Registered: Oct 2001
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I was up at 4 AM this morning and watched the funeral of the "Queen Mum" live on TV until 8 AM. I am very nostalgic about English ceremonial and I hope that the British never abandon the monarchy so that we Americans will have something to punctuate our memories of time past,

I suppose I have more memories of that string of ceremonies than most not only because I am older but also because I am a bit jealous of the British tradition of ceremony and the color of their lives. This evening the Royal Chamberlain of the court of King George VI (husband of the Queen Mother) will break his Golden Staff of office because The Queen Mother who was a Queen Regnent and a Dowager Queen is dead and his term of office is complete. I have made a mental note to find out who he is and what he does with his staff after he breaks it and of what his staff is made. Strange that I should want to know that. And what is Princess Anne's rank? She walked behind the casket in a Royal Navy uniform and I heard a comment that she was the only woman ever to do so.

I remember the event of the death of George V although I don't remember any of the ceremonial being depicted. I remember vividly the speech of Edward VIII on radio when he abdicated the throne and I also remember his accession to the throne but if I saw it at all it was on RKO Pathe newsreel on a Saturday when I had gone to the movies to see Hop Along Cassidy and it made a small impression. Did he even have a formal coronation? I remember my grandmother explaining to me why he had to choose between Wally Simpson and the throne and she expressed her opinion that he made a pretty poor choice. But the Coronation of George VI I remember in vivid detail. The fact that the Archbishop of Canterbury took him into a small tent and that it was rumored among us boys that this was for the purpose of being sure that he was a man. I remember the anointing with oil. I remember the Regal Glory of the Vestments of the Lord Mayor of London who looked more like the King than the King. The Coronation of George VI was also on RKO Pathe newsreel but I saw it many times.

I remember the funeral of George VI and the Coronation of Elizabeth, both the first ceremonies I had seen on color TV
I first learned of the Stone of Scone and the fact that there were a number of different crowns. I had always thought there was only one. By this time when they took Elizabeth II into the little tent I was sophisticated enough to not picture the equivalent of a strip search.

The Queen Mother's funeral today was unique too. It was the first time I ever saw a Roman Catholic Cardinal praying in Westminster Abbey. I was shocked. Far more shocked, I think, than any of the British were. And for an archetypical mother, a Queen of Mothers, this was a very military funeral. I think she wanted it that way. The fly-over of the Lancaster bomber, the Spitfire and the Hurricane were a perfect reminder of the Queen Mother's role in WWII.

So I'm all nostalgic this morning. But I got to be a slum-lord and go collect rents.

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Registered: Oct 2001
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I believe that Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother was never queen regnant (a ruling queen) but only queen consort (wife of a ruling king).



Princess Anne is, I think, Princess Royale, since she is the oldest daughter of the monarch. (I assert this by analogy from the case of Alexandra, Princess Royale, daughter of Queen Victoria. She was also the oldest child of the monarch, who happened to be a daughter, so I don’t know if that title only goes to the princess if she precedes the crown prince by birth, or if it goes to the oldest daughter in any case. But is it not true that Anne is older than Charles, as Alexandra was older than Edward VII – or Bertie, as Victoria and Albert called him?)



I understand that Edward VIII abdicated specifically because he was told there could be no coronation unless he gave up Ms. Simpson.

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Registered: Oct 2001
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Well I guess I can add something here. The eldest daughter of a reigning monarch is given the title Princess Royal. Cathy is correct - Edward VIII was told that he could not be crowned and marry Wally - so no coronation for him.

Princess Anne has for many years been a tireless royal - working very hard with a heavy load of appearances. She was overshadowed by Di because she is dowdy. She is by far the most serious and hardworking royal. Margaret was a slacker and Anne did a lot in her stead. Queen Mum was the patroness for many, many military organizations - hence the flavor of the funeral. Did you know that during WWII the king begged and then ordered her to leave London and take the 2 princesses with her and she steadfastly refused gaining her the devotion of every Londoner. On her 95th birthday she insisted that the celebrations begin in the East End of London. She was the one who worked so hard with George VI to help him overcome his terrible stammer.

She hated Wally because she blamed her for forcing her husband into a limelight that he wasn't born to like Edward. I very much wanted to watch it too but had to be at work - but I have read some of the write-ups on the www.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Essex, England
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I went and saw the Queen mum's coffin the night before the funeral....it was very moving!

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Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Northeast Merka
Posts: 611

quote:

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Originally posted by Rav
I went and saw the Queen mum's coffin the night before the funeral....it was very moving!

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Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
Posts: 35669

Mugtoe is 100% correct about what he said, as far as I am aware.

I enjoyed the cermony surrounding the funeral, it was sort of quintessentially British I felt. My grandparents (Londoners all) had a lot of time for her (the women were here during the blitz, my grandfathers were away at war).

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Playa d'en London
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quote:

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Originally posted by Smug Git
.........my grandfathers were away at war.

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Registered: Aug 2001
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quote:

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Originally posted by urbanjunkie



out of interest, what regiment ?

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Registered: Sep 2000
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my grandfather was in the Middlesex Regiment (die hards). he decided against a career in the army after ww2.

the commando thing sounds interesting, by the way.

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Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
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quote:

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Originally posted by urbanjunkie

the commando thing sounds interesting, by the way.

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