I was incredibly touched by the photo – smudgy but thought important enough to take up the whole of the top of the front page in yesterday’s Times – of the Queen & Mrs Obama with their arms round each other. I was even more moved by the BBC report the previous evening that the Queen had said: Now that we have met, I do hope that you will keep in touch
Mrs Obama showed her class again with her address to a group of schoolgirls yesterday: I never cut class. I loved getting As, I liked being smart. I liked being on time. I thought being smart is cooler than anything in the world. You too, with these values, can control your own destiny
I do not suppose it was an accident that her visit was to the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson school - the first woman doctor in this country & a passionate advocate of education for girls.
What an impressive journey Mrs Obama has made from the young woman who felt that at Princeton no matter how liberal and open-minded someof my White professors and classmates try to be toward me, I sometimes feel like a visitor on campus; as if I really don’t belong
