In December 1959 British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan met with the leaders of America, Germany and France to discuss the spectre of communism. Some time later, he wrote a private letter to the Queen recounting the meeting:

"After lunch, which was extremely good,

[West German chancellor] Dr Konrad Adenauer delivered for nearly an hour a lecture on the dangers of communism and the best way to deal with it -- in the schools, in the factory and in the home.

"I regret to inform Your Majesty that I fell asleep during the latter part of this oration."