Queen Elizabeth hosted this week’s State Visit by the President of India Pratibha Patil and her husband Dr Devisingh Ramsingh Shekhawat. The 3-day visit began on October 27, 2009 with a welcome ceremony at Windsor Castle. A carriage procession through the streets of Windsor, a private lunch with the Queen and an inspection of the Honour Guard were all part of that first day.

A State Banquet was held in St George’s Hall in Windsor Castle, with Queen Elizabeth wearing her Burmese Ruby Tiara for the occasion. The Royal Channel released this video of the banquet, showing the pomp and formality of such a dinner. You can see that in a video here.

The State Visit by India ended yesterday, with the launch of the XIX Commonwealth Games through the Queen’s Baton Relay, followed by the farewell ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

Discussion of the State Visit can be found on the Royal Forums here. Merry Royals has some photos posted here, here and here.

Maricar British Royals Commonwealth Games, Elizabeth II, India, President Patil, Queen's Baton Relay, State Visit

Click to see the article at the BBC website

In the past week the last two surviving World War One veterans living in Britain have both passed away. Henry Allingham (image) died aged 113 on 18th July and a week later the last veteran Harry Patch also passed away. Earlier this year Bill Stone another WW1 veteran died. To mark the passing of the last of the Great War veterans a memorial service is planned for later in the year to be held at Westminster Abbey with the Queen as a possible guest. It will be a chance for the British public to openly thank all veterans in WW1 who gave so much to their country.

Henry Allingham was probably the most recognised of the three veterans and frequently attended events relating to the Great War. Not only was he the world’s oldest man but he was also the last survivor of the Battle of Jutland and a founder member of the RAF. Born in 1896 during Queen Victoria’s regin he lived through events of the past century that most of us only read about. He lived during the reigns of five British monarchs and witnessed the abdication of Edward VIII.

The Queen paid tribute to Mr Allingham saying he was “one of the generation who sacrificed so much for us all”. image – meeting the Queen prior to attending at garden party at Buckingham Palace. Whilst Prince Charles also remarked that about the sacrifice of WW1 veterans as “belonging to that incredible generation who did so much for their country”. image – Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall marking the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. Henry Allingham had meet with a number of Royals on various occasions. The Duchess of Gloucester in her role as President of World War One Veterans Association was the closest to Allingham. On number of occasions, such as the opening of a Battle of Jutland exhibition in 2006 at the HMS Belfast (image) and at veteran association events, the Duchess meet with Henry. She also was the only Royal to attend the 90th anniversary memorial event on 11th November 2008 at the Cenotaph which saw all three veterans lay wreaths. image , image It was therefore fitting that it was the Duchess who on Thursday attended Henry’s funeral in Brighton.

Click here for an article about Henry Allingham’s funeral.

PrincessofEurope British Royals Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Gloucester, Elizabeth II, Funeral, Henry Allingham, World War I

  The summer opening of Buckingham Palace this year includes a exhibition of royal gifts from the Commonwealth countries. Included are a number of brooches and a necklace that have been gifts during the royal tours of the Commonwealth countries in the last 60 years.

One of the first gifts the Queen received on a Commonwealth tour was the Flame Lily Brooch from Rhodesia. During a 1947 tour with her parents and Princess Margaret to southern Africa, Princess Elizabeth turned 21. As a present from the children of Southern Rhodesia, she was presented with a diamond brooch in the shape of the country’s emblem the flame lily. image She notably wore the brooch when she stepped off the plane from Kenya in February 1952 as the new Queen following her fathers death and now wears it on a few occasions. image

In 1951, Princess Elizabeth with the Duke of Edinburgh toured around Canada. image On the tour she wore a diamond brooch in the shape of a maple leaf. image The brooch belonged to her mother. During a Candian tour in 1939 Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) was presented with the brooch. (image the Queen Mother wearing her Maple Leaf brooch in 1940 with Princess Elizabeth) The Queen Mother continued to wear the brooch until her death. image The Queen now wears the piece to events relating to Canada such as the vigil for Canadian servicesmen at Canada House to mark the 90th anniversary of World War One in November 2008. image Read more…

PrincessofEurope British Royals British Commonwealth, Elizabeth II, Jewellery

 Yesterday Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Seigneur of the Swans, observed for the first time the Swan Upping from a launch on the River Thames.

Click to see the gallery at royal.gov.uk

The Queen owns all unmarked mute swans in the United Kingdom, but today Her Majesty only exercises this right in the area of the Thames. Each year, in the third week of July, the annual swan census is carried out by Her Majesty’s Swan Marker and members of the Worshipful Company of Vintners and the Worshipful Company of Dyers.

The Swans are weighed, measured and marked in a bid to conserve the swan population and ensure the welfare of the swans. This ancient ceremony has taken on a new “green” role and is one of the many ways the Royal Household takes part in green and environmental initiatives.

Swan Upping is a colourful sight, with flags, uniforms and banners. This year it can be viewed on the following days:

Monday, 20 July 2009: Eton Bridge to Cookham

Tuesday, 21 July 2009: Cookham to Marlow Lock

Wednesday, 22 July 2009: Marlow Bridge to Sonning Bridge

Thursday, 23 July 2009: Sonning-on-Thames to Moulsford

Friday, 24 July 2009: Moulsford to Abingdon Bridge

The Queen’s Swan Marker and his team wear distinctive uniforms and his cap contains a large swan feather. Each day the markers stand and toast The Queen and as they sail past Windsor Castle they stand in salute to “Her Majesty The Queen, Seigneur of the Swans”. Click here to view a video of this year’s event.

RoyalProtocol British Royals Animals, Elizabeth II, Swan Upping

Click to see the image at Royal Blog

  HM Queen Elizabeth II today knighted former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Don McKinnon, as Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in recognition of his 2000-2008 (two terms) “outstanding” service as Secretary-General. Today is Commonwealth Day, a fitting day for his knighting.

Sir Don McKinnon was also New Zealand’s longest serving Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand. He is also a member of the Order of New Zealand and McKinnon’s wife and two sons attended today’s ceremony with the Queen. Following the ceremony the new Knight and the Queen talked for a half hour; discussing not only the Commonwealth, but horses and cattle too.

Current New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has congratulated the new Sir Don McKinnon on his knighthood.

marmi British Royals, New Zealand Royals Elizabeth II, Knighthood, Orders, Sir Don McKinnon

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 President Pratibha Patil of India has been invited to pay a state visit to Britain and will be visiting the Queen at Windsor from 27 to 29 October of this year. As is customary for visiting heads of state, President Patil will also meet with the Prime Minister and other senior government ministers. In all the years of the Queen’s reign, President Patil is only the fourth female head of state to pay a state visit, and is the first elected female head of state to do so (the other three being Queens Regnant – Queen Juliana, Queen Margrethe, and Queen Beatrix).

It has been reported that during her visit President Patil will invite the Queen to India next year to open the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

Lucia-mia British Royals Elizabeth II, India, President Patil, State Visit

Click on the image to view the photo at The Associated Press

 For the first time since the George Cross in 1940, a new medal of honor for fallen British military men and women will be named for a reigning monarch.  The Elizabeth Cross, named for HM The Queen, will be awarded to the families of British military men and women killed in active duty from World War II to the present.  Those killed in terrorist attacks will also be eligible for the medal.

Military personnel killed in action in Northern Ireland, the Falklands, Afghanistan, and Iraq will be among those eligible to receive the Elizabeth Cross.  The Associated Press reports, however, that the next-of-kin of those killed before the new millenium will have to apply for the honor, while families of those killed within the decade will be notified by the Ministry of Defence that their loved ones will receive the Cross.

The silver cross is decorated with the initials “EIIR,” for Queen Elizabeth II, and with a rose, a daffodil, a thistle, and a shamrock, the national flowers representing England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

The news of the new military medal comes on the day that Lt. Col. Rupert Thorneloe, the highest-ranking member of the British military to be killed in action since the Falklands War, died after the vehicle in which he was traveling was exploded by a bomb in Afghanistan.

For more on The Queen’s current events, please visit this thread.

Ella Kay British Royals Elizabeth II, Military

 The scoreboards at Wimbledon have undergone a change. They are no longer listing the names of the players with “Miss” or “Mrs.” (or even Ms.). In the past, female players have been listed with “Mrs.” or “Miss” before their names on the scoreboards, but men have never had a title before their names. A spokesman for the prestigious tennis tournament said, “We decided to bring it in line with the men”, according to a recent article in the Daily Mail.

In addition to dropping the titles, players no longer have to bow to the royal box when entering and leaving Centre Court. This change was brought about by the Duke of Kent, who is the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club. When asked about this change, the Duke stated that “it no longer fitted in with the modern game”.

Not all royal protocol has been abandoned though. Female players are still expected to curtsy to the Queen and the Prince of Wales, if they are present at Wimbledon. The Queen has not attended the tournament since 1977, and the Prince of Wales last attended in 1970; however, there is a lot of speculation (and hoping) that the Queen will attend if Andy Murray advances to the finals.

For more information about Wimbledon, please visit this website.

To read about, and to discuss the Duke of Kent, please visit this thread.

sgl British Royals Curtseying, Duke of Kent, Elizabeth II, Protocol, Wimbledon

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 First it was Charles, now it’s the entire clan. The annual Civil List report has been published with the usual arguments surfacing about the role of the monarchy as an accompaniment. But let’s look at the facts first.

The Royal Family cost the UK taxpayer 69p each in the 2008/9 financial year, a 3p rise on the 2007/8 financial year with the total cost rising by £1.5m to £41.5m. The accounts show that the Queen used £6m from a reserve fund to supplement the Civil List due to rising costs in the running of the Royal Household and indeed, there’s been increases in almost every department. Staff salaries, catering and hospitality, Royal travel and ceremonial functions all saw a rise in their bill but the Palace have pointed out that there are legitimate reasons for the increases.

They say that as for Royal travel, the rise in cost is explained by the overseas tours conducted by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall on the request of the Government and by the unusual visit to Tonga by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester for the coronation of King George Tupou V. They also say that RAF aircraft are now limited in their avaliability which means that the Palace have to use alternative services to transport the Royals to their official engagements. The Queen has recieved £7.9m each year which was secured in 1990 by former Prime Minister Sir John Major, but this was frozen and banned from any increase by the Tony Blair administration in 1990 to compensate for what they claim was 10 years of over-payment. The current financial deal will come up for negotiation in 2010, but financial experts have noted that if these rises continue, the Royals could see themselves in the red even before that date. Read more…

BeatrixFan British Royals Elizabeth II, Finances, Olympics

 Early this month we wrote about a proposal to open Buckingham Palace to the public beyond the two months it is currently open, in a bid to raise funds for urgent repairs needed, the bill running to the many millions of pounds.

The Telegraph is now reporting that this proposal (by MPs) has been turned down because the palace is a place of work for the royal family, who use it to hold receptions and investitures, and to receive and entertain dignitaries.

This includes the proposal to open the palace only on Saturdays and Sundays, reportedly on the basis that the cost of hiring the necessary staff would exceed the extra revenue generated.

For the previous blog, click here. For the Daily Telegraph article, click here.

marmi British Royals Buckingham Palace, Elizabeth II, Finances