When the touchy-feely Shah of Persia （機の）カム to visit Queen Victoria - and barbecued lamb dinners on the Palace carpet. (But they became good friends, all the same!)

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公式訪問s to Britain have followed more or いっそう少なく the same pattern for 井戸／弁護士席 over a century.

Take last November’s visit by the 大統領 of South Korea. If a genie had magicked up George V and Queen Mary for the day, they would have recognised all the 構成要素s from the 公式の／役人 arrival in London, the carriage 行列, the 提起する／ポーズをとるd photos, the 交流 of gifts and the 明言する／公表する 祝宴.

It wasn’t always like that. Things went a bit awry during the 40 years of Queen Victoria’s widowhood. 

The queen 辞退するd to 参加する all, but the 明らかにする 最小限 of public events and it was left to the Prince of むちの跡s or other 王室のs to show 歓待. 

長，率いるs of 明言する／公表する still stayed at Buckingham Palace which, with no owner on 場所／位置, became a glorified Airbnb for the duration. 

ーするために 会合，会う Victoria, they had to 跡をつける her 負かす／撃墜する to which other mansion she was 穴を開けるd up in at the time ? Windsor if they were lucky, but さもなければ Osborne House on the 小島 of Wight or Balmoral 城 in the Highlands.

One of the most memorable ones was the 1873 visit of the lascivious, ill-mannered, and chronically unpunctual Shah Naser al-Din Shah Qajar of Persia who, for some peculiar 推論する／理由 ended up hitting it off with the formidable queen. 

To her 予期しない delight he turned out to be very touchy-feely, kissing her 手渡すs at every 適切な時期 and had a fascination with the 脚-明らかにする／漏らすing kilts worn by her sons.

The visit （機の）カム about at the suggestion of the 現職の 総理大臣, William Gladstone. Then, as now, the visit was designed to 支える relations between two very distant nations.

The Shah had already spent several weeks 小旅行するing Russia, Germany and Belgium before his arrival in London. 

As he 長，率いるd 西方のs Victoria nervously digested tales of Shah Naser's rumoured behaviour. 

He was said to wipe his wet 手渡すs on the coat tails of which ever gentleman he happened to be seated next to, was clumsy using a knife and fork, preferring to put his fingers into dishes instead, would occasionally pull chewed food out of his mouth to 診察する it, had been known to drink out of the spout of a teapot and was in the habit of sacrificing a cockerel to the rising sun.

Victoria was also worried he might make 妥当でない suggestions to the ladies of the 法廷，裁判所. 

The latter 証明するd true - after a fashion - when he met the philanthropist Baroness Burdett-Coutts at a 王室の event. He looked her 直接／まっすぐに in the 注目する，もくろむ and using his schoolboy French exclaimed: '鎮圧する horreur!'

Gladstone was also worried about the women. He was scandalised to hear that while the Shah had left all but three of his two dozen wives at home in Persia, he was 意図 on bringing his three 最新の girlfriends to Britain.

The priggish PM 脅すd to 身を引く 政府 歓待, and the Shah’s 女性（の） 側近 did not 株 his Buckingham Palace bed.

一方／合間 the Queen’s eldest daughter and namesake, 栄冠を与える Princess Victoria of Germany, 警告するd her mother the Shah 'always has a lamb roasted in his room, which he pulls to pieces with his fingers 分配するing it to all his 大臣s all sitting on the 床に打ち倒す.' 

He also 'throws his pocket handkerchief across the room at his 総理大臣 when he has used it, upon which this 高官 makes a 深遠な 屈服する and puts the handkerchief in his pocket.'

Vicky's entertaining tales seem to have 静めるd the Queen rather than alarming her. 

'Your account of the Shah is most amusing … and has somewhat relieved me,' wrote the Queen on the 18th June, the day of his arrival in London, 追加するing: 'But I think if these Eastern potentates wish to travel they ought not to carry their uncivilised notions and habits with them!' 

都合よく forewarned, Victoria 教えるd her 世帯 to 任命する／導入する a removable carpet into the 訪問者's 控訴 at Buckingham Palace where he was to stay for the next few weeks. 

It was a sensible move since he did indeed 定期的に roast lamb over a tripod on the 床に打ち倒す and upon his 出発 the carpet was 設立する to be burnt to a cinder.

にもかかわらず Vicky's 保証／確信 that he 'has a perfect adoration for England and everything English,' the Queen got herself into 近づく hysteria when the 訪問者 （機の）カム to call on her at Windsor 城. 

'Felt nervous & agitated at the 広大な／多数の／重要な event of the day, ― the Shah's visit.' Later she 公式文書，認めるd 'All 広大な／多数の／重要な hustle & excitement. 

The guns were 解雇する／砲火／射撃d & bells （犯罪の）一味ing for my 即位 Day, & the latter also for the Shah. The Beefeaters were taking up their places, Pages walking about, in 十分な dress..... （人が）群がるs appeared 近づく the Gates, the Guard of Honour & 禁止（する）d marched into the quadrangle & then I dressed in a smart morning dress, with my large pearls, & the 星／主役にする & 略章 of the Garter, the Victoria & Albert order, &c.'

Her two younger sons, Arthur, and Leopold, went to Windsor 駅／配置する to 会合，会う the VIP guest and his 側近.' 

At the 城 'The 禁止（する）d struck up the new Persian march & in another moment the carriage drove up to the door I stepped 今後 & gave him my 手渡す, which he shook 表明するing to the Gd Vizier my 広大な／多数の／重要な satisfaction at making the Shah's 知識.

Then took his arm & walked slowly upstairs, & along the 回廊（地帯）,' speaking to each other in French.

As usual the Queen 文書d the 訪問者's 外見 with 法廷の 詳細（に述べる） in her 定期刊行物: 'The Shah is 公正に／かなり tall & not fat, has a 罰金 countenance & is very animated. 

He wore a plain coat (a tunic) ful l in the skirt & covered with very 罰金 jewels, enormous rubies as buttons & diamond ornaments.

After the 贈呈s of family and 世帯 by both 味方するs: ' I asked him to sit 負かす／撃墜する, which we did on 2 議長，司会を務めるs in the middle of the room (very absurd it must have looked, & I felt very shy), my daughters sitting on the sofa.' 

After she'd 投資するd the Shah with the Order of the Garter, 'he then took my 手渡す & put it to his lips & I saluted him.’

Over 昼食 in the Oak Room, the Shah was 明確に on best behaviour, 避けるing the meat course and the unfamiliar cutlery, 選ぶing for just fruit and iced water. 

A 禁止（する）d played followed by bagpipes: 'the Pipers at Dessert, walking 一連の会議、交渉／完成する the （米）棚上げする／（英）提議する, which seemed to delight the Shah.'

On his return to Persia, the Shah published his diary account of his European 小旅行する. Victoria was given an English translation of it and was flattered to read: 

'The age of the 君主 is 50, , but looks no more than 40. She is very cheerful and pleasant of countenance.' 

He was however intrigued to see Prince Leopold in his kilt and 公式文書，認めるd in the diary: 'This son today had come to the 駅／配置する to 会合，会う me. He is very young-looking and very graceful. 

He wore the Scotch 衣装. The peculiarity of the Scotch 衣装 is this: the 膝s are left 明白な up to the thighs.'

The day after the 会合 at Windsor, the relieved Queen wrote to Vicky: 'The Shah's visit went off admirably and he certainly is very intelligent, but I thought him very dignified. There was nothing to shock one at all in his eating or anything else.'

Of course, at this 行う／開催する／段階 Victoria had no idea the Persians were by then happily barbecuing inside her London pal エース. 

Smoke was also 注ぐing from the outside of the palace as courtiers had for some 半端物 推論する／理由 arranged a demonstration by the London 解雇する／砲火／射撃 旅団. 

The Shah watched on as firefighters carried out a mock 救助（する） of burnt and half-burnt '犠牲者s' from the 最高の，を越す 床に打ち倒す of the palace. 

Some were carried over the shoulder in a firemen's 解除する while others were let 負かす／撃墜する on ropes. The pyromaniacal Persian wrote 'they have invented a beautiful way of saving men.'

After firefighters it was the turn of prize-闘士，戦闘機s to entertain the Shah, as the desperate courtiers 始める，決める up a ボクシング match in the garden for more oddball entertainment. 

The Shah later explained to his countrymen. 

'To box is to strike one another with the 握りこぶしs which 要求するs 広大な／多数の／重要な 技術 and dexterity. But they wore on their 手渡すs a 肉親，親類d of large gloves stuffed with wool and cotton. Had they not worn these gloves, they would have killed one another. It was very ludicrous and amusing.'

By the time the Shah （機の）カム to Windsor  to take leave of the Queen on 2nd July, she was very 明確に enthralled by him. 

She gave him a guided 小旅行する of the 明言する／公表する Apartments and at one point 'called the Shah's attention to the Koh-i-Noor, which I was wearing as a brooch, & he stooped to look at & touch it.'

When it （機の）カム time to say 別れの（言葉，会）, the Queen joined him at the t op of the staircase & ‘gave him one of my photographs 調印するd & took him 負かす／撃墜する to the door.

 He seemed やめる melancholy at taking leave & kissed my 手渡す. I wished him a good 旅行 & health & happiness.'

In his own 定期刊行物 入ること／参加（者）, the Shah recounts 'I gave my reflexion to the 君主 as a souvenir; she gave me hers and that of Prince Leopold.' 

Then as the 行列 was about to leave the 城's Quadrangle the Queen asked her photographer to take one last 発射 of the Shah in his carriage as a keepsake for her.

When it （機の）カム to charming Victoria, the Shah certainly 圧力（をかける）d all the 権利 buttons. 

He told her he'd read her published memoirs 'Leaves of a 定期刊行物 of our Life in the Highlands' in a Persian translation; he asked to see Prince Albert's remains in the 王室の 霊廟.'

 He even visited the Albert 記念の in London 'a structure which the 君主 has 後部d to the memory of her husband.'

Victoria’s delighted 報告（する）／憶測 to Vicky sounds as though she might be in the running to be wife number 25. 述べるing the 別れの（言葉，会） at Windsor she wrote: 'I gave him a nosegay and my photograph which he kissed (I hear) as he was leaving the 駅／配置する! I took him again 負かす／撃墜する and he kissed my 手渡す!'

Sir John Cowell, Master of the 世帯 told the Queen the Shah had left a tip of £1600 (some £170,000 at today's 率) 同様に as gifts for each of the gentlemen of the 世帯.

In the days after his 出発 the Shah was still very much on her mind. In her 定期刊行物 she 令状s that Princess Beatrice was reading to her out of 小冊子 on Persia and on the 8th July she was 'photographed with my Persian order for the Shah.' 

She also （売買）手数料，委託（する）／委員会／権限d the artist Nicholas Chevalier to produce a watercolour of the Shah 存在 迎える／歓迎するd by her at Windsor and an oil 絵 of the 軍の review, both of which are still in the 王室の Collection.

When it （機の）カム to leaving the 城 on the 11th July for Osborne a wistful Victoria wrote ' left Windsor at ? to 10, with 悔いる, as it was looking so beautiful, & the mornings & evenings at Frogmore were so 平和的な & lovely. Then too, the Shah's visit remains a pleasant & 利益／興味ing recollection.'

Gladstone's 策略 of arm-新たな展開ing the Queen into hosting the 明言する／公表する Visit to 改善する Middle Eastern relations had worked in a way no one could ever have 予報するd. 

This 含むs her 私的な 長官, Sir Henry Ponsonby, who, a year after the visit, told his wife: 'The Shah 令状s to the Queen on 商売／仕事. A 境界 question. He calls her 'my auspicious sister of sublime nature to whose wishes events correspond.'

When the touchy-feely Shah of Persia （機の）カム to visit Queen Victoria - and barbecued lamb dinners on the Palace carpet. (But they became good friends, all the same!)