Catching The Bouquet, Statue of King Richard III, Cathedral Gardens, Leicester Cathedral, Leicester, 12/10/15.

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bouquet, British History, British Monarchy, Cathedral Gardens Leicester, crown, flowers, Leicester, Leicester Cathedral, Richard III, sculpture, statue

Photo Archive: Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret on a Rocking Horse, Poster for The Royal Childhood Exhibition, Waterloo Underground Station, London, 24/08/14.

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British Monarchy, Buckingham Palace, colourised photograph, London, London Underground, poster, Princess Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, rocking horse, Royal Childhood exhibition, Royal Family, The King's Speech, The King's Speech film

I didn’t think of it at the time, but on seeing this photograph again today, it reminded me of the 2010 film “The King’s Speech“, in which a whole stable of toy horses can be seen in the background of more than one scene. I didn’t go and see the Royal Childhood exhibition, but it looks like the rocking horse in this colourised photograph featured in the exhibition.

The Prince of Wales Oak, Royal Victoria Park, Bath, 28/04/15.

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bath, Bath Mineral Water Hospital, Bath United Hospital, British Monarchy, King Edward VII, Maori Chiefs, New Zealand, oak trees, Parks, Prince Albert Edward, Princess Alexandra of Denmark, Reverend William Jenkins, Royal Family, Royal Victoria Park Bath, The Prince of Wales, The Prince of Wales Oak, The Prince of Wales Oak Bath, Thomas Barter esq, trees

I wouldn’t normally stop to photograph a tree, even one as lovely as this one, but I noticed a small commemorative plaque in front of it, which made me curious. It informed me that this wasn’t just any oak, this was “The Prince of Wales Oak“, planted by the then Mayor of Bath, Thomas Barter esq, on the 10th March 1863. The Prince of Wales in 1863 was Prince Albert Edward, who would later become King Edward VII, who married Princess Alexandra of Denmark on the 10th March 1863, so I think it is safe to say that the tree was planted to commemorate the Royal wedding. The wedding was also commemorated in a painting, now in the Royal Collection, by William Powell Frith, which wouldn’t have known about if I hadn’t been researching the history of this tree! One of the most interesting fact I’ve managed to unearth about Thomas Barter esq is that, on the 19th September 1863, still in his official capacity as Mayor of Bath, met a party of Maori Chiefs from New Zealand, who were touring the United Kingdom. We know this because The Reverend William Jenkins, who travelled with the Maori party, compiled a souvenir autograph book for them, which includes Thomas Barters name [the list of other signatories can be see at www.nzpictures.co.nz]. The book also contains the name of Randle Wilbraham Falconer MD, “Senior physician Bath United Hospital and physician to the Bath Mineral Water Hospital“, so perhaps they visited one or both of these institutions. Later entries, I’ve noticed, contain comments about the visit, but the residence of Bath simply left their names. What an interesting web of stories!

Statue of Queen Victoria, Victoria Square, Birmingham, 25/04/15.

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architecture, Birmingham, British Monarchy, Council House Birmingham, Flag of Birmingham, flags, public art, Queen Victoria, sculpture, statue, Victoria Square Birmingham, Victorian., Victoriana

Note the civic flag of the city of Birmingham flying over Council House.

Photo Archive: King Richard III, “Kings Arms” Public House, King’s Staith, York, 2010.

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boar, British Monarchy, coat of arms, heraldry, King Richard III, Kings Arms, Kings Arms Public House York, National Portrait Gallery, National Portrait Gallery London, Plantagenet, Public houses, pubs, Richard III, Richard III Society, white boar, York

The “Kings Arms” was not the first public house I visited in York that cold November evening back in 2010, but I obviously wasn’t so merry that I didn’t notice this portrait of King Richard III hanging over me; inspired by one of my favourite painting from the National Portrait Gallery in London, by Anon. To quote from the Gallery’s website, “This portrait, in which he appears to be placing a ring on the little finger of his right hand, has been seen by some as evidence of his cruel nature and by others as evidence of his humanity”, so you can read into it what you like!

As well the portrait the pub also displays the Arms of Richard III, which include his personal heraldic device, the white boar, flanking the Plantagenet coat-of-arms. A certain on-line encyclopaedia informs me that a complete boar in heraldry, as opposed to just the head, might represent the courage and fierceness the boar displays, but I haven’t had much experience of boars in the wild [or in captivity, for that matter]. The Richard III Society, which promotes research into King Richard III related matters, still uses the white boar on some of its heraldic devices and logos.

The White Horse of Hanover, Royal Coat of Arms, Trinity House Academy, Hull, 29/11/14.

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British History, British Monarchy, coat of arms, Hanover, heraldry, Hull, Hull City of Culture 2017, Neo Classical Architecture, symbolism, Trinity House Academy Hull

The Coat of Arms.

It’s interesting how people like to promote different things about themselves, especially British Monarchs. When this coat of arms was erected King George I or King George II were so keen to promote the fact they were Prince – Electors of Hanover that they squashed the heraldic symbols of England and Scotland together in order to fit in a number of heraldic devices they brought with them from Hanover, including the white horse. They have also given ample room over to the fleur-de-lis, to show that, like so many other British Monarchs, they also laid claim to the throne of France (to quote Shakespeare’s “Henry V”, “No King of England, if not King of France“). Interestingly, this coat of arms would become redundant when King George III gave up the ancient arms of France; I guess there was little point protesting a claim to a throne that no longer existed after the foundation of the French Republic.

Photo Archive: Failing To Photograph The Duchess of Cambridge, The National Fishing Heritage Centre, Grimsby, 2013.

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British Monarchy, cameras, crowds, Duchess of Cambridge, Fog, Grimsby, National Fishing Heritage Centre, photographers, Photography, Ross Tiger, Royal Family, trawler

Sometimes you blink and you miss something; this was one of these occasions! By the time I had lifted my camera Her Royal Highness had gone, but I was left with some photographs I was very pleased with. Here are five of the best:

1. The Ross Tiger in the fog. It’s a miracle the fog cleared enough for me to photograph anything!

2. The professionals arriving.

3. These delightful young people seemed to think I was from the local paper. I told them I wasn’t , but they didn’t mind having their photograph taken anyway!

4. If only I’d thought to bring some ladders with me (or somebody who’d let me sit on their shoulders)!

5. At the windows of the National Fishing Heritage Centre.

H M Queen Elizabeth II.

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British Monarchy, Coronation, Dorothy Wilding, HM Queen Elizabeth II, Postcard, Queen Elizabeth II, Royal Family

Today is the anniversary of H M The Queen’s Coronation and this is my 100th blog entry, so it seemed only right to dig out a portrait of Her Majesty from my postcard collection.
The portrait is by Dorothy Wilding.

“Their Royal Highnesses The Princess Elizabeth and The Princess Margaret Rose”.

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British History, British Monarchy, Corgis, Ephemera, Postcards, Postmarks, Queen Elizabeth II, Roses, Royal Family, Sheffield, Stamps, Taunton.

As it is Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday today I thought I’d share this postcard from my collection for you.

The postmark on the back reliably informs me that it was posted in Taunton on the 9th June 1945 to a Sheffield resident, Peggy Hobson; the sender’s daughter. I’ve had a look in my copy of “The Chronology of British History” by Alan & Veronica Palmer and they haven’t got a lot of information on that particular day or month in 1945, but the timing of Mum and Daddy’s journey up to Sheffield with a car full of roses took place in the lull between VE Day and VJ Day.

 

Note the details about the weather. How characteristically British.

Archive Photo: National Railway Museum, York, 20th June 2013.

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bath, bathing, British Monarchy, King George V, National Railway Museum, Royal Family, Royal Trains, Station Hall., train, York

Your George V/bathing/train fact of the day.

I can’t remember the exact location of this label and the photograph doesn’t give me any clues, but this fact would have been displayed in The Station Hall, probably on the platform beside one of the Royal Trains on display at the museum.