Elizabeth II
The Renaissance of Canada’s Constitutional Monarchy
Guest blog by Carolyn Harris, owner of the Royal Historian blog
Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will be visiting Canada to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee from May 20-23, 2012. Their visit coincides with the Victoria Day long weekend, which honours a monarch significant for both the longevity of her reign and her influence over Canadian history. Queen Victoria is the only other monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee, presiding over a parade and thanksgiving service in London, England, in 1897.
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
In the early morning of 6 February 1952 George VI died in his sleep at the age of only 56 after several years of poor health, and his elder daughter Elizabeth, in Kenya en route to Australia and New Zealand, became queen. She had to abandon the Commonwealth tour that had just started and return home to Britain to face a lifetime of duty and service to her country. Today marks the 60th anniversary of her accession.
Royal Wootton Bassett
For four years the people of the Wiltshire town of Wootton Bassett came out to line the High Street and pay their respects as the bodies of repatriated military personnel from Iraq and Afghanistan were driven from RAF Lyneham to a hospital in Oxford. In contrast to the secrecy of American repatriations, the community came together to mourn the loss of these young lives and show support to the bereaved families.
Milestones for the British Royals
Elizabeth II, 2007
Today is Queen Elizabeth II’s 85th birthday. She was born on 21 April 1926, the first child of the Duke of York, second son of George V, and his wife, the former Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. She wasn’t expected to become Queen; the Duke had an elder brother, the Prince of Wales, whose future children would precede her in the succession, as would any younger brothers of her own.
Lest We Forget…
The First World War officially ended at 11 a.m. on 11 November 1918 after the signing of the armistice by representatives of the Allied forces and the German government in the railway carriage of Marshal Foch in the Compiègne Forest, France. This war had been grinding on since August 1914 and there had been massive loss of life on all sides.
The Disappearing Christmas Party: British Royal Finances
Last week The Sun newspaper reported that the Queen had cancelled the Christmas party for around 600 staff members that was due to take place on 13 December. A palace spokesman explained that in light of the difficult economic climate, ‘’it was appropriate for the Household to show restraint.” Palace staff members, speaking anonymously, have expressed disappointment, suggesting that not everyone at the palace believes they should be showing restraint, at least not in this particular case.
Historic Papal State Visit to Britain
In October 2009, the Roman Catholic Church announced steps to facilitate the integration of former Anglican individuals and communities into the Catholic church, a move encouraged by Pope Benedict XVI, who had previously said that Anglican and other Protestant churches were not true churches. A year later, with the Catholic church in the throes of a worldwide scandal regarding the coverup of abuse of children by parish priests, the Pope is making a state visit to Britain to meet the Queen and government leaders and to officiate at the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman, a 19th century theologian and Anglican convert to Catholicism.