Britain
Louis Greig: The Man Who Made George VI
George VI, who died 59 years ago today, has been in the news recently as the main character in the highly acclaimed movie The King’s Speech (see this blog for a review), an account of his friendship with Lionel Logue, the Australian who successfully treated his stammer. In one scene in the movie, Logue asks him about his friends, and he says rather defensively that he doesn’t have any. It makes for a more dramatic story and casts Lionel Logue as the only person who saw past the unpromising exterior of the future king and made him believe in himself for the first time. The only problem is that it isn’t true.
Henry VII and Henry VIII Share an Anniversary
On 28 January 1457 Henry Tudor (later Henry VII) was born at Pembroke Castle in Wales, the obscure son of an obscure Welshman; 90 years later on 28 January 1547 his son Henry VIII died in the Palace of Whitehall, a powerful and wealthy king.
The Royal Waiting Room – The Prince of Wales
The times are changing, and – taking in account the age of many of the monarchs worldwide – it is safe to assume that the coming years, we will see at least a few changes in the succession lines. Time to take a closer look at all those heirs, how they have prepared for their duties and how they are perceived among the public. This blog looks at someone who has been heir to the throne since just about forever – The Prince of Wales.
The British Succession: Should it be Changed?
The upcoming wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton has raised an issue which rears its head every so often: should the succession to the British throne be changed to eliminate a couple of historical provisions which don’t have a lot of relevance nowadays, or would it be more trouble than it’s worth? The two provisions in question are whether women should be able to succeed to the throne on an equal basis with men and whether it’s still necessary to remove people from the line of succession for marrying Catholics.
Review – The King’s Speech
The new movie The King’s Speech, directed by Tom Hooper, an account of how Prince Albert Duke of York (later George VI and father of Elizabeth II) finally overcame a crippling speech defect with the help of the Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue and the unflagging support of his Duchess, is a fascinating look back at a period of 20th century royal history that’s usually remembered for the affairs and abdication of Edward VIII rather than the much less glamorous life of his younger brother.
Engagement of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall
Zara Phillips, daughter of The Princess Royal and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, has become engaged to her long-time boyfriend Mike Tindall. The couple apparently became engaged yesterday, and the engagement was annouced today on the royal family’s website and Facebook page. Zara and Mike first met in 2003 and have been living together in Gloucestershire for several years.
The Woman He Loved
The Abdication Crisis of 1936 was resolved on 10 and 11 December when Edward VIII signed the Instrument of Abdication on the evening of the 10th and it was enacted into law the following day. The British public knew nothing about the crisis, which had been going on for months, until early December when a speech by the Bishop of Bradford mentioning the king’s apparent lack of interest in religious observance gave the British press an excuse to break the story they’d agreed to suppress in the national interest. The news shocked the public, but nobody was more traumatised than the king’s younger brother Prince Albert, who would become king in his place.
William and Kate: Titles and Precedence
The announcement that Prince William is to marry his longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton has led to speculation about the titles they’ll have when married and also about Kate’s precedence with respect to other royal ladies.
First, despite the claims by some royal watchers and reporters, Kate will almost certainly not be known as Princess Catherine of Wales.
Should Charles be King? And Should Camilla be Queen?
The engagement of Prince William to Kate Middleton has given a new lease of life to the perennial question of the succession. Should Prince Charles be king? Should Camilla become queen if Charles does become king? Ever since the Prince and Princess of Wales split up, and especially since Diana’s death, and most especially since Charles’s second marriage, there have been articles and polls in certain newspapers showing that the British public would like William to follow the Queen on the throne, even in Charles’s lifetime. Other polls over the last five years have shown that a majority of Britons don’t wan’t the Duchess of Cornwall to be queen consort even if Charles does become king.
Review – “Harmony” by HRH The Prince of Wales
Over the years we’ve been used to Prince Charles airing his opinions on topics as diverse as organic farming, education, medical science, architecture, religion, and philosophy. In “Harmony” he weaves all these together into an integrated overview of the past, present, and future of humanity and our relationship with nature.