On March 1, 2005, a reception was held at Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of Britain's reigning monarch, to recognise the excellence of British music and the contribution it makes to the culture and economy of the United Kingdom.
Among those invited to the event were four of the most famous guitarists England has ever produced, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Brian May and Jeff Beck, true rock royalty. But as the four musical legends were introduced to Queen Elizabeth II, it very quickly became apparent that she had absolutely no idea who any of the four men were, adding to the rather charming awkwardness of the occasion.
The first of the quartet to meet the Queen was Queen guitarist Brian May, the only one of the four to have actually performed at Buckingham Palace. Three years earlier, May had performed the Britain's National Anthem God Save The Queen on the palace roof as part of Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, a day he later remembered as "a milestone in my life."
