364 Elizabeths gather in namesake town

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ELIZABETH, Ill., June 29 (UPI) -- Organizers of the Gathering of Elizabeths in Elizabeth, Ill., say 364 women bearing the moniker showed up for this year's event.

The organizers of the event, held at Apple River Fort, said attendance was down from the 436 registered Elizabeths last year but the influx of women traveling with their families to attend the event still means an economic boost for the town, the Dubuque (Iowa) Telegraph reported Monday.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II was not in attendance at the gathering, but a lady-in-waiting sent a letter on Buckingham Palace letterhead thanking organizers for the invitation.

"Her majesty was interested to learn that you hope to set a world record at this year's gathering," she wrote.

Organizer Helen Kilgore said that while this year's event fell short of the world record set by last year's gathering of Elizabeths, she and other organizers are hoping to try again next year.

"I feel sure we'll try again," Kilgore said.