In another thread, RfM poster “rhgc” misguidedly wrote:

“ . . . [Steve] . . . should be knighted so we could call him Sir Steve Benson. Yes, we should recommend him to the Queen Elizabeth."

(“Re: I'm not that formal. (Signed, steve),” by “rhgc,” on “Recovery from Mormonism discussion board,” 14 February 2014, at: http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1515336,1515418#msg-1515418)


The closest I ever got to the Queen was several years ago when I did a cartoon on her trip to California, hosted by then-First Lady Nancy Reagan. The visit was marred by huge downpours, resulting in much of Queen Liz's itinerary being cancelled. (I didn't quite understand that move. What's a little rain to the English?)

Anyway, the cartoon showed a frowning, sopping-wet Queen squishing her puddled way back to Buckingham Palace, with her hair straight and soggy, her crown down around her eyes, her train shrunk and her feet in galoshes with a fish flopping out of one of them. A Royal Guardsman is seen greeting Queen Liz at the gates to the palace with, “A pleasnnt trip, Your Majesty?”

I got a phone call from one Angus McKay of the British consulate in Los Angeles who, in behalf of the Queen, told me that she had seen the 'toon, liked it and was requesting the original. I told him I would be happy to oblige but advised him that several Canadian winter visitors to Arizona (aka, "snowbirds," who make their annual pilgrimmage here to enjoy AZ's warm winter climes) had expressed discontent over the drawing, declaring it to be disrepectful. He replied, “Take it from the Royal Horse's mouth. She thought it was absolutely smashing!”

Not five minutes later, I got a phone call from the White House—specifically, the office that had arranged the Queen's visit to California. They also were asking for the original. I told them that I had just given it to the Queen, adding, “My mother's a Canadian. God save the Queen! The Queen gets the original. The White House gets a copy.”

Queen Liz's request for the cartoon got a bit of play in the press at the time, with the Mormon Church-owned “Deseret News” (23-24 March 1983, p. A3) reporting the following under the headline, “People”:

“Royal praise--Steve Benson, cartoonist for the 'Arizona Republic' in Phoenix, displays the cartoon that caught the eye of Queen Elizabeth II. It depicts a drenched queen returning to Buckingham Palace from her storm-plagued trip to the West Coast. The queen enjoyed the cartoon and asked for the original, a spokesman for the British Consulate in Los Angeles said. Benson, a Brigham Young Univeristy gradudate and grandson of President ETB of the Counwcil of the Twelve, said he will comply.”

P.S.--I only got that kind of positive play in the “Deseret News" because (a) I'm a grandkid of ETB; (b) I'm a graduate of BYU; and (c) at the time I doodled the 'toon, I was still a member of the Mormon Church. If this would have happened today, you'd better believe that (d) the testimonially-toady Mormon press would have ignored it completely.



Edited 7 time(s). Last edit at 02/14/2015 09:00PM by steve benson.

That is really funny. Again, thanks Steve for your contributions here.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/14/2015 09:01PM by steve benson.

Great story. :)

Is it possible that cartoon was picked up and displayed here in Canada too? Either in print, or maybe on the national news?
I swear I remember seeing the cartoon you are describing.

At any rate, good job Steve, very funny.

Amazing story Sir Benson ;)

Dude, if he were knighted he would be called "Sir Stephen".

That is probably something only a colonial would be pedantic about.

So what would "Mormon royalty" be called? Do we have subtle ways of designating the Lord's special people?

spanner Wrote:
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> Dude, if he were knighted he would be called "Sir
> Stephen".

Yes Sir spanner Sir! Thank you Sir!

She could give Steve an honorary Knighthood.

Though with his mother being Canadian, that might be a bit easier.

Can you show us a copy of this cartoon?

A copy isn't good enough for me. You don't mind asking for the original back, do you Sir Steve?

Hold clicker down and drag to the left to view:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19830323&id=M94qAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GYMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7229,2822243



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2015 03:37AM by steve benson.

Not even close to good enough. Next time I have Liz over for tea I will ask to see the original.

Finally found S. Benson's panel on the Queen top right corner of page A3.

What I did find most interesting was content of the news back in 1983.

Raegan was President, columnists were people like Jack Anderson and Art Buchwald, even an article with Jessie Jackson saying it was time for a Black presidential candidate.

Orin Hatch battling against birth control for teenagers.

Wars/battles all over the world, how things haven't really changed, just the players.

The ad's are great too, don't think there's any newspaper that has as many want ads now days, it's all on ebay or craigslist.

Typewriters for $200-400 dollars! Electronic world was just coming into being.

I'd be honored if she asked for as much as a tetanus shot from me.

Because you are not a subject of the Crown, you would never have been a knight. So sorry about that. But you could have received thingie, uh... I guess "honourary knighthood." I'm sorry if you missed it. Billy Graham got one. Art thou not better than he?

. . . impressive, fun or effectual.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2015 10:04AM by steve benson.

steve benson Wrote:
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> the
> testimonially-toady Mormon press would have
> ignored it completely.

Another one (testimony) bit the dust back before this great day of their power!

Well I gotta confess Steve.

Your inspired doodle of me hangs in a place of honor in me privvy.

The Masonic theme reminds me of the resopnse of the Yankee ambassador's opinion of George Washington's portrait likewise hung in the privvy.

"nothing can make an Englishman sh!t like the appearance of George Washington."



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2015 05:40AM by Shummy.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2015 09:59AM by steve benson.

steve benson Wrote:
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> n/t


You titled it "The Sure Sign of the Reggie" with me weilding a trowel and proclaiming....

"Now is the great day of my Masonry."

It was probably Nancy who couldn't take the rain. She'd melt.