top two. Today, in [-], British India has become independent, and the independence of British India is now It has been proved that there are no substitutes, and British Malaya has taken on part of the functions.

But Egypt is not easy to replace. The Suez Canal alone cannot be replaced. If the Suez Canal is lost, not only Britain itself will have problems, but Britain’s influence on Europe will also be greatly reduced. European countries need the Suez Canal. This canal It is not dedicated to serving the United Kingdom itself.

In the eyes of other countries, especially the United States and the Soviet Union, Farouk I, who came to London with a purpose, will be the first important test after Queen Elizabeth's coronation.

Allen Wilson can think of it. It is estimated that these two countries have the mentality of watching a joke, and it depends on how the UK handles this matter.

Arriving at Whitehall, Alan Wilson met Sir Ismay, Permanent Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and then the two went to meet Herbert Morrison, the Foreign Secretary. Alan Wilson took the initiative to say, "Let me receive His Majesty Farouk Well, I met him a few times, and I stayed in Cairo for a few days when I visited the African colonies, so I have a certain personal relationship."

"Are you sure?" Herbert Morrison and Sir Ismay looked at Alan Wilson anxiously.

This kind of gaze gave Alan Wilson a sense of seeing the rise and fall of the empire here, and he replied after a while, "It's too early to say these things now, Ridgway is now negotiating with General Mountbatten, I think General Ridgway Return to Paris, where we communicate with Farouk I about the canal issue."

If he could not communicate with King Farouk I, no one in the whole of Britain would be able to do this. He also contributed to the eradication of Nasser's Free Officers Organization.

General Mountbatten was talking to Ridgway about rearming Germany and Italy, and he wanted to give his father-in-law time.The NATO commander-in-chief is always uncomfortable in London.

The first is to arrange receptions, excursions, operas, and visits. Once this set is settled, Ridgway should have already left. At that time, we will start formal negotiations and come up with a solution that is acceptable to both parties.

After the consent of the two giants of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Herbert Morrison and Sir Ismay, he took the itinerary to the hotel where Farouk I stayed. Since the King of Egypt is a decent person, he will give him A decent itinerary that is definitely arranged out of respect for the monarch of a country.

At the same time, the meeting this time is also to check the script, ask about the real situation in Egypt, and unilaterally clarify the bottom line of Egypt.

"Your Majesty the King, you are welcome to arrive in London with the hopes of all the Egyptians. The whole of Britain is very happy about your arrival. You have seen the ship review with your own eyes." Alan Wilson said with great respect to the just Farouk I came out to say hello, and at the same time handed over the other party's itinerary.

Farouk I took the list and looked at it very carefully, which made Alan Wilson swear in his heart. Could it be that he was not satisfied?Is the Golden Falls missing?

"Commissioner Wilson, we are old acquaintances, please sit down." Farouk I accepted the itinerary and motioned Alan Wilson to sit down, and the two discussed their visit to the UK with a full audience.

Almost at the same time, General Mountbatten, the commander of the Mediterranean Fleet of the British Empire, who was steadily moving towards the First Sea Lord, also communicated with the current NATO commander-in-chief, Ridgway, on a major issue.

Ridgway is the commander-in-chief of NATO, yes, but Mountbatten's connections during the war played a role, he is the commander-in-chief, yes, Eisenhower is the president, and Mountbatten's relationship with Washington has never been a problem because there are many military leaders there It was his old comrade-in-arms and old friend during the war.

NATO also has such a U.S. general. Curtis LeMay, who burned Tokyo, has a good relationship with General Mountbatten. Even Admiral Hyman Rickover, a researcher of American nuclear submarines, is also a friend of Mountbatten.

"Mark, in fact, it is very difficult for the UK to maintain its current strength. The most embarrassing thing is that even if it maintains its current strength, it is still at a disadvantage against the Soviet Union."

General Mountbatten called Ridgway by his nickname, "In fact, both Ike and I have an idea, that is, Germany and Italy should be properly armed, just like what you did in Japan, to help Japan establish basic self-defense forces, nothing They all rely on the United States one-sidedly, don’t they?”

Mountbatten learned from his son-in-law that Ridgway contributed a lot to the emergence of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, as well as the training of the South Korean army. From this perspective, he explained the importance of Germany and Italy on the European side.

The problem now is actually very simple. After all, the United States is separated by an Atlantic Ocean. Together, the United Kingdom and France can stabilize their own security. As for the containment of the Soviet Union, there is absolutely not enough energy.

If Germany and Italy are added, NATO has the advantage over the Soviet bloc in terms of manpower.

"If Britain is really so sincere, I would like to communicate about it." Li Qiwei was overjoyed. In fact, this was also the idea of ​​the United States, but he didn't know that high-end hunters often appeared as prey, and Mountbatten was such a military general.

Chapter 715 Farouk's Approval

If you are facing the current US President Eisenhower who should be the first NATO commander-in-chief, Mountbatten's careful thinking will be seen through in an instant. Both of them are political soldiers. would be easily spotted by Eisenhower.

As far as arming Germany and Italy alone is concerned, Britain is undoubtedly once again in a position that France does not want to accept.

Of course, this is not new. After World War I, due to the continental balance of power policy, the United Kingdom made various difficulties and restrained France at the Versailles Conference. For example, when France wanted to establish a Rhine Republic and dismember Germany to dominate Europe, Britain strongly opposed it!

At that time, in order to curb France's post-war hegemony, Britain once disgusted France, and it seemed nothing to make the French unhappy again this time.

But there are also differences. At that time, Britain's hegemony was unstable, but the hegemony was still in the hands of Britain. Britain not only disgusted France, but also disgusted the United States.

But now that the United States is in the position of Britain at that time, of course Britain cannot come forward to offend the French by itself.It is reasonable for the United States to speak up about arming Germany and Italy, and Britain has no reason to offend the French.

The ebb and flow of national power has forced Britain to no longer regard itself as the arbiter, even though France's international status is not as good as it was after World War I, and it is easier to be manipulated.

From a more perspective, Mountbatten explained that Britain has recognized the status of the United States as the world's hegemon.At present, the UK pays more attention to the pursuit of domestic happiness as much as possible. Simply put, it is to admit that the era when the sun never sets has passed.

"Britain has only 5000 million people. The population of France is even smaller than that of the United Kingdom. Belgium and the Netherlands are counted together. They can't mobilize many troops to confront the Soviet Union. London understands the important role of the United States in European security. It's just that the Korean War involved the United States. This is why London has always firmly opposed the US involvement in the Korean War and hopes that the war will end sooner.”

In fact, according to Mountbatten's own style, he will solve problems more from the perspective of personal connections.But he has a son-in-law, and the son-in-law's favorite saying is that data will not lie.

Of course data can deceive people, but when data deceives people, it is easier to be shaped into objective reality.So once it is used with ulterior motives, the destructive power will be even greater.

Li Qiwei is no stranger to rearmment. Before he came to Europe in this time and space, he took care of the generals established by the Japanese Self-Defense Force. It can be said that he has done similar things once.

It is now obvious that the situation on the European side is even more serious. After all, the Soviet heavy army group on the European side is not comparable to the second-line troops in the Far East.

Washington has long had the idea of ​​rearming Germany and Italy. After all, how can the previous losers pose as much threat as the current Soviet Union?Now that the United Kingdom is at least the default attitude is the best.

Ridgway, who has already received the goodwill from the UK, is satisfied with this trip to London and is very willing to go there.

NATO Commander-in-Chief Li Qiwei's statement almost made Mountbatten evaluate it as reliable. He did not say the reliable evaluation, but he also praised the United States' efforts to maintain world peace with a very grateful attitude.

Convincing Mountbatten of Ridgway, the main core argument is that the era of the sun never setting has passed, and Britain has accepted it.

But on another occasion, it was the opposite. When Alan Wilson faced Farouk I, he emphasized that the era of the empire on which the sun never sets has not passed, although it was not so obvious.

The purpose of Alan Wilson’s communication with the King of Egypt was to conduct country-to-country communication without interference from foreign forces. This is nothing new. Powerful and weak countries like to communicate in this way. much easier.

In order for the United States not to deal with the United Kingdom in the same way, the United Kingdom must firmly grasp the interests of the European Community.

After completing their own work, Alan Wilson asked his wife to invite the Mountbatten couple to their home for dinner. After the meal was full, the woman cleaned up the tableware, and the two men discussed their respective work today.

"In fact, rearming Germany and Italy is good for Britain. In the future visible to the naked eye, the troops stationed in Germany will never leave. Germany is destined to be a country that cannot escape control. Even if it is rearmed, there will be no war again. capabilities.” Alan Wilson changed the subject when he said this, “If the heavy burden of fighting against the Soviet Union relied solely on Britain and France, the country’s military expenditures would remain high, and even if huge military expenditures were used, they would only be able to maintain the current weaponry."

"Normal replacement will still be affected. The Royal Navy is considered the least affected service. The characteristics of the Navy determine that whether it is catching up or changing step by step, it will be a long process."

"If Germany and Italy are rearmed earlier, we can invest military spending where it is needed more. Germany's population is more than that of the United Kingdom, and Italy's population is also larger than that of France. Increase the armies of these two countries. The pressure on Europe will be greatly reduced. In this way, our military expenditure will have room for optimization.”

Alan Wilson is not lying. The population of Italy is 300 million more than that of France, and the population of the Federal Republic of Germany is also slightly larger than that of Italy. This has been established that the Soviet-occupied area has blocked the trend of population flight to a certain extent.

"It's like the naval treaty signed by Prime Minister Chamberlain and Hitler after World War I? It partially recognized Germany's rearmament to fight against the Soviet Union?" General Mountbatten tilted his head and asked, "Is that what you mean?"

"Yes or no, this example is open to discussion. The Allied forces stationed in Germany will not allow Hitler to repeat itself." Mountbatten had no scruples, and almost made the good son-in-law unable to pick him up.

Although the steps and goals are similar, the environment has changed drastically. Chamberlain could not control Hitler at the beginning, but it does not mean that the current Anglo-American law cannot control half of Germany.

But Mountbatten also agreed that the rearmament of Germany and Italy allowed for more leeway in military spending.

As long as the possibility of naval change can be preserved, he doesn't care whether the two countries are rearming.

Li Qiwei is really willing to copy what he did in Japan from Europe.

After returning to NATO headquarters in Paris, he quickly got in touch with Washington, full of enthusiasm for rearming Germany and Italy.

Faced with Washington's doubts, Li Qiwei said that the difficulty lies in France, but as long as the UK does not speak out, it is still very easy to make France acquiesce in reality.

When Li Qiwei communicated with Washington with full confidence, he didn't know that at this moment in London, where he had just left, there was a promising Whitehall official. In fact, he was more willing to acquiesce in the reality of France's future withdrawal from NATO.

In London in June, when the climate is relatively good, there is a faint sound of joy in a clean and tidy room, and the clothes are scattered all over the floor. After a long time, the entanglement between men and women is over, and they hug each other tightly.

"That day at Buckingham Palace, I felt very uncomfortable. I was afraid that something would happen to you and your ex-husband." Alan Wilson held the smaller body of the Great Britain Treasure without letting go. The national treasure kissed him on the forehead.

"What ex-husband!" Vivien Li heard this nondescript word, and the man gave a blank look and sighed, "I thought you had a young Audrey, and you had already forgotten about Vivian."

"How is this possible!" Alan Wilson rubbed his hand back and forth on the smooth back, expressing the loyalty of the Great Britain Treasure, "I am willing to take care of you for the rest of my life, and it is any man's dream to have you."

"It depends on how many dreams you have!" Vivien Leigh took the initiative to ask for a kiss, and after a long debate, she said, "Anyway, we have a child, so you can't stop loving me in the future."

"No, absolutely not." Alan Wilson hugged Vivien Leigh tightly, as if he wanted to embed the national treasure in his body.

"I'll be with you when I finish participating in the Oscars this time." Vivien Leigh rubbed her arms in the man's arms full of attachment and whispered, "Now the competition is very fierce, and it is also difficult for me to compete with those young actresses." I can’t do what I want. Now a young American actor named Marilyn Monroe is gaining momentum.”

"She's not as good as you!" Alan Wilson's tone was decisive enough, not to comfort Vivien Leigh, that's what he thought in his heart.

The actor Marilyn Monroe, Alan Wilson didn't say that he was packaged, but compared with his current ladies who have the status of wives, he is still a little worse.

There is some sympathy, because Marilyn Monroe was a textile worker before becoming an actor, so the three views are actually very positive, and she has her own views on the so-called free world to contain the evil Soviet camp.

But that's all, he has no reason to help this lady, unless the help can benefit Britain.

Ridgway has already left London, and Alan Wilson has finally officially started negotiations with King Farouk I of Egypt on the Suez Canal issue. Of course he can do this. Who made him the deputy secretary-general of the Overseas Assets Management Committee.

"Dear King, if you want to create an impression of not being afraid of power, it is best to stay in London for a while. This will help some unstable factors emerge when you are not in Egypt. And from the perspective of the overall situation, this can Create a personal image of His Majesty the King breaking into the tiger's den alone because of fighting for the rights and interests of the Suez Canal."