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Tag Archives: Queen Elizabeth II

Royal Yacht Britannia’s Interior Design Sketches

13 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by pat in Art, History, Scotland, sketching, The Royal Family

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Britannia, Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II, The Royal Yacht

For the first time in 60 years, the Royal Yacht Britannia’s interior state rooms’ sketches by architect Sir Hugh Casson have been handed over to a trust by his daughter, according to an article in the Daily Mail. To see all the glorious details in the article, click here! The yacht was used by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip from 1953 until 1997, 44 years in service.

From the Daily Mail article, the original rendering of the Duke of Edinburgh's stateroom on the Royal Yacht Britannia.

From the Daily Mail article, the original rendering of the Duke of Edinburgh’s stateroom on the Royal Yacht Britannia.

We toured the yacht when we were in Scotland a few years ago, and it is magical.  I could only dream of touring the empire on such a floating palace.

Study of a Queen

04 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by pat in Art, Art Museums & Exhibitions, History, paintings, sketching, The Royal Family, Uncategorized

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Annigoni, Portrait, Queen Elizabeth II, The National Portrait Gallery

With the celebration of the Queen’s 60th Anniversary of her coronation this week, there is an opportunity to see some amazing portraits circulating. One that caught my attention is  Study for the portrait ‘Her Majesty in Robes of the British Empire’  by Pietro Annigoni in 1969.

© Royal Collection Trust/ © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2012.

© Royal Collection Trust/ © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2012.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The study, done in oil distemper and pastel and measuring  more than life-size at about 16 x 24″, was commissioned by the Trustees of the National Portrait Gallery. The Queen is wearing the red cloak of the British Empire.

Fifteen years earlier, Annigoni had painted the young Queen for the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers, in a romantic rendering of her wrapped in the dark blue cloak of the Order of the Garter.

HM Queen Elizabeth II by Pietro Annigoni, 1955

HM Queen Elizabeth II by Pietro Annigoni, 1955

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I love about the study for the second portrait in red, is how the artist seems to have captured her strength and…well… her majesty so effortlessly. His concentration in the sketch is totally on her face.

For the 1969 portrait Annigoni was granted 18 sitting over a period of eight months.  The result of his first 8 sittings was this study in oil and pastel of the head and shoulders of Her Majesty against a dark night sky.

The final portrait can be seen at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Queen Elizabeth II by Pietro Annigoni, tempera grassa on paper panel, 1969, 78 x 70 inches, © National Portrait Gallery, London

Queen Elizabeth II by Pietro Annigoni, tempera grassa on paper panel, 1969, 78 x 70 inches, © National Portrait Gallery, London

 

The Flotilla on the Thames

03 Sunday Jun 2012

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

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Damian Hirst, Diamond Jubilee Flotilla, Queen Elizabeth II, Tate Modern

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.

 

 

Happy Diamond Jubilee

06 Monday Feb 2012

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

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Diamond Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II

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.

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Flotilla

28 Monday Nov 2011

Posted by pat in England, Sailing, The Royal Family, Travel, Uncategorized

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boats, Diamond Jubilee River Pageant, Duchess of Cambridge, Duke of Cambridge, Queen Elizabeth II, River Thames, sailing

There is a major press event this evening (Monday 11/28) – a reception hosted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace for journalists expected to cover the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee next year.

According to the UK Press Association release, “In honour of the guests the palace’s East Gallery will be renamed the Tweet Suite for the night – for those who want to post online messages – and the space will also contain displays about the Queen’s Golden and Silver Jubilees.”  A Tweet Suite. You’ve got to love it! It’s a new age.

The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expected to attend and mingle with the press.

June 2012 is the celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee in honor of her 60 year reign. There are many special events planned, but the one that I feel has the potential to be the most memorable will be the Diamond Jubilee River Pageant at high water on the afternoon of June 3rd.

Photo by Azeri

As the London mayor’s press release reveals, the Queen will lead a massive flotilla of up to one thousand boats beautifully dressed in streamers and union jacks. The boats will be assembled from across the UK, the Commonwealth and around the world.  The event organizers are planning for well over one million people lining the banks of the Thames to join in the celebration and witness the grand parade of boats.

Canaletto, "Westminster Bridge from the north on Lord Mayor's Day" oil painting, 1746

The flotilla is expected to measure 7.5 miles from end to end and will be one of the major focal points of the celebration during the special Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend. The plan is that there will be a diverse mix of historic and modern; from rowed boats to sailing ships, steamers to wooden launches and larger motorized craft.The flotilla specially aims to “capture the diversity of Britain and the Commonwealth’s proud maritime history”.

The Diamond Jubilee River Pageant will have music, and fireworks and special effects. The flotilla will be made up of 5 special sections, each separated by a “herald barge” the first of which will be a floating belfry of eight new bells.  Their peals will be answered and echoed by chimes from riverbank churches along the route. There are even plans for special daytime fireworks and a mechanical flame spitting dragon. Yikes! What fun!

It promises to be a spectacular event, and even though the deadline for boat entries passed on October 31st, it makes me want to find a boat and join in the excitement. Maybe we’ll have to settle for a spot on the shore.

If you want information on this extraordinary, historical event, go to the Thames Diamond Jubilee pageant site for full details.

The Queen and I and New Technology

06 Sunday Nov 2011

Posted by pat in England, The Royal Family, Uncategorized

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British Monarchy, Queen Elizabeth II

I came across an article today about the Queen joining Flickr. I am so proud of myself as a blogging newbie learning the appropriate technology necessary to create accentBritain. It’s nice to know the British Monarchy feels the same way about trying new things…

The Queen signs up to Flickr

These aren’t your average family snapshots.

Queen Elizabeth II is joining other proud parents starting Monday in showing off and sharing her photo albums – and those of the House of Windsor – on the online Flickr photo site.

The launch of the British Monarchy Flickr account will beef up Buckingham Palace’s online presence, adding to its Twitter account and YouTube channel. The site will stream the latest images of royal engagements as well as contain historic photos from the archives, the palace said.

Here is a family with history. More than 600 photos will be available for viewing at the launch – and many stretch back into the glories of the ancestors.

There’s a sepia-toned wedding picture of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, their hands clasped, their faces turned to one another during a blissful moment in 1854. Another black and white picture captures Elizabeth’s parents – King George VI and the queen mother, gazing adoringly upon the fair, curly haired toddler who later became the monarch.

Browsing will be made easy with the images grouped under different themes.

Each family member has their own gallery – those who can’t get enough of say, Prince Harry, will find all his images in one handy folder. (There’s one for William fans, too.) Another gallery groups together snapshots of the queen’s recent visits to Canada and New York City. A “behind the scenes” collection shows the royal household at work during a state banquet.

The palace’s current website has a photo gallery, but it doesn’t have as many pictures and those available aren’t organized for such easy perusal.

But don’t even think about sharing any thoughts on the site about how Prince Charles might look in his diapers. Users won’t be able to leave comments on the photos.

However, people using Flickr can share and embed the royal photos in blogs and social media, officials said.

The Flickr account is just the latest step in the centuries-old monarchy’s efforts to keep up with modern technology.

After podcasting the annual Christmas queen’s speech for the first time in 2006, Buckingham Palace began broadcasting official videos on YouTube.

Last year, the monarchy even ventured into online social networking. The British Monarchy Twitter account now tweets regularly to update its nearly 50,000 followers on all the latest royal news.

It’s not clear, though, whether the 84-year-old queen herself is an eager Flickr user.

“We never comment on the queen’s personal use of technology,” a spokeswoman said, while speaking on condition of anonymity in line with palace policy.

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