DURHAM, N.C. — Not many people can say they've met the queen, but Molly Stillman can.
What You Need To Know
- Queen Elizabeth's last visit to the U.S. was in 2007
- Molly Stillman was the student body president at Christopher Newport University
- Stillman greeted the Queen during the Welcome Ceremony to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, Virginia
Stillman is a Durham resident who spends her time working as a lifestyle blogger and host of her podcast, Business With Purpose.
In 2007, Stillman was the student body president at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virgina.
“Anytime people like to ask that maybe get to know you question, like who’s the most famous person you’ve met, I get to be like, ‘the queen!’” said Stillman.
Queen Elizabeth was visiting the U.S. to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the English settlement of Jamestown, Virgina.
Stillman, alongside other student body presidents from public universities in Virgina, was invited to take part in the welcome ceremony for the Queen’s royal visit.
“We were not allowed to bring in any phones or cameras. This was before the iPhone, if you can believe that,” said Stillman.
Stillman recalls her conversation with the queen, who asked what she was studying in school.
“In my head, I had this whole conversation and the speech I was going to give, and I totally fumbled it, told her I was studying English with a concentration of creative writing and she said you know, ‘I assume not the queen’s English’,” said Stillman.
Stillman says she shared her dreams of writing books and being on the comedy show "Saturday Night Live."
“She laughed and said, ‘I do love humor and whit.' She said ‘I imagine you’ll do very well with that,'” said Stillman.
Before the meeting, Stillman says the students were briefed on royal protocol, like how to address the queen, curtsying and when to extend a hand.
“Not many people get to say they’ve spent time with the queen, and she called me by my name and encouraged me, and it was a really memorable experience, and something I will definitely never forget,” said Stillman.
Queen Elizabeth II was the longest reigning British Monarch in history.
She passed away on Sept. 8, 2022 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.