Her Majesty Elizabeth II: Pens and Feathers

I recently observed the fountain pen of Viktor Orbán, and now I'm looking at the pens of a similarly prominent person, Queen Elizabeth II. And Elizabeth II is known to favour the best of the best, whether it's the vast collection of sparkling gems, the simple sunglasses she often wears or the hundreds of magnificent hats she wears. Of course, her writing instruments are no exception. There must be at least as many pens as there are hats, with more and more beautiful writing instruments in the photos. Recently, an article appeared on 24.hu, referring to Yahoo, that the Queen refuses to use anything but Parker 51 pens, "The Queen has several Parker models, which she changes, but has stuck with the brand for nearly sixty years." Gliding on the wings of Pegasus, I gathered all the facts and asked the question, is this really true?

Her Majesty spends a lot of time with a fountain pen in her hand, from taking notes on the daily red boxes of state business to her personal correspondence. Against this background, she is likely to have strong opinions on the subject. The Parker 51 is said to be her favourite fountain pen, but unfortunately I have not been able to find any pictures of this pen. The picture below shows the red folder, but in her hand is a Pelikan ballpoint pen. The picture was taken in a personal environment, so it is one of her own pens.

According to the British press, in 1962 the Queen gave Parker a royal warrant welcoming the company as "the official stationery supplier to the Royal Household". Prince Charles later gave Parker his own royal warrant in 1990 - whatever that means. But there is little sign of this. Here is an earlier picture of a Cartier Diabolo.

It is certain that if Her Majesty uses a Parker 51 pen, she does so only in places where there are no photographers. In posed photographs taken at home, Pelikan tends to dominate. On other occasions (for example, when signing a guest book) she uses whatever pen is put in front of her (Parker was never put in front of her). Anyway, the Parker company could have shown off at least one photograph of the Queen holding a Parker 51—or any Parker pen, but I could not find such a photo. Here is a posed photograph, and in front of the Queen is a German "ceremonial" pen, a Pelikan M800. What kind of Parker brand loyalty is it to put a Pelikan pen in a celebratory picture?

Here is a picture of her using another classic German brand, a Montblanc 146 fountain pen, although it could have been placed in her hand.

I have found only one pen online that the Queen is shown using on two separate occasions. She probably carries this fountain pen in her handbag with her on a regular basis. However, I have not been able to identify the brand or type of this pen. It is certainly not a Parker 51. This is how a pen should be held, as it was taught in the old days. I'll tell you about the pen grip next time!

I have given Elizabeth II the opportunity to clarify the issues raised. I must have embarrassed the Queen with my letter, as I have not received a reply (yet) and my phone has not rung yet.

UPDATE!
REPLY LETTER RECEIVED FROM BUCKINGHAM PALACE!

Unfortunately, the Queen has not managed to dispel all my doubts.

 Tamas Szucs / 2021. 07.