---
title: "Remembering The Queen: Arsenal’s trip to the Palace"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/remembering-the-queen-arsenals-trip-to-the-palace/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Adam Clancy"
section: "Arsenal News"
published: "2022-09-18T10:21:53Z"
modified: "2022-09-18T10:21:53Z"
---

# Remembering The Queen: Arsenal’s trip to the Palace

**The funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is set to take place on Monday after her passing earlier this month. *The Transfer Tavern* remember her with some of the stories from Arsenal’s famous trip to Buckingham Palace back in 2007…**

### Queen Elizabeth the Arsenal supporter?

Cesc Fabregas, a famous member of that iconic 2006/2007 Arsenal squad, [revealed](https://talksport.com/football/1190749/queen-elizabeth-ii-arsenal-fan-buckingham-palace-arsene-wenger-thierry-henry-cesc-fabregas/) after the team’s visit to Buckingham Palace that the Queen had told them she was an Arsenal fan.

In fact, she had been fond of the North London club for ‘[over 50 years](https://talksport.com/football/1190749/queen-elizabeth-ii-arsenal-fan-buckingham-palace-arsene-wenger-thierry-henry-cesc-fabregas/)‘, according to a royal source, due to her mother’s admiration for the great Denis Compton, an England international cricketer who played for the Gunners between 1936 and 1950.

Arsenal remain the [only](https://twitter.com/APresserV2/status/1567957333040406529) football club to have ever been invited to the Palace for afternoon tea with the Queen.

### Why did Arsenal go to Buckingham Palace?

The Queen was due to open the Emirates Stadium back in 2006, but was unable to attend due to a back injury.

As a result, she invited the Arsenal squad back to Buckingham Palace for afternoon tea in February 2007 as a way of apology.

### What happened on the visit?

Cameras followed the Arsenal squad as they took a bus ride to the Palace and were greeted by Her Majesty and her staff members.

One Palace employee, who gave them a tour of the Queen’s photos, described meeting Gunners legend and captain Thierry Henry in particular as [‘very exciting’ and ‘extraordinary’](https://talksport.com/football/1190749/queen-elizabeth-ii-arsenal-fan-buckingham-palace-arsene-wenger-thierry-henry-cesc-fabregas/), while even the forever composed Frenchman himself was starstruck by the ordeal, failing to properly tie his tie and even recently admitting that he ‘[forgot](https://twitter.com/jamesbenge/status/1569753676650057728)‘ his teammate Julio Baptista’s name during the visit.

Meanwhile, Manuel Almunia has since admitted that he doesn’t actually like tea, but said you ‘[have to](https://talksport.com/football/1190749/queen-elizabeth-ii-arsenal-fan-buckingham-palace-arsene-wenger-thierry-henry-cesc-fabregas/)‘ drink it if offered by the Queen.

Perhaps the most fascinating story during the visit involved Emmanuel Eboue, who allegedly asked the Queen if he could dog-sit for her corgis.

The Ivory Coast international [said](https://talksport.com/football/1190749/queen-elizabeth-ii-arsenal-fan-buckingham-palace-arsene-wenger-thierry-henry-cesc-fabregas/): “Ma’am, I am OK thank you but please, I don’t want to be a footballer anymore, I want to look after your dogs. I want to take them for walks, wash them, feed them. I want to be a dog carer.”

The Queen, Prince Philip and the team were all left laughing at the bizarre comment, particularly as Henry had warned the right-back beforehand ‘[don’t do anything](https://talksport.com/football/1190749/queen-elizabeth-ii-arsenal-fan-buckingham-palace-arsene-wenger-thierry-henry-cesc-fabregas/)‘.

### What happened at the end of the visit?

At the end of the visit, the Queen was gifted a figurine of the club’s emblem, a cannon.

Manager at the time Arsene Wenger even drew a laugh from her after he [said](https://talksport.com/football/1190749/queen-elizabeth-ii-arsenal-fan-buckingham-palace-arsene-wenger-thierry-henry-cesc-fabregas/): ‘It’s not to incite you to make war!’

No other football club have visited the Palace since, showing just how much of a special occasion it really was.