Agatha Christie's Fondest Memories

On the very last page of her autobiography, Agatha Christie refers to, ‘Two summits of ambition fulfilled.’ I mention one of these – ‘the proud ownership of a bottle-nosed Morris – a car of my own!’ - on the main website page that discusses ‘The Man in the Brown Suit.’ It was the money she received for the serial rights of this novel that enabled her to make this exciting purchase.



Later, of course, Agatha Christie must have been fabulously wealthy and there would not be many things she would not be able to afford. However, the second outstanding moment of her life was something that money cannot buy – dining with the Queen. Agatha explains why these two events made such an indelible impression on her:

‘Both of these happenings, you see, had something of a fairytale quality about them. They were things that I thought could never happen to me: to have a car of my own, and to dine with the Queen of England.’

I find it extremely touching that with all her wealth, and with all the adulation she received, these two very different – and in materialistic terms, very simple – things, were amongst her fondest memories.

And as Her Majesty passes her eightieth birthday, it is interesting to speculate whether, as she look back over her life, her meeting with Dame Agatha ranks as one of her special moments.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all to find that it does.