Category Archives: The Royal Family

The Flotilla on the Thames

03 Sunday Jun 2012

Posted by in Art, Art Museums & Exhibitions, England, London, paintings, The Royal Family, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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Rain was predicted heading in to the weekend for Sunday, the day of the staging of the largest flotilla in decades to parade down the Thames in honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.  The event was supposed to begin around 2:30 pm and start near Battersea Park, heading up river for Tower Bridge. All looked relatively calm on Saturday, although there always seemed to be a helicopter overhead, and police sirens kept rushing through the city.

The River Thames on June 2, 2012 looking very calm. Photo by me.

I woke up to the sound of rain outside my window on Sunday morning, and rushed down to Piccadilly to see if I could score an umbrella.  I did at the local newsstand for only 5 pounds.  We’ll see if it survives the jubilee.

I decided the best approach for the day was to head over to Tate Modern Art Gallery on the South Bank.  If it didn’t stop raining, at least I will have gotten to see the Damien Hirst exhibition. If it did, I might be able to catch a glimpse of the river parade.

The banner for the Damien Hirst exhibition at Tate Modern, located in an old power station directly on the Thames. Photo by me

Some poor souls were camped out on the banks of the river waiting for the pageant to begin.  They still had over 5 hours to go before even a hope to glimpse a boat.

Staking out their positions on the river. Photo by me

I couldn’t imagine.  It was quite chilly, and a misty drizzle filled the air, but people were in a grand mood, and everyone seemed happy enough.  Somehow the rain just made the whole day more British. I decided to wait it out in the huge Tate where it was warm…and had bathrooms.

The toasty warm...and dry...Tate Book Store. Photo by me

I paid my fee for the special Hirst exhibit (many museums are free in London, but charge a hefty price for special exhibitions) and spent a long time lingering through the exhibition.  Hirst had never been one of my favorite artists, but as usual, the Tate did a fabulous job of really explaining his career in this retrospective.  I saw the diamond skull, and the shark in formaldehyde and the room of live butterflies.

The Physical Impossibility of Death in The Mind of Someone Living, by Damien Hirst (1991) from Wikipedia Commons

I read the small booklet they gave me and saw the very expansive film with Hirst narrating, and walked away with a much better understanding and appreciation of the artist and his work.  I was not allowed to photograph here, but take my word, it was very well done.

I decided to stop by for a quick lunch in the coffee shop (after realizing it was impossible to eat in the restaurant on the top floor which had a view of the river), and noticed crowds were already trying to command a position by the windows on this floor that faced the river.  It was noon, at least 3 hours until the pageant would reach this point.

The Tate Modern coffee shop. The view out the window was very popular. Photo by me

At this point there really was nothing much to see but a misted over St. Paul's across the river. Photo by me

I returned to the galleries after my smoked salmon and cucumber sandwich, and saw a wonderful exhibition called “Energy and Process”.  It had some interesting work that explored the use of new materials for making art, unheard of in its time. There were also some old favorites of mine of Cy Twombly that I had seen the last time I was here, but will never get enough of.

Surface-to-Surface by Susumu Koshimizo (planks) and Ren-Shiki-Tai by Kishio Suga (stone). At the time, these types of materials had never been used to create art in modern times. photo by me

Untitled by Marita Merz, aluminum Photo by me

Bacchus series paintings and sculptures, Cy Twombly. Photo by me.

I spent time wandering through a few more floors, visited the book shop and finally decided to reclaim my jacket and umbrella from the cloak room and head out in to the throngs of humanity which had been building all day.

The crowd had grown outside while I was enjoying art inside. Photo by me.

There wasn't an inch of space to stand near the river. Photo by me

I couldn't even get a view of the big screen set up on the outside of the Tate. Photo by me.

I could see this area wasn’ t going to work out, and I could tell by the crowds cheering watching the screen that the Queen had boarded the barge to start her trip up the Thames.  There were helicopters overhead and bells were ringing.

I decided to head down river.

A bit of ice cream never hurts, no matter what the temperature. Photo by me

But everyone was in a great mood, and it had stopped raining, and there were lots of police controlling the crowds.  If an area got too packed, they blocked off new people coming in and explained how to get around it…and people did.  So civilized.

The South Bank of London. Photo by me

London's finest had everything under control. Photo by me

Finally, I made my way down to The London Eye at Jubilee Park.

The London Eye on a grey jubilee day. Photo by me

Here there was another giant screen set up…and many, many people watching it.  But it was on a hillside so it worked, and the river was in the background so we could hear the boats moving on the river with fire whistles and salutes. It was very festive to say the least.

The crowds loved it. Photo by me

And when the image came on the giant screen showing that the Queen’s barge was right behind us on the river, and you could hear the salutes, the crowd went wild. Flags were waving and people were cheering.  The woman next to me said it made it all worth while coming out to see it live, and not sitting at home watching it on her tellie with a cup of tea.

You could see The Eye on the screen that was right behind us in the park. The crowd went nuts! Photo by me.

The Queen and Prince Philip. The cheers went up again, and the women commented on how lovely she looked. Photo by me.

Once the Queen’s barge went by, I decided (along with about a million other people) it might be time to head for Waterloo Station to get back across the river.  It was growing darker and darker and the sky was looking a bit threatening.

Coming out of the Green Park Underground Station in the wet. Photo by me

As I came out of my station, it was pouring again but I managed to use my trusty cheap umbrella to get me in to my London room. As I passed the library on my way upstairs, I noticed the TV was on with other wet jubileers watching the ending ceremonies at Tower Bridge.  They had been on bicycles and were quite bedraggled, but we all agreed it was a tremendous day.  We sat down and shared a cup of tea to toast the Queen.

Monday night is the huge Jubilee Concert outside Buckingham Palace.  I can hear them rehearsing across the park this evening.  The forecast is for rain. We shall see.

 

 

London at Jubilee

02 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by in England, London, The Royal Family, Travel

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Walking through London, the images are overwhelming.  Everyone is in a tremendously festive mood and in such good spirits that it’s bound to rub off on you.

Many of the streets were decked out with flags and bunting. Photo of Oxford Street by me

The town is ready for the 60th Anniversary of the Queen’s reign.

A sweet window decorated with the Queen in mind. Photo by me.

I thought today I’d share some of the London sights on the Friday before the weekend Jubilee Celebration really begins.

As soon as I got to London, I could see there was a party going on. Photo of Bond Street by me.

Getting ready for the concert on Monday night at Buckingham Palace. Photo by me.

I wandered over to Buckingham Palace to see what was going on in preparation for the big weekend. The bands were beginning to rehearse and there was great music playing.  Have no idea who was playing it, but it didn’t matter.

Everyone was wandering about anticipating the fun to come. Photo by me

I’ll walk down a few more times before the actual night of the concert to catch the rehearsal music. The crowds are manageable now, and I have a feeling they won’t be on Monday night. Luckily my accommodations are a short ten minute walk  through Green Park.

The view the other direction from the soundstage. Photo by me

The Mall is pretty much shut down to traffic getting ready for the big event. But the guard at Clarence House directly off the wide boulevard doesn’t seem to be aware of all the commotion around him.

A guard at the gate of Clarence House, official residence of Prince Charles, The Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla) and Prince Harry. Photo by me

When I strolled in to St. James’s Park next to The Mall, I saw the most extraordinary foliage sculpture of a crown right behind the stands set up for the concert…

The Topiary Crown in St. Jame's Park. Photo by me

…not to mention the most gorgeous gardens in full bloom (nothing to do with Jubilee. I just thought they were spectacular).

St James's Park near the lake. Photo by me

I left the excitement surrounding the palace, and headed over to the National Portrait Gallery to see the exhibition on the Queen.  Well worth the walk. There was a special exhibit featuring six decades of art portraying Elizabeth II.

The National Portrait Gallery at Trafalgar Square. Photo by me

As I came out and turned to walk back to my room, I noticed the Canadian Embassy, decked out in honor of the Queen.  Congratulations, your majesty. Job well done.

The Canadian Embassy honors the Queen. Photo by me.

 

Jubilee Windows

01 Friday Jun 2012

Posted by in England, Shopping, The Royal Family, Travel, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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Wherever we went in England and Scotland this past week, we saw store front windows celebrating the Diamond Jubilee, and announcements everywhere of festivities and local events in honor of the event.  There is a great sense of celebration everywhere, from the smallest village to London’s high street. You really can feel it building, and the sense of national pride and just plain fun is in every corner of the country. This weekend should be a kick!

Happy Diamond Jubilee Your Majesty. Photo by me.

I have thought more than once what a great sense of community the monarchy brings, and whenever I hear people wonder why the British keep it, this makes it perfectly obvious. At the moment it is at the height of popularity and seems to pull the entire country together.

Loved this one in Oxford, but Prince Philip does look a bit like a head waiter. photo by me

The deep awareness of history and common past has never shown its strength in a more obvious way. Most Brits have never known a different monarch in their lifetime when you consider this celebrates Elizabeth’s 60th year. So though we Americans may go through many heads of state in our lifetime, the monarchy gives the British people a great sense of continuity and national pride.

Windows for the celebration. Hard to see, but Will and Kate are on the left. The celebration is focusing on the accession. Photo by me.

There are all sorts of street parties and local celebrations planned, from pony rides to special fairs, and just about everyone seems to be getting in to the spirit.  Of course a four day holiday weekend does help bring joy to the nation.

Even the bakeries are getting in to the spirit. Photo by me.

It’s been great fun to be around for it, and I head in to London on today to join in the main festivities.

Balmoral, A Gardener’s Paradise

28 Monday May 2012

Posted by in Gardens, Scotland, The Royal Family, Travel, United Kingdom

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One of the main reasons we chose the Deeside village of Ballater to use as our base in the Scottish Highlands was its close proximity to Balmoral Castle.  I had seen photos of the royal residence on many occasions, and decided it was time we paid it a visit. The Royal Family uses this idyllic spot as their summer retreat, so there are only certain times of year you can visit.  We lucked out.

The River Dee was always rushing along. After all, it is only early spring in Scotland. They had snow the week before. Photo by me.

Winding down the road alongside the River Dee, all of a sudden we saw the small carpark area and a modest sign tucked under the trees announcing it’s presence.

The welcome sign at the carpark a short way down the lane from the main gates. photo by me.

We parked, paid our pay and display and as instructed walked over a bridge above the river and approached the gate house.

The gatehouse at Balmoral. Photo by me.

Quite an entrance.  You can only tour the gardens, one ballroom, several exhibitions set up in the stable area and then of course the usual gift shop (very tastefully done) and coffee shop. But we were happy with that and bought our tickets at the gate house and decided to walk down the road to the castle rather than wait for the tram. Less Disney, more royal.

We didn't see a squirrel in site. photo by me

We walked from the gatehouse to the welcome area through the scent of pine that shamed any Christmas Tree lot.  The pines were planted in Queen Victoria’s time, and now were massive and varied.  I have never seen anything quite like this.

The walk down the drive was incredible. The decades old pine trees smelled like Christmas morning. photo by me

As the path curved through the pines, the main building came in to view.  What can this be like to come home to after a long London winter?

Our first view of Balmoral coming down the lane. Photo by me.

Because of this unseasonably warm week, the prep for the summer gardens was in full swing and it was so complex and beautifully laid out, surrounded by the magnificent hills of the Cairngorms and the Balmoral Forest.

Spring has arrived at the Balmoral gardens. Photo by me

As we wound in to the gardening area I found so many glorious images of spring that I didn’t know where to start.  I thought I would just let the pictures speak for themselves.

The seedlings have already been started just in case warm weather came. photo by me

New plantings. photo by me

Every corner was planted with little surprises. They plant enough for the kitchen, and flowers for the castle as well as the local church. Photo by me

I am not sure if the covers are protection from frost, or the local creatures. Photo by me.

Seed potatoes for sale. The whole garden seemed so intimate, like a visit to a family farm. There just happened to be a castle in the background. photo by me

There are several greenhouses filled with potted plants preparing for the summer holidays when the royal family arrives. photo by me

Balmoral is a magical place, and visiting it in spring was really special. photo by me.

Scotland is like going through a magic mirror into a fairytale land. It was worth every penny of the high priced petrol it took to drive here.

UK weather forecast…toughen up

17 Thursday May 2012

Posted by in Cornwall, England, London, The Royal Family, Uncategorized

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For weeks now My Beloved Brit has been telling me that we need to toughen up for England.  Well, the hour has arrived.  We leave the end of this week for the “Grey Country”, and the forecast is for cold and rainy weather. How English!

And we’ve planned for a week in Scotland at the beginning of the trip before returning to the south so I can witness the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, which may drive him to the edge of his sanity.  He always says he had enough of being chilled to the bone in his youth.  He never wants to be cold again and we stand a good chance of it in Scotland.  They predicted snow flurries earlier this week.

Sunny Cornish hills. Pastel by me.

Luckily our first stop is Cornwall to visit with his cousins.  A good thing.  If there is one place in England that has a chance of sun and warmth in the spring, it’s Cornwall.  And it doesn’t hurt that he gets to reconnect with family.

So until we get a bit settled and un-jetlagged, I may miss a few posts.  But then I’ll report to you from across the pond.  And hopefully the sun will shine.

Portraits of the Queen at the National Portrait Gallery

15 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by in Art, Art Museums & Exhibitions, England, London, paintings, The Royal Family, Uncategorized

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In honor of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the National Portrait Gallery in London is mounting a stellar exhibition of over sixty of the “most remarkable and resonant portraits of the Queen made during her 60 year reign”. The show runs from May 17 – October 21, 2012.

I am thrilled that I will be in London in a couple of weeks, and this is on my list of things to see in the midst of all the Diamond Jubilee excitement of that weekend. It is fascinating to have one figure that has been interpreted by so many artists over such a large span of years. Artists include Cecil Beaton, Andy Warhol and Lucien Freud to name just a few.

Queen Elizabeth II by Dorothy Wilding 1952, copyright William Hustler and Georgina Hustler, National Portrait Gallery, London

 

 

Bond, James Bond, meets the Queen?

13 Sunday May 2012

Posted by in England, entertainment, movies, Olympics, The Royal Family, Uncategorized

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A new Bond movie is in the works, Skyfall, with Daniel Craig once again playing Bond. The new film will be released October 26th in the UK, November 9th, 2012 in the US.  Judi Dench returns as M, and the new plot revolves around her character as “her past comes back to haunt her”. Javier Bardem joins the cast as the “villain”, and the new Bond Girl is Berenice Marlohe as Severine. Sounds intriguing.

From the new James Bond film, Skyfall, Photo: Francois Duhamel/Sony Pictures

According to speculation in an article in The Telegraph, The Queen  agreed to make a cameo appearance in the film.  James Bond 007 is to have knighthood bestowed on him by the Queen, and the scene will reportedly be beamed around the world during the opening ceremony at the Olympic Games.

Bond, of course, cannot comment.  His future missions are top secret, after all.

“Face Britain” Does a Portrait of the Queen

22 Sunday Apr 2012

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The Diamond Jubilee celebration is just beginning and the events are becoming more and more spectacular and creative leading up to the first week in June.

Gloiana ready for the jubilee

The Queen’s 94ft royal barge Gloriana that will lead the Thames Diamond Jubilee Flotilla was lowered in to the Thames on Thursday.

And now Face Britain has projected a huge composite portrait of the Queen on Buckingham Palace.

Projected images of the Queen, made up of over 20,000 self-portraits by children, is covering Buckingham Palace for three days this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Prince’s Foundation for Children & The Arts’ original project goal was to give every child the chance to create their own self portrait. By bringing them together, it could create a snapshot of the 2012 generation.

“We began talking to the TV programme, Blue Peter, to ask if they would help us to promote the project to children and teachers. One of the editors had the brilliant idea of not just collecting and displaying the children’s self portraits but knitting them into a single composite image of HM The Queen – each portrait forming a pixel of the larger image.”  They projected over 20,000 self-portrait images submitted to Face Britain onto Buckingham Palace this week.

What a fabulous idea.

Newton added, “We had to get the Queen’s approval, of course, because we’re projecting on to the front of her home,” he said. “I’m delighted to say Her Majesty loved the idea and loves the imagery.”

And all of these young children are introduced to the glory of creating art.  Well done.

North of the Wall…Scotland

20 Monday Feb 2012

Posted by in Scotland, The Royal Family, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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We are beginning to plan for our trip over to England, even though word has it from that side of the pond that the snow is still falling (as it is here up north), and it is a particularly cold winter. No worries.  By the time we go, the fields will be turning green, and the icy sleet will have turned to a warm drizzle.

This English Hedge Sparrow in West Bromwich, England is ready for spring. Photo by Tony Hisgett, Birmingham

We are planning to spend part of this trip north of Hadrian’s wall, that Roman construction that was built around 122AD to keep the Scots in Scotland,  provide a way to collect tariffs from any trade going back and forth, or possibly just an expression of Roman emperor Hadrian’s power. No one is quite positive on the subject.

This map shows the location of Hadrian's Wall and the Antonine Wall in Scotland and Northern England. Created by Norman Einstein, September 20, 2005.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 80 roman mile construction was thought to have been plastered and white-washed, a pretty impressive sight by anyone’s standards. I have actually passed by it several times at fairly unimpressive spots, but the history and romance of it is very intriguing.

Hadrian's Wall between Housesteads and Once Brewed. Photo by Michael Hanselmann

Even though we have ventured to Scotland before (to both Edinburgh and to Oban on the west coast), we are going a bit further north this summer to Ballater, which is the closest village to Balmoral (as in the estate Queen Victoria purchased in 1848, and where the royal family still spends most August holidays).  There does seem to be lots to explore in the area in addition to the estates and gardens of Balmoral.

There is a safari trip I discovered online, where a guide takes guests by Range Rover through the estate and “… through the heather high up the flanks of Lochnagar, one of Scotland’s most famous mountains”….think of the stalking scenes in the movie “The Queen”.

Safari tours of Balmoral

We’ll have long days to explore.  Our last trip to Scotland that we did  in the month of June, I seem to recall it was still light at 11 pm at night!  But even though the daylight hours are very long, it was also very cold.  So I thought a tour of a Scotch whiskey distillery might be the thing to do.  There are many within an easy day trip of Ballater, including Glendronoch Distillery near Aberdeen.  They seem to be scattered all over the place. There is even one that services Balmoral.

Glendoroch Distillery in Scotland. A tasting here will take the cold Scottish chill away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other place I have always wanted to see is the village in “Local Hero”, the 1983 comedy drama starring Peter Riegert and Burt Lancaster, and one of my favorite movies of all times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a certain magic to the movie with a real sense of paradise lost, and the locations contribute a lot to that magic.  Although the movie takes place in one fictional village location, Fernesse, the actually shots were filmed in several Scottish locations, including Banffshire, Pole of Itlaw, and Pennan about two hours north of Balmoral on the coast.  It might be fun to hunt them out.

Pennan Village, photo by Tom Jervis from Wikipedia

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, I am still exploring online and trying to imagine what we may want to see when we are actually there.  But the possibilities seem endless. Now if the weather will just cooperate.

 

Happy Diamond Jubilee

06 Monday Feb 2012

Posted by in England, London, The Royal Family, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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February 6th marks 60 years to the day since Queen Elizabeth II ascended Britain’s throne.  The Diamond Jubilee Celebrations start this weekend and continue for 5 months.

There is a wonderful display of photos courtesy of The National Post. Click here to view the entire sequence.

A portrait of the Queen on her Coronation Day 1953 by Sir Terence Cuneo. Photo from The National Post article.

There is also a fun article “60 Things You Might Not Know About The Queen” in the Times Colonist which includes:

“Her coronation in 1953 was the first to be televised. An estimated 20 million people in Britain tuned in, while 100 million in North America reportedly watched the recorded ceremony.”

“Two years ago, Forbes magazine estimated her net worth at $450 million US.”

 “Her mother was initially against Elizabeth’s marriage to Philip, and reportedly referred to him as ‘The Hun.’ “

“The Queen and Prince Philip share the same great-great-grandmother: Queen Victoria.”

My Beloved Brit has just tried to book me a room in London for the weekend of June 2nd so I can participate in the highlights of the celebration while he is off sailing with his mates.  I do love that man! Keep your fingers crossed that London is not totally booked up already.