In the garden of Buckingham Palace sits a large circular glassed-in gazebo. It is home to Her Majesty's collection of souvenirs from a lifetime of world travels. Regularly, the Queen visits the building to inspect the state of her collection - most of the items gifts from flag-waving children in the far reaches of the Commonwealth. A particular favorite, a gift from the Inuit students at an elementary school in Nunavit, is a round hand-hooked rug, its central design the geometric maple-leaf logo from Canada's centennial in 1967. She often will let the corgis roll around on it, while she contemplates the turning of time.
© BILL BLAIR 2011
