Prince
John of the United Kingdom was the fifth son and the youngest child of King George V and
Queen Mary. Born in 1905 when his parents were the Prince and Princess
of Wales, he showed signs of mental retardation or autism by the time of
his fourth birthday, and suffered an epileptic seizure that year. He
was not attendant at the coronation of his father and mother in 1911,
and was sent to live at Sandringham, the Royal family's private estate
in Norfolk, where he was cared for by his nanny, Charlotte "Lala" Bill.
Members of the family continued to spend time with John whenever
possible, and the King and Queen were especially close to him.
However, as his condition deteriorated, it was decided to end his
formal education, and he was slowly withdrawn from the public eye. With
the outbreak of World War I, John saw less of his family since they were
either at boarding school, in the military, or conducting other royal
duties. In 1917, he was sent to live at Wood Farm, a cottage in a
secluded corner of Sandringham, where he was under the sole care of Lala
Bill, it was around this time that physicians warned the family that
John might not survive to adulthood. Queen Mary brought in local
schoolchildren to be playmates for John, and he developed a close
companionship with Winifred Thomas, and girl from West Yorkshire who was
sent to live with her aunt and uncle (who was in charge of the stables
on the estate) in the hopes that the warmer climate would improve her
asthma.
Nevertheless, John's seizures got worse, and though he was able to be
with his family for Christmas in 1918, the epilepsy and possible autism
were taking its toll, and he died in the following year. It was only
then that news about his epilepsy was released to the public. He was
buried at St. Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham Estate.
To this day, John's treatment and seclusion has been held as an example
of heartlessness on the part of Royal family, but the diary entries of
Queen Mary and personal accounts from people around John and the family
depict them has having concern for John. His seclusion from the public
had more to do with his personal safety and to keep him from large
public settings due to his condition. The British Epileptic Association
has stated that John's treatment was not different from that of
epileptics at the time, and that it would take a generation and further
studies of epileptics to conclude that such people need not be secluded
or locked away.
1265 – The first English parliament conducts its first meeting held by Simon de Montfort in the Palace of Westminster.
Westminster Hall, the venue of the first English parliament.
The Parliament was summoned on December 14, 1264 by Simon de Montfort,
the French-born nobleman who was the leader of a rebellion against King
Henry III, and who was against the King's use of near absolute power
without the council of the wider community of the realm. De Montfort had defeated Henry at the Battle of Lewes earlier that year, captured his son Edward, and forced him to become a king in name only whilst De Montfort and his government of barons ruled in the King's name.
Previous parliaments and assemblies had been gathered beforehand, but this Parliament was the first to include elected representatives for the counties and boroughs, which expanded its membership beyond the titled nobility. Although it was not summoned or sanctioned by the King, it is considered to be the first meeting of Parliament as we know it today.
1356 – Edward Balliol gives up his claims to the Scottish Crown.
Arms of the Kingdom of Scotland
Balliol was the son of John Balliol, the deposed and disgraced King of Scotland. Edward III of England - whose grandfather Edward I had all but placed John Balliol on the Scottish throne - backed Edward's attempt to seize the throne from David II of Scotland, who was still a child upon the death of his father, Robert the Bruce. Taking advantage of the unstable political environment, Balliol took the Crown and managed to briefly rule Scotland from 1332 to 1336, when he was deposed by forces loyal to King David. Balliol lived for the rest of his life on an English pension in obscurity.
1649 – Charles I of England, Scotland, and Ireland goes on trial for treason and other "high crimes".
Trial of King Charles I
The trial was conducted by the
Rump Parliament of England, which had expelled members who were allies of the King, or at least willing to negotiate with him over the Church, taxation, the army, and other issues over which Parliament had been fighting the King for several years.
It declared itself the supreme power of the land, with the
right to make laws without the consent of the King or the House of
Lords, and its members viewed Charles as a treasonous tyrant who must
pay for his crimes against England. The King's "crimes" were numerous, including the accusations that he attempted to rule with the consent of Parliament, but what broke the camel's back for some parliamentarian's was Charles's collusion with the Scots, who had invaded England to help place Charles back on his throne and to wipe out the Parliamentarian-backed New Model Army.
The King refused to recognize the trial, believing it to be illegitimate on the grounds that as King, he was answerable only to God and that an earthly court had no jurisdiction. However the court responded that has King, he was entrusted with limited power according to the laws of the land. The eventual result of the trial was the King's conviction and execution on January 30, 1649.
1936 - George V dies and his eldest son becomes Edward VIII becomes King of the United Kingdom.
George V
At his beloved estate at Sandringham, the King - who had celebrated his Silver Jubilee during the previous year - went to bed on the 15th of January complaining about a cold. He grew weaker and slipped in and out of consciousness over the next couple of days, during which he asked his secretary: "How is the Empire?" The secretary replied: "All is well, sir, with the Empire", and the King gave a smile before becoming unconscious again. On the night of the 20th, the King bellowed "God damn you!" to his nurse as she was giving him sedative, in what would be his last words, before passing away just before midnight.
In 1986, it was revealed that the leading physician, Lord Dawson, had hastened the King's death by injecting him with cocaine and morphine. Dawson, whose wrote this and other information about that night in his diary, explained that this was done to prevent more stress on the royal family and to ensure that the death occurred at around 11:55 PM so that it would be featured in The Times and other respectable morning publicans, as opposed to what he termed "less appropriate ... evening journals."
Edward VIII as Prince of Wales in 1919.
Upon George's death, his eldest son Edward, Prince of Wales became Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, the British Dominions, and Emperor of India. Edward would abdicated before the year was out, and was succeed by his brother Albert, Duke of York, who became George VI. Thus did 1936 became known as the Year of the Three Kings.
1965 – Birth of Sophie, Countess of Wessex
HRH The Countess of Wessex
Today, the Countess of Wessex, wife of Prince Edward - the youngest child of the Queen - turns 49 years old.
Sophie is the daughter of a tire salesman and a secretary, and after completing her schooling, she worked in the public relations industry for several years. She met Prince Edward in 1993, and the couple were married in 1999 at a ceremony in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. They have two children: Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James Mountbatten-Windsor, Viscount Severn.
Since becoming a full-time working member of the Royal family in 2002, she has gradually come into her own as important part of
the monarchy with her brand of grace and charm. Her public profile has increased as she hosted numerous receptions, including one at Buckingham Palace last year to commemorate the 50th anniversary
of the Doctor Who television series. The Countess has also made several official visits - either solo or with Edward - to represent the Queen, as well as herself, and in October of last year, she became the first Global Ambassador of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award while in South Africa, where she was
learning how the award's scheme was helping to improve the prospects of
young people in a local community.
Sophie is said to be on very good terms with the Queen. They share an interest in history (especially military history in Sophie's case), and have been known to spend hours together in the archives under Windsor Castle. According to Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, courtiers report that the Countess fills in the gap of female companionship left by the late Princess Margaret - the Queen's only sibling - and her mother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.
In 871, King Æthelred of Wessex fought and was defeated at the Battle of Reading by Danish invaders alongside his brother, who would become Alfred the Great.
Charles I of England, Scotland, and Ireland
In 1642, King Charles I entered the House of Commons at the Palace of Westminster with armed soldiers to arrest the following five Members of Parliament:
John Hampden, MP for Buckinghamshire
Arthur Haselrig, MP for Leicestershire
Denzil Holles, MP for Dorchester
John Pym, MP for Tavistock
William Strode, MP for Bere Alston
Charles was a devout establishment Anglican who believed that these Puritan men had encouraged the Presbyterian Scots to invade England during the Bishops Wars, and were plotting to turn the people of London against him. He then decided to have the members arrested for treason. Upon entering the Commons, Charles sat in the Speaker's chair and demanded that the men be handed over. When he realized that the men were not there, he said: "I see the birds have flown," and then asked the Speaker of the House, William Lenthall, if he had knowledge of their movements or had seen them earlier. Lenthall replied that he was a servant of the Commons, and as such, was not authorized to speak unless the members directed him to do so. As it was, the five members had been warned about Charles and escaped by boat through the back of the Commons chamber facing the River Thames, while the King and his soldiers entered from the landward side at the front.
This ill-fated move by King Charles stiffened Parliamentary resolve against him and he lost the support of London. He moved his court to Oxford, and from there the battle lines were drawn for the English part of the British Civil Wars.
King Charles awaiting his trial.
Exactly seven years to the day after Charles I attempted to arrest the Five Members, and in so doing, started the English Civil Wars, it was decided by the Rump Parliament to put the King on trial for treason.
Charles had been a prisoner of the English Parliament at the end of the First English Civil War, but attempted to make deals various parties. In 1647, he made a deal (in bad faith, likely) with his Scottish subjects to establish Presbyterianism throughout the British Isles if they sent an army to invade England and restore him to his throne in London. The result was the Royalist Uprising in May 1648 and the Second Civil War in which the Scots invaded England and several rebellions took place in Kent, Essex, Cumberland, and South Wales. The Parliamentarian New Model Army, composed mainly of religious Independents with no loyalty to established faiths, crushed the rebellions and defeated the Scots at the Battle of Preston. The Presbyterian-dominated Parliament voted to continue negotiations with the King, but Oliver Cromwell and the Army were through with negotiating. They seized the King, placed him under their direct custody, and then purged Parliament of the 150-strong Presbyterian majority, leaving a "rump" (or remainder) of 50 Independents. This Rump Parliament declared itself the supreme power of the land, with the right to make laws without the consent of the King or the House of Lords, and its members viewed Charles as a treasonous tyrant who must pay for his crimes against England. The eventual result was the King's trial, conviction, and execution on January 30, 1649.
The Banqueting Hall on Whitehall Road
In 1698, the Palace of Whitehall in London was destroyed by fire.
It was originally known as York House, and was occupied and expanded by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in the 15th Century. Following Wolsey's removal by Henry VIII, the King acquired the building and made further renovations and expansions.
It became a principal royal residence, and at it's height, the Palace complex was the largest in Europe - bigger than the Vatican and Versailles, containing over 1,500 rooms and covering 23 acres of central London.
With regard to the fire, it was reported that a Dutch servant left linen drying
by a charcoal fire. The fire got out of control, creating an inferno which spread rapidly, and burned down the entire complex. Notable works of art, including Michelangelo’s Cupid and Holbein’s original famous portrait of Henry VIII, were lost to the flames. Only the Banqueting House survived.
The Banqueting House had been designed and built in 1622 by Inigo Jones under James VI & I. It was from this building that James's son Charles I was led onto an outdoor scaffold and executed before the public.
Today, the Palace gives its name to Whitehall Road, on which many administrative buildings of the British government are located, which is why such agencies are collectively referred to as "Whitehall."
George V, King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions Beyond the Seas, Emperor of India
In 1912, King George V issued a Royal Charter that incorporated the Boy Scout Association (now the Scout Association) throughout the British Empire for "the purpose of instructing boys of all classes in the principles of discipline loyalty and good citizenship."
Scouting had been the brainchild of Brigadier-General Robert Baden-Powell, and after the formation of several Scouting patrols and the wildly successful publication of his book, Scouting for Boys, the Scouting Movement had become widespread. The Boy Scout Association was created in 1910 to bring a national structure to the Scouts in the United Kingdom, and the Movement spread out across the Empire and the world. In the same year that the Royal Charter was issued, the Boy Scouts of America was formed, and eventually received its own charter from the US Congress.
Today, the Scout Movement numbers over 40 million members worldwide (including yours truly) - which is a combination of Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Girl Guides, and various co-educational groups. In the United Kingdom, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent is the President of the Scout Association and the Queen is its Patron. Photo Credit: Hogweard via Wikimedia Commonscc
Queen Elizabeth II delivering her Christmas Message last year.
One of the most enduring traditions of the modern monarchy is
the Queen’s Christmas Message which is broadcasted on Christmas Day in the
United Kingdom and throughout the Commonwealth of Nations. Begun in 1932 as a
radio broadcast by King George V, it is now delivered by his granddaughter
Elizabeth II on television, radio, and the Internet.
The message is significant because unlike most speeches the
Queen gives throughout the year, this one is not written by elected officials
and their staffs. Instead, it is a message that conveys the Queen’s personal
thoughts on current issues and concerns of the day, as well as her reflections
on the Christmas season and its meaning to her and to the people of the
Commonwealth. It also acts a summary of events of a personal, national, and
global nature that have affected the Queen and her viewers/listeners over the
past year.
In this respect, the format of the annual broadcast has not
changed since the first one was delivered by George V almost 81 years ago.
The idea of the Christmas broadcast was the brainchild of
Sir John Reith, the founding director-general of the British Broadcasting
Corporation (BBC), which had been in existence for only a decade. Sir John
wanted a live message delivered by the King-Emperor to the British Empire as
way of inaugurating the BBC Empire Service, but George V was hesitant about
using the relatively untested medium of radio. He was eventually persuaded to
go ahead with it, and temporary studio was set up at Sandringham House – the
royal family’s private winter retreat. He also took a few lessons and practice
sessions in front of the microphone in preparation for the live broadcast over
what was then called the “wireless.”
George V delivering the first royal Christmas broadcast.
At 3:05 PM on Christmas Day 1932, King George V gave out the
first royal Christmas broadcast to his Empire – using a speech which had been
written by Rudyard Kipling and began with the line: “I speak now from my home
and from my heart to you all.” He went on to say, “I speak now from my home and
from my heart to you all; to men and women so cut off by the snows, the desert,
or the sea, that only voices out of the air can reach them”, which was an
acknowledgment of how the new radio technology was able to bring people
together in a common unifying experience.
As it was, the King’s Christmas broadcast proved to very
popular – listened to by a global audience of over 20 million from the UK to
India and Australia to Canada. The King would go on to give a Christmas
broadcast every year for the remainder of his reign.
When George V died in 1936, he was succeeded by his eldest
son as Edward VIII, but he abdicated the throne before he could relay a
broadcast himself. In this aftermath of the Abdication Crisis, Edward’s younger
brother George VI did not give a Christmas broadcast that year, but did give
one at the end of his coronation year in 1937. In it, he thanked the nation and
Empire for their unity and support as he assumed the reins of kingship.
George VI - seen with Queen Elizabeth and Eleanor Roosevelt - helped to maintain the spirits of the people in Britain and the Empire during the war.
Such unity and support was needed more than ever during
World War II, and it was George VI who, through the power of the microphone,
provided reassurance and a sense of continuity to his peoples across the Empire
as the war dragged on. His broadcasts helped to maintain and boost morale on
the home front and within the armed forces in the face of dark and difficult
times with statements like this: “A new year is at hand. We cannot tell what it
will bring. If it brings peace, how thankful we shall all be. If it brings us
continued struggle we shall remain undaunted.”
By the end of the war, the Christmas broadcast had become
firmly integrated into the traditions of Britain, the Commonwealth, and the
monarchy. George VI continued to deliver them live until 1951, when his ill
health forced him to record the message in intervals which were spliced together
for the actual broadcast. In it, he thanked the peoples of the British
Commonwealth and Empire for their sympathy and support during his illness, and
talked about his recovery and hopes for the New Year.
As it was, this was the King’s last Christmas message, for he
died on February 6, 1952. George VI was succeeded by his 25 year old daughter
Elizabeth, who delivered her first Christmas message at the end of year by
speaking about the now 20 year old tradition she was carrying from her father
and grandfather, and promised to continue their work of binding the peoples of
the Empire and Commonwealth together. Elizabeth II also thanked her subjects
for their support in the year of her accession, and asked for their continued
support and prayers for her with regard to the upcoming coronation in 1953.
Five years later in 1957, the message was delivered for the
first time on television. It was broadcasted live from Sandringham on Christmas
Day, and in it, the Queen commemorated the 25th anniversary of the first
broadcast by George V. This message added a new dimension to the annual speech,
for it allowed the people of Britain and the Commonwealth to see the Queen
speaking to them from her home to theirs, and Elizabeth II expressed her hope
that this new medium would allow her messages to be more personal and direct –
overcoming what she admitted was a remoteness about her, despite being
constantly seen in film and print. She mentioned how she and her family, like
other families around the world, gather around to watch television, and
displayed the fact that her family also observed the Christmas season by
decorating their home.
The Sovereign made mention of her overseas activities that
year – including the opening of the new Canadian Parliament as the Queen of
Canada, and her visits to the United States, Portugal, Denmark, and France as
Queen of her realms and as Head of the Commonwealth. She also relayed her
welcome to the Commonwealth’s newest independent members, Ghana and Malaya (now
Malaysia), and made it clear of her devotion to this brotherhood of nations,
and the British Islands from which it originated. She touched on the broad theme
of preserving timeless ideals values such as the importance of religion,
morality, honesty and self-restraint and spoke of the need for courage to stand
up for what is right, true and honest, and expressed her hope for the emerging
Commonwealth to be built and cherished on these and ideals and values. According
to her, there were cynics who did not care much for these values, considered
them to be old-fashioned, and were ready and willing to throw them away. Branching
out from this theme, the mission of Britain and the Commonwealth from the
Queen’s perspective was to boldly take these timeless ideals and carry them
proudly into the future and to show the world that they can be relevant to new
times and with the changing technology that among other things allowed people
to watch the Queen that day.
Themes addressed by the monarch have been an important part
of the message. They are developed months in advance as the Queen and her
advisors take stock of the events going on in the world and attempt to connect
them to a greater meaning for people (including the Queen herself) to reflect
upon. Common themes of Christmas messages include faith and religion, family
and community, unity and togetherness, service to others, duty and responsibility,
and hopes for a better new year. Events such as royal births and anniversaries,
natural disasters, terrorist attacks, feats of human achievement, contributions
to society, and moments of national celebration (i.e., the London Olympics last
year) have been highlighted in previous broadcasts over the years.
The broadcasts themselves were once live, but have been prerecorded
since 1960, so that the film could be transported to all of the overseas
Commonwealth realms in time for Christmas Day and aired at a convenient time
for each realm. Even with the advent of high-speed communication, the broadcast
is recorded so as to include footage from various royal occasions and other
events that were significant through the previous year. (One can therefore
think of the broadcast as a national highlight reel.) In addition, the pre-recorded
sessions have allowed for flexibility in choosing the location for the
broadcast. Filming usually takes place at Buckingham Palace, though Sandringham
and Windsor Castle have also been used, and in 2003, the Queen used the Household
Cavalry Barracks in Windsor to highlight the sacrifices being made in Iraq and
Afghanistan by British and Commonwealth servicemen and women.
Until 1997, the BBC – which had pioneered the idea of the annual
message – produced all of the broadcasts. In that year, it was decided to start
a two-year rotation with ITV to (in words of the Palace), "reflect the
composition of the television and radio industries today." Sky TV was
added to the rotation in 2011, and it produced the first 3D broadcast of the
Christmas message last year. In addition, the broadcast has been viewable on
the Internet since 1997, and past messages have also been uploaded.
Nevertheless, it is still originally aired at 3:00PM in Britain and it posted
online after the original broadcasts have been completed throughout the
Commonwealth.
The Queen views the broadcast as her chance to speak to her people directly in her own words.
All told, the broadcasts last up to 10 minutes, during which
the Queen has not only summarized the events of the past year, but has also
brought attention to, and her perspectives on, developments such as the
changing roles of women, an increasingly multi-faith Britain, and rapidly evolving
technologies. As Head of the Armed Forces, she also does her bit to remind her
peoples that many servicemen and women cannot be with their families for
Christmas because they are abroad serving their country. Having been a mother
who has had two sons who served actively in the military, and now as a grandmother with a grandson doing the same, the Queen probably
understands what it this must feel like.
The broadcasts from time to time also include the Queen’s personal
thoughts, concerns, and experiences that are related back to things that her
peoples are also thinking and going through in their own lives. She spoke of
the blessings of life when her mother celebrated her 90th birthday
in 1990, and twelve years later shared her personal feelings of facing up to
the twin losses of her mother and Princess Margaret within weeks of each other
during her Golden Jubilee year.
With regard to the jubilee’s – Silver in 1977, Golden in
2000, and Diamond in 2012 – the Queen used the Christmas broadcast to thank her
peoples for their participation in the jubilee events and making the jubilee years
successful and memorable.
Just as with the Jubilees, the traditional Christmas
broadcast provides a sense of continuity for the nation and Commonwealth.
Viewing a familiar face year after year who provides a calm reassurance of
stability in an ever-changing has become firmly embedded in the Christmas
traditions of many families throughout the Commonwealth, including the Windsor’s,
who with the exception of the Queen, gather around at Sandringham to watch the
broadcast at 3:00PM.
In the United States, we do not have an equivalent to this
tradition. Various presidents have issued statements and proclamations about
Christmas and what it means to them as well as the nation at large. However,
our presidents are partisan politicians, and though a Christmas message may attempt
to speak for the entire country, there will be many people who will (rather unfortunately)
not listen, watch, or read anything the President has to say because of his
policies and/or political affiliation.
In contrast, the Queen’s Christmas Broadcast is her
opportunity to speak directly to her people and to engage with them on events
and occurrences that took place over the past year. It is also the chance for
her to express her personal thanks and appreciation for the public that has
given her its blessing over the decades. In so doing, she maintains and
reinforces her and the monarchy’s role as the focus of unity in the United
Kingdom and the wider Commonwealth. It has shown itself to be one of the more endurable aspects of the modern monarchy.
The Delhi Durbar of 1911. George V and Queen Mary are seated upon the dais under the large canopy.
On this day in 1911, King George V and Queen Mary attended
their Durbar in Delhi as Emperor and Empress of India, which took place
following their coronation as King and Queen of the United Kingdom and the
British Dominions.
Previous durbar’s had been held in 1877 (for Queen Victoria)
and 1903 (for Edward VII), but this was first occasion in which the reigning
monarch was present for the event.
The Durbar was basically a gathering of the Indian princes,
nobleman, landed gentry, British colonial administrators, and other important persons
who came to pay homage to the Emperor and Empress. One of its purposes was to
cement and reaffirm the relationship between the princes’ of India and the
British Crown, for the British Raj depended on the support of these native
rulers.
For the momentous event, a new crown was
specially commissioned for George V because the existing Crown
Jewels that had been used for his coronation in London could not be
removed from the UK.
TIM The Emperor and Empress of India.
Designed
and manufactured by long-time crown jewelers Garrard & Co., the Imperial
Crown of India weighs 2.13 lbs and is formed from a gold-laminated frame that
features 6,100 diamonds. There are 16 alternating clusters of diamond lozenges,
sapphires, and emeralds along the diamond-encrusted band, above which are four
fleurs-de-lis (containing emeralds) alternating with four crosses-pattée
(containing rubies). Rising from here are eight half-arches cast in a pattern
of stylized leaves and buds, which taper toward the center and terminate in
scrolls under a monde that is surmounted by a cross-pattée containing an
emerald.
George V and Queen Mary seated on the dais for the Durbar.
Despite
the intense heat, King-Emperor George and Queen-Empress Mary wore full robes
and other regalia (including the crown) throughout the 3 ½ hour outdoor
ceremony, which was attended by over 100,000 people, during which the
King-Emperor made the surprise announcement that India’s capital would be moved
from Calcutta to Delhi. A ceremony for laying the foundation stones for New
Delhi was held three days later.
In
addition to the Durbar, there were several other official ceremonies the
lasted from December 7th to December 16th, including the
appearance of Their Imperial Majesties on the balcony at the Red Fort, where they
received the greetings of over half a million common people.
George V and Queen Mary looking out over the crowds from the Red Fort balcony.
For
their participation in the Durbar, 26,800 men and officers of the British and
Indian Armies were awarded Delhi Durbar Silver Medals of 1911. One-hundred
Indian princes’ and high-ranking government officials received gold versions of
these medals.
The 1911 Durbar was arguably the biggest imperial pageant
held during the existence of the British Empire. Certainly, Britain’s power as
a world leader was at its height during the late 19th and early 20th
centuries, and the Durbar was an expression of that power. It was also the
personal desire of the King-Emperor George V to be seen by thousands of his
Indian subjects halfway across the world where no reigning British monarch had
yet stepped foot.
In time, it would prove to be the last Durbar to be held. When
Edward VIII succeeded his father in January 1936, a Durbar could not be planned
since Edward abdicated in less than a year. His brother George VI announced in
1937 that he looked forward to his Durbar as soon as it was possible to do so,
but the coming of World War II and Indian independence prevented this from
occurring.
The Imperial Crown of India
As
for the Imperial Crown of India, it was taken back to the UK and placed with
the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London, where it remains on display to this
day as a reminder of Britain’s imperial power.
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