Article translated by Giovanni Vianello and Carlo Carnevale
After more than thirty years at Wimbledon, Sarah Clarke becomes the first woman named “Usher of the Black Rod” in over 650 years
From now on she will be “under Her Royal Majesty the Queen’s service”. You can often read that the USA is the country of big opportunities, more than in any other place in the world. Realizing the working exploits, beginning from nothing. But what I have now come across has happened in England. I’ve have gotten to known Sarah Clarke, the first woman in more than 650 years to become the “Lady Usher of the Black Rod”, a role that would need a history expert with knowledge bigger than mine to described. Explaining briefly, in the British Parliament there are two Houses: the Lords, which is for nominated officials, and the Commons, which features publicly elected officials. Once in a year the Queen must appear at the House of Commons to make a speech, but she couldn’t access the House if there wasn’t someone opening the door. One of the main duties of the “Usher of the Black Rod”, so of Sarah Clarke, will be knocking at that door. And the House of Commons will have to choose whether to open or not that door. Don’t ask me if that door has ever been closed, to the Queen or to her royal ancestors, because I don’t have the time to look back at history!
But the incredible thing for me is, I met Sarah when she was a young girl at Wimbledon, where I first went in 1974 (that year’s final was Connors-Rosewall). I don’t remember what year it was when I first met her, I’m pretty sure it was around thirty years ago. And do you know what she was doing? Sometimes she stood at the press room entrance, checking badges to allow only journalist to get in. Or she was upstairs, on the stairs, to make sure that the non-TV journalist could sit in larger stands to watch the match. Sometimes in those stands, we could bring – back in the old times! – our guest with regular ground tickets (I had the one as tournament director in Florence, for my guests). Well to my big surprise, I slowly saw Sarah build up an unexpected career. First deputy, then chief of press operations at All England Club, then (I think it’s then) director: She suddenly became very stiffer, while she was very friendly during her first years, though always shy. Sarah went on to contribute to the organization of London Marathon and 2012 Olympics, and played other roles in three other editions of the Olympic Games.
Now here she goes from the Lords of Wimbledon, to the House of Lords and even to the Queen. Who knows, if it ever happens again for me to see her, if she greets me again as it has occurred for many years for 14 days a year in many, many consecutive years in Wimbledon. In a very polite way, furthermore. I’ll never ask her to introduce me to the Queen. All in all, it will be her each year who will have the door slammed in her face by the House of Commons. Like it was her to slam the door in the face of who didn’t have the right badge. Actually, anyway, other than the traditional knocking at the door, Sarah will take care of the management of some special events involving the Queen.
The way in which she was employed is curious. The Guardian published an employment article. She answered and got chosen. All in all, she never lacked initiative. Anyway, if they told me it around thirty years ago I would have never believed it.
The legend tells that when Henry VIII moved from Westminster Palace to Whitehall Palace, Black Rod, a Royal House member, remained behind him to act as usher at the House of Lords. Sarah told an official interview: “For many years I’ve been lucky in working at the heart of some of the biggest events’ organization and more complex intitutions. It’s a big privilege to me to have this opportunity”. One last note: the word usher comes from the Latin ussarius. Who would have ever said it?
