August 22, 2015 is the 530th anniversary of the Battle of Bosworth Field, the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses, where the last king of the House of York and the Plantagenet dynasty, 32 year-old King Richard III of England, lost his life and his crown. The battle was a decisive victory for the House of Lancaster, whose leader Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, became the first monarch of the House of Tudor. Richard’s remains were rediscovered in 2012 and reburied at Leicester Cathedral on March 26, 2015.
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Category Archives: British Royals
Royal Lodge, Windsor
by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2015
Royal Lodge
Set on 40 hectares within Windsor Great Park, Royal Lodge has been the official residence of The Duke of York since 2004. It is perhaps best known as the residence of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, who lived there for over 70 years until her death in 2002.
There appears to have been a house on the property as far back as the mid-1600s, and by the mid- 1700s, it was used as part of an adjacent dairy. At different times, it was known as Lower Lodge, Great Lodge, and Dairy Lodge. It then became the home of the Deputy Ranger of Windsor Great Park and was known as the Deputy Ranger’s House.
In 1812, the Prince Regent (later King George IV) used the house as temporary lodgings while he undertook the rebuilding of nearby Cumberland Lodge, which was his intended residence. The house became known as the Prince Regent’s Cottage. He expanded the house, which then became known as King’s Cottage following his accession, with the intention of using it to house guests during Royal Ascot. In 1825, the Royal Chapel of All Saints was built, as the chapels in both the King’s Cottage and Cumberland Lodge were too small to accommodate the household. Around this time, the house became known as Royal Lodge.
When William IV became King in 1830, he ordered the demolition of the house and had it rebuilt more in the style which we see today. For the next 100 years, it was used primarily as a residence for officers of the Royal Household.
In 1931, King George V gave the house to the Duke and Duchess of York (the future King George VI and Queen Elizabeth) as a country retreat. Two wings were added on each side, and the grounds were also developed further. Two lodges were constructed at the entrance to the estate, with three smaller cottages on either side of them. The following year, the people of Wales gave a small cottage – Y Bwthyn Bach – to then-Princess Elizabeth. The cottage sits on the grounds of Royal Lodge and was a favorite play site of Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, as well as later generations. The cottage was recently restored and updated by Princess Beatrice of York.
After their accession in 1936, George VI and Elizabeth took up residence at Windsor Castle but continued to use Royal Lodge regularly. Following the King’s death in 1952, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother returned to Royal Lodge and made it her home for the remainder of her life. It was here, on March 30, 2002, that The Queen Mother passed away, at the age of 101. The property was returned to the Crown Estate.
Following extensive renovations, Royal Lodge became the home of Prince Andrew, The Duke of York in 2004, who leased the property from the Crown Estate on a 75-year lease. In lieu of annual rent, it was agreed that he would make a one-time payment of £1million, as well as paying for the renovation in full (a project with exceeded £7.5million).
Learn more about the other British Royal Residences here!
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Bagshot Park
by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2015
Bagshot Park
Bagshot Park is the residence of The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and their family. It is comprised of 21 hectares within Windsor Great Park, near the village of Bagshot, Surrey, and includes the Mansion House, a block of stables, and several lodges. The property is owned by the Crown Estate, and has been leased to Prince Edward since March 1998. There are also two farms on the greater area of Bagshot Park, but these are not part of the property leased to the Earl and are independently managed by the Crown Estate.
The area now known as Bagshot Park was a favorite hunting ground of the Stuart kings, and several hunting lodges have been located there. The original house – known as Bagshot Lodge, was built in the 1630s as part of a series of small lodges for King Charles I. For many years, the house was leased by the Crown. One notable tenant was George Keppel, 3rd Earl of Albermarle (a distant relative of Queen Camilla), who lived there in the 1760s and 1770s, and made significant renovations to the property.
In 1798, the Mansion House was altered again for the Duke of Clarence (later King William IV) who lived there until 1816. At that point, Bagshot Park became the home of The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester following their wedding. The Duchess was Princess Mary, daughter of King George III, and her husband (and first cousin) was Prince William Frederick, son of Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, a brother of King George III. The Duchess retained Bagshot Park until her death in 1857. In the early 1860s, the property was given to Sir James Clark, Queen Victoria’s physician, upon his retirement. He lived there until his death in 1870.
A new house was built between 1875-1879, consisting of over 120 rooms, and the old house was demolished. Following his marriage, Bagshot Park became the home of Queen Victoria’s third son, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn and his wife, Princess Luise Margarete of Prussia. The Duke would remain at Bagshot Park until his death there in 1942.
After World War II, Bagshot was leased to the Ministry of Defense and was used to house the Army Chaplains Department. They remained there until 1996 when the leasehold was returned to the Crown. Soon after, Prince Edward expressed an interest in the estate and decided to lease the property from the Crown Estate.
Under the terms of the agreement, the property first needed extensive renovations which cost just under £ 3 million. The Crown contributed £1.6 million (received from the Ministry of Defense when they released the property), and Edward contributed the remaining £1.4 million. During the renovations, the rent was set at £5,000 per year and rose to £90,000 per year once the work was finished.
Learn more about the other British Royal Residences here!
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Frogmore House
by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2015
Frogmore House
Frogmore House is located on the Frogmore Estate in the private Home Park of Windsor Castle. Set on 33 acres, Frogmore was a favorite retreat of Queen Victoria. Within the grounds are the Royal Burial Ground, the Royal Mausoleum of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and the mausoleum for Queen Victoria’s mother, The Duchess of Kent. While no longer used as a residence, Frogmore House and the grounds are occasionally used by members of the Royal Family for official events and receptions, as well as private family functions.
Frogmore House was built between 1680-1684 and was leased out for many years. From 1709 until 1738, it was leased to George FitzRoy, Duke of Northumberland, an illegitimate son of King Charles II. Later tenants also included Edward Walpole, son of the Prime Minister. After taking the lease for several years, King George III purchased Frogmore for Queen Charlotte in 1792, to use as a retreat. Of course, renovations were needed to make it suitable for a royal residence, and the architect James Wyatt was hired to enlarge the house. The second floor was enlarged, and single-floor pavilions were added on the north and south sides of the house. These were later expanded to make room for a dining room and library to the south, and matching rooms to the north.
Queen Charlotte took great interest in the gardens, and is credited with much of the landscape which exists today. She and her daughters often spent time at Frogmore, indulging in their artistic pursuits, and some of their artwork is displayed throughout the house. The Queen had one of the principal rooms decorated by Mary Moser, a noted 18th century painter of flowers. The room is designed to look like an arbor open to the outside.
Following Queen Charlotte’s death in 1818, Frogmore was left to her daughter, Princess Augusta Sophia, who lived there until her death in 1840. The following year, Queen Victoria gave Frogmore to her mother, The Duchess of Kent, who died there in 1861. The house was then used occasionally by members of the Royal Family. Princess Alexandra, wife of the future King Edward VII, gave birth to her eldest son, Prince Albert Victor (Eddy) at Frogmore House in 1864. From 1866 until 1872, it was the home of Princess Helena, 3rd daughter of Queen Victoria, and her husband, Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein. During the reign of King Edward VII, the house was used by the future King George V and Queen Mary. And in 1923, the future King George VI and Queen Elizabeth spent part of their honeymoon at Frogmore.
Perhaps most associated with Frogmore is Queen Mary. From 1925 (following the death of the Dowager Queen Alexandra) until her own death in 1953, Queen Mary spent large amounts of time at Frogmore, arranging and cataloging many of the royal treasures that she acquired. These efforts have transformed the house into, in her own words, “a family souvenir museum, as well as a museum of bygones and of interesting odds and ends.” She also reworked some of the gardens
The Duke of Edinburgh has also contributed to Frogmore. Following the decommissioning of the Royal Yacht Britannia in 1997, the Duke designed the Britannia Room (formerly Queen Charlotte’s library, and Queen Mary’s dining room), displaying items that reflect the interior of the yacht. Prominent in the room is a large mahogany table which was made for the yacht in the 1950s.
Today, Frogmore House is occasionally used by the Royal Family for meetings and receptions, as well as private functions. In 2008, it was the site of the reception following the wedding of The Queen’s eldest grandson, Peter Phillips, and Autumn Kelly, and in 2018, hosted the evening reception following the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Other buildings on the grounds include:
– Queen Victoria’s Tea House, where The Queen often took her tea or lunch, and worked on her red boxes.
– Frogmore Cottage, which has often been used as a grace and favour residence. Initially a retreat for the daughters of Queen Charlotte, later residents included the American theologian Henry James, Sr in the 1840s, and Abdul Karim, Queen Victoria’s Indian servant, from 1897 until 1901. From 1925 until 1936, King George loaned the cottage to his first cousin, Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia and her family. And in 2018, it was announced the Frogmore Cottage, following an extensive renovation, would become the official residence of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The couple took up residence in early April 2019, prior to the birth of their first child. The cottage changed from the Sussexes “official residence” to “private residence” as of April 2021, when the couple stepped down from official duties on behalf of the Royal Family. In addition to reimbursing the Crown Estate 2.4 million pounds for the cost of renovations, the Sussexes also pay a commercial rent monthly for the property.
– The Duchess of Kent Mausoleum, which is the burial site of Queen Victoria’s mother, The Duchess of Kent. When construction began, it was intended that the top part of the building would serve as a summer house for the Duchess, while the lower part was designed to be her final resting place. However, the Duchess died before construction was completed, and the upper portion became part of the mausoleum.
– The Royal Mausoleum, which is the final resting place of Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert. It was built in 1861-1862 following the death of Prince Albert, and contains the couple’s large marble tomb. There are also several memorials to other members of the Queen’s family, including her daughter Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse, and her father, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent.
Surrounding the Royal Mausoleum is the Royal Burial Ground. It was established in 1928, and eight members of the royal family, previously interred in the Royal Crypt at St. George’s Chapel, were reburied here. It has become traditional for non-reigning members of the royal family to be buried here.
Learn more about the other British Royal Residences here!
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Marlborough House
by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2015
Marlborough House
Marlborough House was last used as a royal residence for Queen Mary of the United Kingdom, who lived there until her death in 1953. It is located just east of St. James’s Palace in London.
Although it was built on Crown land, Marlborough House wasn’t originally intended to be a royal residence. It was built in the early 1700s for Sarah Churchill, The Duchess of Marlborough and close confidante of Queen Anne of the United Kingdom. The land was then part of the grounds of St. James’s Palace, facing Pall Mall, and backing up onto The Mall. The noted architect Christopher Wren and his son designed the house to the specifications of the Duchess. Marlborough House would serve as the London residence of the Dukes of Marlborough until 1817 when it was taken over by the Crown.
That year it became the London residence of Princess Charlotte of Wales and her husband, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg (later King Leopold I of the Belgians). Sadly, Princess Charlotte died later that year, and Leopold only used the home occasionally in the following years. Following the accession of King William IV in 1830, Marlborough House was given to his wife, Queen Adelaide, for the remainder of her life. After her death in 1849, it housed the National Art Training School (now the Royal College of Art) from 1852-1861. Following a two-year renovation, which included the addition of rooms on the north side as well as a large porch, Marlborough House became the London residence of the newly married Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and his wife, Princess Alexandra of Denmark, in 1863. Several of their children were born here, including the future King George V in 1865. Marlborough House also became the center of London society, with Edward and Alexandra’s close circle of friends becoming known as the Marlborough House Set.
Edward and Alexandra moved to Buckingham Palace following his accession in 1901, and Marlborough House became the home of the new Prince and Princess of Wales (later King George V and Queen Mary). Following Edward VII’s death in 1910, George and Mary moved to Buckingham Palace, and the Dowager Queen Alexandra returned to her beloved Marlborough House, where she would remain until her death in 1925. (Click here for a photo of Queen Alexandra’s bedroom, c1912, from the Royal Collection Trust.) Some changes were made the property, including the relocation of the main entrance gate which originally sat on Pall Mall. The entrance was moved to Marlborough Road, which passes between Marlborough House and St. James’s Palace. Following the death of King George V in 1936, Queen Mary returned to Marlborough House where she remained until her death in 1953.
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother had expressed her desire to move there following her husband’s death in 1952, but it was determined that Marlborough House would need extensive refurbishment and would be too expensive to maintain. Clarence House, which had recently been renovated for then-Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, was instead where The Queen Mother would make her home for the remainder of her life.
In 1959, Queen Elizabeth II gave Marlborough House to the British government to be used for the Commonwealth. It has been the home of the Commonwealth Secretariat since its establishment in 1965 and also houses the Commonwealth Foundation. As well as being the working home of the Commonwealth, Marlborough House often hosts conferences and summit meetings of the Commonwealth Heads of Government. There is also a reception every year on Commonwealth Day, which is attended by King Charles III in his role as Head of the Commonwealth.
The Marlborough House Gardens, at the back of the house overlooking The Mall, contain a thatched-roof rotating summer house built for Queen Mary, as well as Queen Alexandra’s pet cemetery.
Learn more about the other British Royal Residences here!
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St. James’s Palace
by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2015
St. James’s Palace
Although no longer used as a residence for the Sovereign, St. James’s Palace is the official palace of the British Monarchy. Used primarily for official functions and office space, it also contains the London residences of The Princess Royal and Princess Alexandra, The Hon. Lady Ogilvy. Princess Beatrice of York has an apartment there as well. Adjoining St. James’s Palace is Clarence House, currently the London home of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. (Read more about Clarence House HERE!)
St. James’s Palace was commissioned by King Henry VIII as a smaller residence than Whitehall Palace, which was the sovereign’s residence at the time. It was built between 1531-1536 on the site of a former leper hospital dedicated to Saint James the Less, which is where the palace gets its name. The palace consists of numerous wings built around several courtyards – Colour Court, Ambassador’s Court, Engine Court, and Friary Court. Perhaps the most recognized part of the palace is the Tudor Gatehouse on the northern wing. Spanning four stories, it is flanked by two octagonal towers and features a large central clock (which was added later, in 1731).
The palace was used by successive sovereigns as a secondary palace, and in 1638, King Charles I gave the palace to his mother-in-law, Marie de Medici who lived there for several years. It was at St. James’s Palace that King Charles I was confined prior to his execution in 1649. Oliver Cromwell converted the palace to barracks during the English Interregnum of 1649-1660. Following the restoration of the monarchy, King Charles II returned the palace to its former glory and laid out the expansive St. James’s Park. After Whitehall Palace was destroyed by fire in 1698, St. James’s Palace became a regular residence of the British sovereigns (although many preferred to live at Kensington Palace which had been purchased in the late 1680s).
St. James’s Palace became the working center of the monarchy, housing many of the offices of the royal court, as well as the offices of the German Chancery during the personal union with the Kingdom of Hanover. Kings George I and II used the palace occasionally, and both provided apartments there for their mistresses. A fire in 1809 destroyed much of the eastern and southern wings of the palace, including the private apartments of the King, located in the southeast corner of the building. While the State Rooms were restored, much of the rest of this section was not rebuilt. This resulted in the Queen’s Chapel being separated from the rest of the Palace complex, as it remains today.
While her predecessors used St. James’s Palace as one of their residences, Queen Victoria instead chose to make Buckingham Palace her primary residence. St. James’s Palace continued to be used for formal and official occasions and housed the private apartments of various royals and court officials. One of the more notable examples is Queen Victoria’s nephew, Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, who lived in a large suite of rooms in the southern wing, overlooking The Mall.
One part of the palace which continues to be used often is the Chapel Royal, located on the northern wing of the palace next to the gatehouse. The Chapel Royal has been the site of many royal weddings, including that of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840, and the future King George V and Princess Mary of Teck in 1893. It has also been the site of many royal christenings, including the 2013 christening of Prince George of Wales.
Today, the palace remains the official home of the British monarchy, and it is to the Court of St. James that foreign ambassadors are accredited. It also houses the offices of The Royal Collection and the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, as well as the Gentlemen at Arms and the Yeomen of the Guard who are based there. The Royal Philatelic Collection has been housed at St. James’s Palace since the early 2000s.
As the senior palace of the Monarchy, St James’s Palace also retains one very important ceremonial function. At the demise of the crown (the death of the Sovereign), the Accession Council convenes, and the accession of the new sovereign is proclaimed by the Garter King of Arms from the Proclamation Gallery, overlooking Friary Court.
Rarely seen by the public, the State Apartments are often the site of formal receptions and functions, particularly relating to the many charities patronized by members of the Royal Family. Following the announcement of their engagement in November 2010, Prince William and Catherine Middleton appeared at St. James’s Palace to greet the media. They also had their official engagement portraits taken there – a more formal photo taken in The Council Chamber (see above), and a more casual photo taken in the Cornwall Room.
Also part of St. James’s Palace is York House, located in the northwestern corner of the building. Built in 1736 for Frederick, Prince of Wales (son of King George II), York House has been the home of numerous members of the British Royal Family through the years, including Prince Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland (later King of Hanover). In 1893, it became the home of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George V and Queen Mary) until moving to Marlborough House in 1903. It became the home of the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) in 1919. Following his abdication in 1937, York House became the home of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, who remained there until 1970. They were followed by the present Duke and Duchess of Kent who lived at York House from 1972 until the mid-1990s. It then became the home of The Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, and his sons, following his separation from Diana, Princess of Wales.
Learn more about the other British Royal Residences here!
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Prince George being harassed by paparazzi
Kensington Palace released a disturbing letter regarding Prince George being harassed by the paparazzi.
Some highlights from the letter:
One recent incident – just last week – was disturbing, but not at all uncommon. A photographer rented a car and parked in a discreet location outside a children’s play area. Already concealed by darkened windows, he took the added step of hanging sheets inside the vehicle and created a hide stocked with food and drinks to get him through a full day of surveillance, waiting in hope to capture images of Prince George. Police discovered him lying down in the boot of the vehicle attempting to shoot photos with a long lens through a small gap in his hide.
This incident was not an isolated one. In recent months photographers have:
- on multiple occasions used long range lenses to capture images of The Duchess playing with Prince George in a number of private parks;
- monitored the movements of Prince George and his nanny around London parks and
- monitored the movements of other household staff;
- photographed the children of private individuals visiting The Duke and Duchess’s home;
- pursued cars leaving family homes;
- used other children to draw Prince George into view around playgrounds;
- been found hiding on private property in fields and woodland locations around The Duke and Duchess’s home in Norfolk;
- obscured themselves in sand dunes on a rural beach to take photos of Prince George playing with his grandmother;
- placed locations near the Middleton family home in Berkshire under steady surveillance
Death of James Carnegie, 3rd Duke of Fife, 12th Earl of Southesk, 2nd cousin of Queen Elizabeth II
A great grandson of King Edward VII, James Carnegie, 3rd Duke of Fife and 12th Earl of Southesk, died on June 22, 2015 at the age of 85. He was born on September 23, 1929, the only child of Princess Maud of Fife and Charles Carnegie, 11th Earl of Southesk. Princess Maud was the younger of the two daughters of Princess Louise, Princess Royal (daughter of King Edward VII) and Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife.
Long-term medication is not the only way viagra store usa to cure erectile dysfunction. Money are spent on CDs claiming to contain subliminal messages which discounts on cialis http://djpaulkom.tv/crakd-gravy-on-everything/ can help anyone to quit addictions, improve capabilities and alter personalities, just by listening to those CDs. One can easily get Kamagra online by placing an prices viagra generic order or you can also send your purchase request via post. If you do something complicated, you may need 6″, leaving 2″ for “other stuff.” As we age, our body undergoes constant wear and tear. http://djpaulkom.tv/author/saybz/page/8/ viagra sildenafil canada In 1959, James Carnegie succeeded his maternal aunt, Princess Arthur of Connaught, 2nd Duchess of Fife, as the 3rd Duke of Fife, because her only child, Alastair, 2nd Duke of Connaught, had predeceased her. James also succeeded his father upon his death in 1992 as the 12th Earl of Southesk and as Chief of the Clan Carnegie. Until his death, he was the first person in the line of succession to the British throne who was not a descendant of King George V. His son David Carnegie succeeds him as the 4th Duke of Fife and the 13th Earl of Southesk.
Wikipedia: James Carnegie, 3rd Duke of Fife
Telegraph: The Duke of Fife – Obituary
Royal Ascot
by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2015
This article discusses the history of Royal Ascot, and many of the details during the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II. With the accession of King Charles III in September 2022, it is likely that the events surrounding Royal Ascot will evolve. At that time, we will update the information below.
Each year, the third week of June marks Royal Ascot. Also known as the Royal Meeting, it is held from Tuesday through Saturday at the Ascot Racecourse, and has been a highlight of the royal calendar since the 1820s.
Queen Anne founded the Ascot Racecourse in 1711, and the inaugural event – Her Majesty’s Plate – was held later the same year. It would be some years later that the Royal Meeting would find its origins. The first 4-day meeting was held in 1768, but the current event seems to have begun with the first running of the Gold Cup in 1807, in the presence of King George III and Queen Charlotte. In 1813, Parliament enacted legislation to ensure that Ascot Racecourse would remain a public racecourse. A few years later, it was King George IV who began the tradition of the Royal Procession, marking the daily arrival of the Sovereign. Like many of her predecessors, Queen Elizabeth II attended nearly every year of her reign.
Comprised of over 30 races, in different classes, there are seven Group 1 events. The first is the Queen Anne Stakes, honoring the founder of the racecourse. The Group 1 events are:
- Queen Anne Stakes – Tuesday
- King’s Stand Stakes – Tuesday
- St James’s Palace Stakes – Tuesday
- Prince of Wales’s Stakes – Wednesday
- Ascot Gold Cup – Thursday
- Coronation Stakes – Friday
- Diamond Jubilee Stakes – Saturday
Of these, the most prominent is the Gold Cup, held on Thursday. The trophy was usually presented to the winner by The Queen. However, in 2013, The Queen was the winner! While she had 22 winners at Royal Ascot over the years, this was the one and only time that she won the Gold Cup. She was awarded the trophy by The Duke of York.
Each day begins with the Royal Procession, at which time the Queen and other members of the Royal Family processed in open horse-drawn carriages. They were often accompanied by other foreign royals, extended family, and invited guests. The procession travelled along the track, in front of the racegoers, and the Royal Standard was raised. The Queen then proceeded to the Royal Box in the Royal Enclosure to watch the day’s events.
The Royal Enclosure is the most exclusive area of the grounds, and access is very limited. Strict dress codes are also enforced, with women required to wear a dress and hat, and men required to wear morning dress with a top hat. Each year, one sees all kinds of hats – from very stylish and demure, to over-the-top creations. One wonders how one manages to see any of the racing when seated behind some of them!
And it isn’t just the hats that draw a lot of media attention. Massive amounts of wagers were placed on which color The Queen would be wearing each day of the event.
This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.
Garter Day – United Kingdom
by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2015
Each year in June, the Monday before Royal Ascot is known as Garter Day. Founded in 1348 by King Edward III, The Most Noble Order of the Garter is the oldest and most senior order of chivalry in the United Kingdom. Unlike many of the other orders and honours which are awarded on governmental advice, The Order of the Garter is solely in the gift of the Sovereign. New members are traditionally announced on St. George’s Day, April 23rd, as St. George is the patron saint of England. On Garter Day, new members are invested with the insignia of the order, and an installation service is held at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
By the 1800s, the services were only held occasionally, and at various times of the year. In 1948, the 600th anniversary of the founding of the Order, King George VI revived the tradition of an annual service and it has been held every year since.
Membership in The Order of the Garter is limited to the Sovereign, The Prince of Wales, and 24 Knights and Ladies Companion. In the early years of the order, women were admitted as Ladies of the Garter but were not considered Companions. This practice ended in 1488 after King Henry VII appointed his mother as the last Lady of the Garter. Over 400 years later, King Edward VII created his consort, Queen Alexandra, a Lady of the Garter in 1901, beginning a tradition that continued with Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth in 1910 and 1936 respectively. Finally, in 1987, the statutes were revised to allow women to be Ladies Companion.
- Wikipedia: List of Knights and Ladies of the Garter 1348 – present
- Wikipedia: List of current Knights and Ladies of the Garter
There are currently three open positions. The current members of the order (as of 2024), in order of seniority:
- The Duke of Abercorn (1999)
- The Lord Butler of Brockwell (2003)
- Sir John Major (2005)
- The Lord Luce (2008)
- Sir Thomas Dunne (2008)
- The Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers (2011)
- Marshal of the Royal Air Force The Lord Stirrup (2013)
- The Baroness Manningham-Buller (2014)
- The Lord King of Lothbury (2014)
- The Lord Shuttleworth (2016)
- Viscount Brookeborough (2018)
- Lady Mary Fagan (2018)
- The Marquess of Salisbury (2019)
- Lady Mary Peters (2019)
- The Baroness Amos (2022)
- Sir Tony Blair (2022)
- The Baroness Ashton of Upholland (2023)
- The Lord Patton of Barnes (2023)
- The Baron Peach (2024)
- The Baron Kakkar (2024)
- The Lord Lloyd-Webber (2024)
In addition to the limited membership, there are two additional categories – Royal Knights and Ladies, and Stranger Knights and Ladies. The Royal Knights and Ladies of the Garter are members of the British Royal Family. This category was added by King George III in 1786 so that he could bestow the order on his many sons without infringing upon the statutory limit of 24 members. By statute, this group is limited to descendants of King George I. Currently, the Royal Knights and Ladies of the Garter are:
- HRH The Duke of Kent (1985)
- HRH The Princess Royal (1994)
- HRH The Duke of Gloucester (1996)
- HRH Princess Alexandra, The Hon. Lady Ogilvy (2003)
- HRH The Duke of York (2006)
- HRH The Earl of Wessex (2006)
- HRH The Prince of Wales (2008)
- HM The Queen Consort (2022)
- HRH The Duchess of Gloucester (2024)
The Stranger Knights and Ladies of the Garter are foreign sovereigns who have been awarded the Order, the first being Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia in 1813. Currently, there are eight Stranger Knights and Ladies, three of whom are former reigning monarchs:
- HM Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (1979)
- HM The King of Sweden (1983)
- HM King Juan Carlos I of Spain (1988)
- HRH Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands (1989)
- HIM The Emperor Emeritus (Akihito) of Japan (1998)
- HM The King of Norway (2001)
- HM The King of Spain (2017)
- HM The King of the Netherlands (2018)
- HM The Emperor of Japan (2024)
And finally, there are six officers of the Order:
- Prelate – since 1348, traditionally held by the Bishop of Winchester (currently The Right Reverend Philip Mounstephen)
- Chancellor – since 1937, held by a Knight Companion of the Order (currently The Baroness Manningham-Buller – appointed 2024)
- Register – since 1558, held by the Dean of Windsor (currently The Right Reverend Christopher Cocksworth, Dean of Windsor)
- Garter Principal King of Arms (currently David White)
- Gentleman or Lady Usher of the Black Rod (currently Sarah Clarke)
- Secretary – since 1952, held by an officer of the College of Arms (currently Patric Dickinson, former Clarenceux King of Arms)
Garter Day begins with an Investment ceremony for any new members, followed by a luncheon for the members and their spouses. After lunch, they all process, on foot, through the wards of Windsor Castle to St. George’s Chapel where a service is held, and new members are formally installed. Following the service, they all return, by carriage and car, to the castle.
Inside St. George’s Chapel, each companion is assigned a stall, over which is displayed a banner of his or her Arms, along with a helmet, crest and sword and a brass enameled stall plate. Upon the companions’ death, these are all removed, but the stall plate remains. Today, the walls of St. George’s Chapel are adorned with the stall plates of most of the members of the Order since its creation.
The Investment Ceremony
If there are any new members of the order, the day begins with an Investiture ceremony held in the Throne Room at Windsor Castle. The Knights are assembled (with their spouses seated at the rear of the room), and The Sovereign, followed by the Royal Knights, is led into the Throne Room by the Garter King of Arms and Black Rod.
Each new knight is called forward and stands before The Sovereign. While the Prelate reads out the oath and admonitions of the order, the new member is invested with the various insignia. A Page of Honour attaches the garter to the recipient’s leg. The Sovereign places the Riband over the left shoulder and then pins on the Star of the Order. With the assistance of two current Knights (chosen by the new member), the mantle is placed on the new member, followed by the Collar of the Order.
Once all new members have been invested with the insignia, the ceremony is over and they all proceed to the Waterloo Chamber where The Sovereign hosts a luncheon for the members and officers of the Order and their spouses. (You can read more about the insignia of the Order of the Garter, as well as the other British Orders and Honours, here.)
Procession to St. George’s Chapel
Following the luncheon, the members of the Order process to St. George’s Chapel, in the lower ward of Windsor Castle, for the Garter service. Led by the Military Knights of Windsor, the Knights and Ladies Companion head the procession, followed by the Stranger Knights (who rarely attend) and the Royal Knights and Ladies in order of precedence. The officers then process, followed by The Sovereign.
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