Tony Jeffries: How I scared the Queen
Oct 20 2008 by Dan Warburton, The Journal
OLYMPIC hero Tony Jeffries yesterday revealed a knock-out encounter with none other than the Queen.
Writing in his blog on The Journal’s website, the bronze-medallist spoke of his visit to Buckingham Palace and brush with Her Majesty.
On Thursday the Sunderland-born boxer joined more than 350 Beijing athletes to parade through the streets of London on a 12-float victory parade, before a Royal reception. Unaware of the protocol, Tony peppered The Queen with questions before she simply turned and walked away.
He said: “We were a bit late for the evening reception so nobody told me we weren’t allowed to ask the Queen any questions when we met her.
“Most of the other athletes were dead posh so I stood out a bit. When she asked me what sport I did I joked, ‘Can’t you tell with this nose?’
“Then I asked if she’d seen any of the Olympics, what sports she liked the best and if she watched any of the boxing. In the end she just moved on. She seemed a bit scared of me.”
Tony was part of the Great Britain boxing team which clinched its best medal haul since 1956. And on Thursday huge crowds of cheering fans from across the country congregated in the capital to catch a glimpse of their Olympic idols. Tony’s future is still undecided but yesterday he admitted that the huge support and reaction of the fans was enough to make him consider holding off signing a professional contract in a bid for silverware at the London 2012 games.
He said: “Going on the parade was a wonderful experience, I didn’t expect it to be so big. There were thousands and thousands of people who turned out to cheer and clap us, it was brilliant.
“It just made you realise how big the Olympics was and how big it will be in London in 2012. It made me think how I’d love to go to London and win a medal.
“Whether I stay amateur until then or go professional is a decision I’ll have to make soon, so I’ve been getting some advice from some of the biggest names in boxing about it.”
Share
