courtesy of Yahoo! news
King Albert II led the Royal Family and Government officials in solemn commemoration ceremonies in Brussels today.
The King, Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy and Belgian veterans placed wreaths at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Thousands turned out to pay their respects to the fallen heroes. At exactly 11:00, people paused for two minutes’ silence to mark the 91st anniversary of the end of The Great War.
His Majesty talked to the veterans and thanked them once again for their great sacrifices. He also stressed how important it is to remember all the heroes who gave their lives during World War I and preserve their memory.
courtesy of Yahoo! news
In Ieper (better known by its French name, Ypres), tens of thousands of people lined the streets of the town, which was left in ruins during The Great War. Ieper is now a world symbol of peace.
Eight Belgian fire brigade buglers led a solemn last post ceremony at the Menin Gate war memorial. The Menin Gate has the names of 55 000 missing soldiers engraved on its limestone walls. According to authorities, some 500 000 people a year visit memorials and battlefields in Flanders, and the number increases as the 100th anniversary of World War I approaches.
Marsel Belgian Royals Armistice Day, King Albert II, Memorial, Remembrance Day, World War I
On September 15, Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia laid a wreath at a Monument of Unknown Hero on Avala Mountain near Belgrade on the 91st anniversary of the breach of the Thessaloniki Front in 1918. During the traditional ceremony and military parade organized by Association of the descendants of Serbian Soldiers, the Crown Prince said: “I sincerely believe that our generation has an obligation to make a better and more prosperous country for our children so that they have the chance to be educated, work and live in peace with themselves and their neighbours in a united and flourishing Europe”.
click to view more pictures from the SRF official website
The Monument of Unknown Hero, designed by famous sculptor Ivan Mestrovic, was built as homage to all unknown heroes that sacrificed their lives during World War I. It is the only monument in the Allied countries that is dedicated to Unknown Hero, rather than Unknown Soldier.
On September 14, Crown Prince Alexander II attended a ceremony on the occasion of the 201st Anniversary of Belgrade’s University. The Crown Prince had a chance to meet some of the best students of the University: he expressed his support and congratulated those young people with their success, calling them ‘Serbia’s best hope’. It’s not just words the Crown Prince supports Serbian students with: HRH Crown Prince Alexander II Foundation for Education is actively supporting distinguished Serbian students, providing them with a scholarship and helping them to continue their education at the best Universities of the United Kingdom and the United States. Read more…
Marsel Serbian Royals Memorial, Prince Alexander, Restoration, World War I
August 4 is marked by all sorts of events, starting from the World’s first public smoking ban and the end of the Age of Chivalry in England, to the birth of ‘most dangerous woman in Europe’. If you want to learn what important things happened in the (Royal) History on August 4, read on.
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August 4, 1265 – The Battle of Evesham, one of the two most important Wars during the Second Barons’ War
The army of Prince Edward (future Edward I of England) defeated the army of rebellious Barons led by Simon de Monrfort, 6th Earl of Leicester. Outnumbered two to one, Monrfort had no illusions about the outcome of the battle: when he saw the advancing army of Prince Edward, he allegedly exclaimed “May the Lord have mercy upon our souls, as our bodies are theirs.”
The battle itself was over fairly quickly but the massacre continued for some time. The memory of the disastrous Battle of Lewes, fought in 1264, was still fresh in the memories of the Royalist forces: they showed no mercy or compassion and killed most of the rebels who wanted to surrender. According to the legend King Henry, who was in de Monrfort’s custody and was wearing his colours, barely escaped death himself: the enraged soldiers killed everyone who was in de Monfort’s colours and if he hadn’t been recognized by a former rebel, he would have been murdered as well. The massacre that followed the Battle of Evesham is referred to as an ‘episode of noble bloodletting unprecedented since the Conquest’. As most of the rebels were brutally murdered, rather than imprisoned, the Battle is often called “the end of the age of chivalry in England”.
August 4, 1521 – Birth of Pope Urban VII
Pope Urban’s papacy lasted only 12 days, thus making his reign the shortest in the history of Papacy. Despite this, he managed to introduce one memorable decree – world’s first known public smoking ban. Pope Urban threatened to excommunicate anyone who ‘took tobacco inside a church, whether it be by chewing, smoking or sniffing’.
Read more…
Marsel Historical Royals Edward I, Military, Pope Urban VII, Queen Mother, Sebastian I, World War I
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
