Celebrating the Diamond Jubilee Mallorcan Style
La Residencia Hotel & the Majorca Daily Bulletin host a Jubilee party
The Diamond Jubilee celebrations may be over in the UK, but here on Mallorca, we enjoyed a quintessential English garden party at La Residencia Hotel in Deia to mark the British monarch’s 60th year on the throne.
‘Pimms & croquet on the lawn?’ cried the Frenchman & James (our ‘Mallorcan Asset’) in unison, ‘bloody marvellous’. With the Frenchman deciding to switch allegiance for the day, their devotion to the empire was touching,
Sponsored by Mallorca’s daily English newspaper, the Majorca Daily Bulletin, yesterday's party was held on the hotel’s lawn, with the marvellous Tramuntana mountains as the back drop. With Pimms, strawberries & cream and bite sized sandwiches, it felt like a truly English affair – albeit with a scorchio sun and wonderful blue skies. Open to everyone, the majority of the party guests were Brits with homes on Mallorca. Each guest also received a 50% off voucher for a facial treatment in the hotel spa, making the Jubilee ticket price of €25 an absolute steal.
With a harpist strumming in the background on her harp laced with red, white & blue strings, we sipped our Pimms and admired the rather grand setting of La Residencia. It’s really got one of the most spectacular locations on Mallorca in the village of picture perfect Deia – mountains on one side and sea on the other. So beautiful is the setting that Deia has been a magnet for artists for generations. Indeed, the hotel has it’s own artist-in-residence, Alan Hydes. Renowned for his work as a portrait artist, since he came to Mallorca Alan has been inspired by the Mediterranean light to produce a new set of work. His latest exhibition is on show in his studio in Deia – you can take a look at some of his work on his website.
We had speeches from the (German) hotel manager, who embraced the occasion by wearing a red, white & blue tie, and gracefully acknowledging ‘our Queen’, and from the Majorca Daily Bulletin. There was also a reading from William Graves, son of the literary genius Robert Graves (who lived in Deia), and of course, a rendition of the National Anthem.
The good natured crowd joined in with the patriotic songs of Jerusalem, Rule Britannia, & Land of Hope and Glory, accompanied by the enthusiastic waving of the Union Jack flags. Last Night of the Proms, eat your heart out.
So not quite your normal British affair – the weather put paid to that thankfully – but it was lovely to have an opportunity to acknowledge the reign of Queen Elizabeth II in such glorious surroundings. Only another 10 years to go before the Platinum Jubilee. Long live the Queen!
