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In the summer of 1977, punk rock gatecrashed into the mainstream consciousness in Britain when the ' second single, , entered the UK charts at number 2 during the week of the official observation of Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee: it's widely believed that the single was actually the UK's highest-selling single that week, but the official chart stats were deliberately 'adjusted' to ensure that the nation's most infamous punk band were kept from reaching number one. As controversial as the song was, however, it seems that it didn't necessarily alarm the monarchy, for three years later, punk starlet was summoned to one of London's royal palaces so that Queen Elizabeth's mother and sister could see at close quarters “what a punk rocker looks like,” according to a new [paywalled] interview the singer has given to . The anecdote crops up in the interview, when Willcox is asked to select her 'best punk moment', and nominates the day in question.

She recalls: “One of the most bizarre moments of my life was in the middle of recording [1981 album] and I was summoned to St James’s Palace with [English fashion designer and political activist] Katharine Hamnett, who is an all-time rebel, to have tea with the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret. I was wearing a Willy Brown dress, and my hair was bright orange with yellow streaks. “We were told we had to say ma’am and curtsey, and the Queen Mother entered and sat on one sofa with another guest and Margaret sat on my sofa wi.



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