Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh current events 21: Mar 2009 - Oct. 2009

[Marsel]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

She didn't, it was only the authors imagination.
<.....>

Can’t deny it’s a relief to know that.

[iceflower]

Queen Elizabeth smiles as she is shown a orphaned cygnet during
the annual Swan Upping, near Windsor, southern England July 20,
2009.

The ceremony of Swan Upping dates from the twelfth century and
takes place during the third week of July every year. It has always
been the duty of the Sovereign's Swan Marker to count the number
of young cygnets each year and ensure that the swan population
is maintained. The swans and young cygnets are also assessed
for any signs of injury or disease.


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 ** Pic 4 **

[Zonk]

Great pictures...I just read about this tradition on the monarchy website a couple of weeks ago. Twelfth century....I tell you no one does tradition as well as the British.

Cute cygnets...how adorable.

[joye]

Originally Posted by Zonk

Great pictures...I just read about this tradition on the monarchy website a couple of weeks ago. Twelfth century....I tell you no one does tradition as well as the British.

Cute cygnets...how adorable.

Long ago, I chased all over the Thames Valley area looking for the swan uppers. From memory they had a week or 5 days to find and mark the cygnets. Went to Henley I remember. Eventually I found these colourfully dressed swan uppers.

[iceflower]

Queen Elizabeth II is shown around the Commonwealth exhibition
at Buckingham Palace by Sir Hugh Roberts Director of the Royal
Collection right and Assistant Curator Caroline De Guitaut, July
23, 2009

Looks like a very interesting and colourful exhibition!


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[Marsel]

Revealed: One of Queen's guards is an illegal immigrant

One of the Queen's guards at Windsor Castle has been arrested for being an illegal immigrant.

The soldier concerned had even taken part in the Trooping of the Colour in front of the Royal family last month before his true identity emerged by chance, following a car crash.
Originally from an African country belonging to the Commonwealth, he is believed to have joined the Army using a false name.

Oh dear.
They'd better be more careful with security issues like this: while this man in particular seems to have posed no direct threat for the Monarch, the mere fact he was in such close proximity is very alarming.

[Marsel]

Queen Elizabeth's palace help

Queen Elizabeth is to use tourist money to help repair her royal residences.

The 83-year-old monarch plans to use cash from visitors at Buckingham Palace in London to tackle the £40 million backlog following criticisms from MPs, who said she needed to find money to help pay for the work.

Until now the Royal Collection - which is responsible for the works of art the queen holds in trust - has taken all the money from visitors to Buckingham Palace to help finance its operations and preserve its treasures.

[Mermaid1962]

Security at Buckingham Palace seems to be a continuing issue. There seem to be several stories a year about people getting access too easily.

[Skydragon]

A military source told The Sun: "This is a blunder of unparalleled proportions. For an illegal immigrant to gain membership of any Army regiment is unbelievable when you consider the potential damage an enemy could do there. "But to be accepted into a Guards regiment, and therefore to have such close proximity to the monarch, is nothing short of a scandal."

Queen guarded by illegal immigrant who joined Army under fake name - Telegraph



Oddity and splendour characterise the 60th anniversary of the modern Commonwealth - a curiously loose but enduring association of countries whose survival, itself both odd and splendid, owes everything to the personal commitment of the Queen

Peek inside the royal travelling wardrobe - Telegraph

[lumutqueen]

Originally Posted by Mermaid1962

Security at Buckingham Palace seems to be a continuing issue. There seem to be several stories a year about people getting access too easily.

Yes you are quite right I think. It's starting to become a serious issue.

[Marsel]

Quite. I do hope they are not going to wait till some serious incident to start taking actual measures against such blunders.
I can't understand how the man passed all the security checks with false documents, and badly made ones too, by the sound of it.

[Skydragon]

Invitations to the Queen's garden parties at Buckingham Palace and Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh are the most coveted of the Season, but Mandrake hears that significantly fewer of them will be dispatched next year as her senior courtiers struggle to get by on the Civil List.

Queen's garden parties to be 'scaled back' next year - Telegraph

[Skydragon]

The Queen has decided not to attend the anniversary of Britain's oldest colony after an argument with the island's pro-independence leader.
Today, Bermuda will commemorate the shipwreck in 1609 of the Sea Venture, the flagship of a fleet sent to resupply the Jamestown colony in America.

Queen snubs Bermuda's 400th anniversary - Telegraph

The Queen has been sent a letter by a group of eminent economists explaining how "financial wizards" failed to "foresee the timing, extent and severity" of the economic crisis, it was reported.

Queen told how economists missed financial crisis - Telegraph

[BMC]

Originally Posted by iceflower

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
during day two of the npower 2nd Ashes Test Match
between England and Australia at Lord's on July 17,
2009 in London, England


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 ** Pic 4 **

Looking at these pictures really gives you an idea of how small she actually is.

[lumutqueen]

Originally Posted by BMC

Looking at these pictures really gives you an idea of how small she actually is.

Her Majesy is 5'4". Cricket players are extremly tall though.

[Iluvbertie]

Originally Posted by lumutqueen

Her Majesy is 5'4". Cricket players are extremly tall though.

I have meet (at least in passing as a member of the SCG who sits in the Members Stand) most of the cricketers in both teams and they aren't all that tall (some are over 6' but many are about 5'10 or so). Ricky Ponting is 5'10" for instance.

I am shorter than the Queen and none of them seem all that tall to me (compared to Aussie Rules players who are all, almost to a man over 6'2"). Historically batsmen are best at about 5'10" or so, the same with spin bowlers with fast bowlers over 6' but not necessarily, of course.

[crazzycat]

Originally Posted by Iluvbertie

I have meet (at least in passing as a member of the SCG who sits in the Members Stand) most of the cricketers in both teams and they aren't all that tall (some are over 6' but many are about 5'10 or so). Ricky Ponting is 5'10" for instance.

I am shorter than the Queen and none of them seem all that tall to me (compared to Aussie Rules players who are all, almost to a man over 6'2"). Historically batsmen are best at about 5'10" or so, the same with spin bowlers with fast bowlers over 6' but not necessarily, of course.

interesting facts, i don't now about age of players

[Iluvbertie]

Originally Posted by crazzycat

interesting facts, i don't now about age of players

They are all in their 20s or 30s with most around the mid-20s to mid-30s. That is when cricketers are at their best.

e.g.

Freddie Flintoff (the English allrounder) is 31, which is why is it so disappointing to cricket fans that he is retiring from Test cricket at the end of this series as he is so young but the strain of five day tests are simply too much for his body now and he is going to concentrate on the shorter forms of the game (and the ones that pay a lot more as well).

Ricky Ponting (the Australian captain) is 34.

[cd255]

I thought the Queen is 5'4 too but when people get older sometimes they shrink a little. My grandmother was 5'5 but when she died she was only 5'3. I think it's cute how the Queen seems to glow when she's surrounded by young attractive men.

[Marsel]

Security alert as police guard smuggles female convict into Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace was at the centre of a new security scandal last night after a convict was smuggled in by a Scotland Yard guard.
The woman, who is said to have a number of criminal convictions, should have been subjected to stringent checks when she entered the Palace.

But she avoided scrutiny and was able to accompany the guard, who works for the Met's elite Specialist Operations department, into secure areas of the Queen's home.

This is the second serious breach of security in mere weeks.
I do hope they will start regarding Her Majesty's security as a more serious issue one day.