50th Anniversary of the Death of King Frederik IX of Denmark and the accession of Queen Margrethe II

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Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Diamond Jubilee, Frederik IX of Denmark, Ingrid of Sweden, King Christian X of Denmark, Margaret of Connaught, Margrethe II of Denmark, Princess Märtha of Sweden

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the death of King Frederik IX of Denmark and the accession of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark to the Danish throne upon her father’s death.

King Frederik IX died at the age of 72 after a reign of almost 25 years.

Frederik IX (Christian Frederik Franz Michael Carl Valdemar Georg; March 11, 1899 – January 14, 1972) was King of Denmark from 1947 to 1972.

Born into the House of Glücksburg, Frederik was the elder son of King Christian X and Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. He became crown prince when his father succeeded as king in 1912. As a young man, he was educated at the Royal Danish Naval Academy.

During Nazi Germany’s occupation of Denmark, Frederick acted as regent on behalf of his father from 1942 until 1943.

In the 1910s, Alexandrine considered the two youngest daughters of her cousin Emperor Nicholas II, Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia and Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, as possible wives for Frederik, until the execution of the Romanov family in 1918. In 1922, Frederik was engaged to Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark, his second cousin. They never wed.

Instead, on March 15, 1935, a few days after his 36th birthday, Frederik was engaged to Princess Ingrid of Sweden (1910–2000), a daughter of Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf (later King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden) and his first wife, Princess Margaret of Connaught.

They were related in several ways. In descent from Oscar I of Sweden and Leopold, Grand Duke of Baden, they were double third cousins. In descent from Emperor Paul I of Russia, Frederik was a fourth cousin of Ingrid’s mother.

They married in Stockholm Cathedral on May 24, 1935. Their wedding was one of the greatest media events of the day in Sweden in 1935, and among the wedding guests were the King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine of Denmark, the King Leopold III Queen Astrid of Belgium and the Crown Prince Olaf and Crown Princess Märtha of Norway.

Changes to the Act of Succession

As King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid had no sons, it was expected that the king’s younger brother, Prince Knud, would inherit the throne, in accordance with Denmark’s succession law (Royal Ordinance of 1853).

However, in 1953, an Act of Succession was passed, changing the method of succession to male-preference primogeniture (which allows daughters to succeed if there are no sons).

This meant that his daughters could succeed him if he had no sons. As a consequence, his eldest daughter, Margrethe, became heir presumptive. By order of March 27, 1953 the succession to the throne was limited to the issue of King Christian X.

Frederik became king on his father’s death in early 1947. During Frederik IX’s reign Danish society changed rapidly, the welfare state was expanded and, as a consequence of the booming economy of the 1960s, women entered the labour market.

The modernization brought new demands on the monarchy and Frederik’s role as a constitutional monarch. Frederik IX died on January 14, 1972, and was succeeded by his eldest daughter, Queen Margrethe II.

On her accession, Queen Margrethe II, became the first female monarch of Denmark since Margrethe I, ruler of the Scandinavian kingdoms in 1375–1412 during the Kalmar Union.

In 1967, Margrethe married Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, with whom she had two sons: Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim.

Margrethe is known for her strong archaeological passion and has participated in several excavations, including in Italy, Egypt, Denmark and South America. She shared this interest with her grandfather Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, with whom she spent some time unearthing artefacts near Etruria in 1962.

As of 2021, Queen Margrethe II has, as sovereign, received 42 official state visits and she has undertaken 55 foreign state visits herself. In addition to this, the Queen and the royal family have made several other foreign visits. Support for the monarchy in Denmark has been and remains consistently high at around 82%, as does Margrethe’s personal popularity.

2012 A Royal Year in Review

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2012. Parliament, Act of Settlement 1701, Cathedral of Our Lady of Luxembourg, Claire Lademacher, Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy, Diamond Jubilee, Duke of Edinburgh, Elizabeth II, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, King Harald V of Norway, King Juan Carlos of Spain, Kings and Queens of England, Margrave of Meissen, Mrs. Lorentzen, Prince Albert of Saxony, Prince Alexander of Saxe-Gessaphe, Prince Félix of Luxembourg, Prince Maria Emanuel, Prince Philip, Prince William, Princess Ragnhild of Norway, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Margarethe II of Denmark, Royal Marriages Act of 1772, The Duchess of Cambridge

I am back posting! I had some computer problems so that explains my absence. It has been quite a royal year! It seems like it was one of the busiest royal years in my recent memory.

We had two jubilees. Her Majesty Queen Margarethe II of Denmark celebrated 40 years on the Danish throne and of course Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her diamond jubilee as she celebrated 60 years on the British throne and moves ever so closer to being Britain’s longest reigning monarch. There were many celebrations throughout the year culminating in the regatta sailing along the Themes. HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, age 91, gave a scare a few times as he was in and out of the hospital with a bladder infection. The Olympics were also held in London and Her Majesty opened the ceremony and even participated in a fun little filmed skit with Daniel Craig as James Bond. Toward the end of the year Her Majesty missed the Christmas service due to a lingering cold. I hope Her Majesty gets some rest because she was looking a bit tired and worn out toward the end of the year.

As the Queen of the United Kingdom was basking in her popularity, His Majesty, King Juan Carlos of Spain, had a not so stellar year. He broke his hip in a hunting accident while he was with his mistress and at a time when Spain is suffering severe economic hardships. He is still trying to recover his image.

There were also losses this past year. Princess Ragnhild of Norway, Mrs. Lorentzen, died in September at the age of 82. She was the sister to His Majesty King Harald V of Norway.

HRH Prince Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen pretender to the throne of Saxony died in July. The claims to the vacant throne are contested between his brother, Prince Albert of Saxony and his nephew, Prince Alexander of Saxe-Gessaphe. However, Prince Albert died a few months after his brother died this October. The claims to the throne are still be contested by other branches of the Wettin Family.

There was a royal wedding in Luxumbourg when the HRH The Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume married Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy on October 20, 2012 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Luxembourg. Guillaume’s brother, Prince Félix of Luxembourg, announced his engagement to the German-born Claire Lademacher on December 13.

Another big story of 2012 was the announcement of the pregnancy of HRH The Duchess of Cambridge. This announcement also required pushing through changes of the succession laws to a gender neutral succession and getting rid of the ban against marrying Catholics along with the requirement for seeking the monarch’s consent to marry. All of these are very historical changes in the succession to the British monarchy!

All in all a very busy year with many changes. I am really looking forward to the events of 2013 and wait with anticipation for the birth of the 3rd in line to the British throne.

Impatient Charles?

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2012. Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Diamond Jubilee, Duchess of Cornwall, Elizabeth II, England, George IV, Kings and Queens of England, kings and queens of the United Kingdom, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II, United Kingdom of Great Britain, William IV of the United Kingdom

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o306/WmHohenzollern/441px-Prince_Charles_2012.jpg

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/prince-charles/9700402/Prince-Charles-Im-running-out-of-time.html

Yesterday it was reported in the news that the Prince of Wales is impatient waiting for the throne. In an interview about two years ago he spoke about not wanting to think about being King because it meant the loss of his mother. His latest comments seem to indicate that he is a bit impatient waiting for the throne and that the older he gets he many never be king.

I think that is understandable. He is the hier to the British throne that has waited the longest to be king. Although he is not the longest serving Prince of Wales. King Edward VII waited for 59 years to be King. Edward VII had been Prince of Wales since he was one month old and he served in that capacity until he begame king at the age of 59. Charles, on the other hand, is now 64 and didn’t become Prince of Wales until he was 10 which means he has been Prince of Wales for 54 years, 5 years shy of Edward VII, making him the second longest serving Prince of Wales. He has been hier to the throne since his mother succeeded in 1952 and as hier to the throne for 60 years he has been waiting one year longer than han his great-great grandfather, Edward VII.

King William IV became king at the age of 64, succeeding his brother, King George IV, in 1830. If Charles should outlive his mother he will be the oldest monarch to mount the British throne. Many British monarchs did not even live to see their 60s, Charles’s grandfather, King George VI, died at the age of 56 after a reign of 16 years.

I have great admiration for both Her Majesty the Queen and HRH the Prince of Wales. I would hate to see the Queen pass away. She had been the role model of a great Constitutional monarch. I do not support abdication within the British monarchy and although I think Chalres will make an excellent king and I do want to see him enjoy that role…he just needs to find a little more patience.

Abdication

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Abdication, Buckingham Palace, Diamond Jubilee, Elizabeth II, Grand Duchy of Luxembourgt, King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Kings and Queens of England, kings and queens of the United Kingdom, the prince of Wales, United Kingdom of Great Britain

I have always been against abdication but I have found that my position on abdication has softened a bit over the years. My position has come from the way I view kingship. It doesn’t stem from any religious theology. I certainly do not subscribe to any theory of the divine right of kings. I do see kingship differently from the position of an elected official. One of the aspects of monarchy is its continuity with the past. Here it is 2012 and Queen Elizabeth II is 86 and has been on the throne for 60 years. I can pop open a book and look at pictures of the queen as a young girl with her grandfather, King George V, who himself was a grandson of Queen Victoria. George V was born in 1865 and to me the queen represents an important bridge to both the past and the future. This bridge is weakened to some extent with abdication.

I also think the heart of monarchy is one of duty and dedicated service. The queen pledge her life to the duty and service of her country whether it be short or long. Thank God it has been a long life! With kingship being about service and duty to ones country and ones people and the fact that a constitutional monarch embodies the noble aspects of the country, kingship is more than just a job or a position. If kingship is just a job like any other job then why not just have an elected head of state like they do in other European countries?

Having said all of that I will say my position has softened a bit. Ironically the Diamond Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth II has helped me with this change. It has been quite a year for Her Majesty. She has had a full schedule of official visits and celebrations and twice her 90 year old husband was hospitalized with health problems. As if the year was not busy enough London hosted the Olympics this year with Her Majesty attending the opening ceremony and officially opening the Olympic games. The Duke of Edinburgh was in the hospital at that moment and Her Majesty certainly looked worn and ragged at that time and who could blame her?

People on average are living longer and as a Head of State she has access to excellent health care. As the role of Head of State is a demanding one, I do question the sensibility about working the queen so hard. Now I do not want to see the queen abdicate but I wouldn’t mind seeing the Prince of Wales beginning to take over more of the queens duties and give the poor gal a break. In having more understanding and compassion toward the heavy burden these monarchs carry as they age I have more empathy and understanding for those countries where abdication has become the tradition.

HRH The Prince of Wales

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Buckingham Palace, Diamond Jubilee, England, Kings and Queens of England, kings and queens of the United Kingdom, Prince Charles, Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth II, the prince of Wales, The Princess of Wales

HRH The Prince of Wales

Today I would like to feature the current Prince of Wales, Prince Charles. He has held the title since 1958 when he was 10 although he was not formally invested in the title until 1969 when he was 21. His great-great grandfather, Edward VII, held the title the longest, 59 years. Edward was 59 when he became king while Charles, who will be 64 next month, is the oldest to still retain that title.

 have always had great respect and admiration for the Prince of Wales. When I began studying and following royalty the Prince of Wales had just turned 30. He was described as a man of action and always on the go. He was into sports and his service in the military had him doing some amazing things from being a helicopter pilot and captain of his own ship. He also came across as very intelligent and articulate. I have come to learn that not everyone shared this admiration. The Prince of Wales reputation has gone up and down over the years. He is an environmentalist and I remember the flack he received for talking to plants. What surprised me about the fall out from that was talking to plants had seem to be such a common idea here in the States and it didn’t sound strange to me at all.

 The Prince of Wales has been an outspoken individual and when you speak you mind in any public or even private manner there will be people to disagree with you, sometimes that disagreement will be quite vocal. The Prince has had a passion for keeping cherished old buildings from the destruction block and has also railed against the monstrosities that pass for modern architecture. However, the thing that has caused the most controversy was the affair with his now current wife and treatment of his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. I must admit even my respect for his was weakened during this time. What saved it was the fact that it takes two to have a bad relationship and both parties had apart in the demise of the relationship. That doesn’t make his behavior acceptable it just places it in a proper context for me.

 I think the way he has conducted himself since that time, especially in his treatment of his sons, William and Harry, has helped him on his path of public redemption. His work and tributes toward his mother during this Diamond Jubilee year have also helped in that process. The Prince of Wales may not be the man of action that he once was but I still find him to be a kind and gentle man who dose display a great deal of warmth to those that he serves with his charities. Although he is heir to one of Europe oldest monarchies there does not seem to be an arrogant snobby attitude within him. Quite the contrary, he does come across and a down to earth individual with a sense of humor and an ability to put people at ease. Make no mistake a bout though, he is a Prince and also comes across with a sense of dignity, class and very cultured. These are all traits I admire and hope to emulate.

 My final thought about the Prince of Wales is what style of kingship will he have? Will he stay the course and walk in the model that his mother portrayed? I do not know. Tuesday I mentioned that the Prince of Wales will make changes when he is king but I wonder what those changes will be? He has been outspoken and generally the monarch does keep neutral quite about issues, so will he continue the path of neutrality or will it be difficult for him to adjust to staying above the fray on specific issues? He does have a very warm and compassionate persona and while his mother also can display that quality there is also a sense of distance even aloofness wit the queen. Is that a trait that the monarch needs in order to retain that regal sense of mystery the crown allegedly has? Or will his more personal style be a breath of fresh air in the modern age?

 

HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

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Buckingham Palace, Diamond Jubilee, Duke of Edinburgh, HM Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, House of House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, King Christian IX of Denmark, King George VI of the United Kingdom, Prince Philip, Queen Victoria

With HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in the Hospital I thought I would have him as our featured royal.

Born on June 10, 1921 to HRH Prince Andreas of Greece and Denmark and HSH Princess Alice of Battenburg Prince Philip is a member of the House of House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and a great-great grandson of Britain’s Queen Victoria and great grandson of Denmark’s King Christian IX. Despite his Danish and German ancestry the Duke of Edinburgh is very British and has lived the overwhelming majority in that country. In 1939 he joined the British Navy and on his 90th birthday Her Majesty the Queen awarded her husband with the rank of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom.

The Duke of Edinburgh met his future wife in 1939 when he was 18 and she was 13. In 1939 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth. Upon the request of the Queen and Philip’s uncle, Earl Mountbatten, they asked him to escort Elizabeth and Margaret, who were Philip’s third cousins through Queen Victoria, and second cousins once removed through King Christian IX of Denmark, while their parents visited the facility. Philip and Elizabeth began a correspondence via letters and it seems Elizabeth with smitten with the tall blond prince on their first meeting. In 1946 Philip asked the king for permission to marry Elizabeth. This request was granted on the condition that it would not be announced until after the Elizabeth’s 21st birthday in April of the next year. The day before the wedding his wedding, King George VI bestowed the style His Royal Highness on Philip, and on the day of the wedding, 20 November 1947, King George VI granted Philip the titles of the Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich.

The Duke of Edinburgh has been an excellent support to Her Majesty the queen. However, he has not been without controversy. The prince is no wall flower and often speaks his mind. Sometimes he would make and off-the-cuff remark or joke that would be taken either out of context or was not meant to be offensive but people would at times be offended but what he has said.

The princes has always been a very active man. He played polo until 1971 and then took up the sport of carriage driving. I worked at a historical house and have seen competitive carriage driving myself. I really enjoyed watching that and was happy that the prince took up that sport. Philip was also a skilled yachtsman and pilot.

It is difficult to capture a person’s life in a brief blog post. I tried to hit a few highlights today. I have a great respect for the Duke of Edinburgh and I wish him well and hopefully he will be back on his feet soon. This has been an extremely busy year for the Duke and the Queen. With the Jubilee celebrations and then the Olympics I question the wisdom of pushing two elderly people this hard, despite the fact that they have been in good health. Maybe next year it is time for Her Majesty to begin turning some of her responsibilities to the Prince of Wales? I am not a supporter of abdication but I do see the wisdom in the queen cutting back some and giving some duties to the prince of Wales and other members of the royal family.

 

Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II (morph sequence)

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Buckingham Palace, Diamond Jubilee, Elizabeth II, Kings and Queens of England, kings and queens of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II, United Kingdom of Great Britain

This is just so cool, I had to share it!

Queen Elizabeth II’s Historic visit to Northern Ireland

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1979, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Buckingham Palace, Diamond Jubilee, IRA, Kings and Queens of England, kings and queens of the United Kingdom, Lord Louis Mountbatten, Martin McGuinness, Northern Ireland, Prince Louis of Battenberg, Queen Elizabeth II, Sinn Fein, United Kingdom of Great Britain, Viceroy of India

As part of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations Her Majesty, accompanied by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, are making an historic visit to Northern Ireland, a region of her kingdom that has a history of sectarian violence. I have linked a few articles which detail her trip which is currently in progress. 

Her Majesty will meet with Martin McGuinness the leader of the IRA faction. In 1979 the IRA was responsible for the assassination of Her Majesty’s cousin (uncle to the Duke of Edinburgh) Lord Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma and last Viceroy of India (born HSH  Prince Louis of Battenberg). According to the article in the Huffington Post, it was McGuinness himself that sanctioned Lord Mountbatten’s murder.

Edit: I wanted to add my thoughts. Being a figure head her visits are often planned for by the government. I remember the assassination of Lord Mountbatten very well, it happened in my early days of following royalty, so I have to wonder if this was Her Majesty’s choice to visit with McGuinness and how does Her Majesty really feel? We may never know. 

Length of Reigns of the Kings and Queens of Britain

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Buckingham Palace, Diamond Jubilee, Elizabeth II, England, Kings and Queens of England, kings and queens of Scotland, kings and queens of the United Kingdom, Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Victoria, United Kingdom

Since today is the 117th Anniversary of the death of Queen Victoria, who used to be the longest reigning British Monarch, I would like to revisit the list of the reigns of all the British Monarchs (England, Scotland, Great Britain) to see where Her Majesty the Queen and other monarchs now stand 

1. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain ~ 65 years 11 months 16 daysstrong>

2. Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain ~ 63 years, 216 days
3. King George III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain ~ 59 years, 96 days
4. King James VI of Scotland ~ 57 years, 246 days*
5. King Henry III of England ~ 56 years, 30 days
6. King Edward III of England ~ 50 years, 147 days
7. King William I of Scotland ~ 48 years, 360 days
8. Queen Elizabeth I of England ~ 44 years, 127 days
9. King David II of Scotland ~ 41 years, 260 days
10. King Henry VI of England ~ 38 years, 185 days
11. King Æthelred II of England ~ 37 years, 362 days
12. King Henry VIII of England ~ 37 years, 281 days
13. King Alexander III of Scotland ~ 36 years, 256 days
14. King Malcolm III of Scotland ~ 35 years, 241 days
15. King Henry I of England ~ 35 years, 120 days
16. King Henry II of England ~ 34 years, 254 days
17. King Edward I of England~ 34 years, 229 days
18. King Alexander II of Scotland ~ 34 years, 214 days
19. King George II of Great Britain ~ 33 years, 125 days
20. King James I of Scotland ~ 30 years, 323 days
21. King James V of Scotland ~ 29 years, 96 days
22. King David I of Scotland ~ 29 years, 31 days
23. King Alfred the Great of England ~ 28 years, 185 days
24. King James III of Scotland ~ 27 years, 313 days
25. King George V of the United Kingdom of Great Britain ~ 25 years, 259 days
26. King James IV of Scotland ~ 25 years, 90 days
27. King Ædward the Elder of England ~ 24 years, 264 days
28. King Charles II of England and Scotland ~ 24 years, 253 days
29. Queen Mary I of Scotland ~ 24 years, 222 days
30. King Charles I of England and Scotland ~ 23 years, 309 days
31. King Henry VII of England ~ 23 years, 242 days
32. King Edward the Confessor of England ~ 23 years, 211 days
33. King James II of Scotland ~ 23 years, 164 days
34. King Robert I of Scotland ~ 23 years, 74 days
35. King Richard II of England ~ 22 years, 99 days
36. King James I of England and Scotland ~ 22 years, 3 days*
37. King Edward IV of England ~ 21 years, 211 days
38. King William I of England ~ 20 years, 258 days
39. King Edward II of England ~ 19 years, 197 days
40. King Robert II of Scotland ~ 19 years, 56 days
41. King Canute II of Denmark and England ~ 18 years, 347 days
42. King John of England ~ 17 years, 196 days
43. King Alexander I of Scotland ~ 17 years, 106 days
44. King Stephen of England ~ 17 years, 99 days
45. King Robert III of Scotland ~ 15 years, 350 days
46. King Edgar I of England ~ 15 years, 280 days
47. King Æthelstan of England ~ 15 years, 86 days
48. King George VI of the United Kingdom of Great Britain ~ 15 years, 57 days
49. King Henry IV of England ~ 13 years, 172 days
50. King William III-II of England and Scotland ~ 13 years, 23 days
51. King George I of Great Britain ~ 12 years, 314 days
52. King William II of England ~ 12 years, 327 days
53. King Malcolm IV of Scotland ~ 12 years, 199 days
54. Queen Anne of England and Scotland (Great Britain) ~ 12 years, 146 days
55. King George IV of the United Kingdom of Great Britain ~ 10 years, 148 days
56. King Ædred of England ~ 09 years, 181 days
57. King Henry V of Edward ~ 09 years, 163 days
58. King Edward VII of the United Kingdom of Great Britain ~ 09 years, 104 days
59. King William IV of the United Kingdom of Great Britain ~ 06 years, 359 days
60. King Edmund I of England 06 years, 211 days
61. King Edward VI of England ~ 06 years, 159 days
62. Queen Mary II of England and Scotland ~ 05 years, 318 days
63. Queen Mary I of England ~ 05 years, 121 days
64. King James II-VII of England and Scotland ~ 03 years, 309 days
65. King John Balliol of Scotland ~ 03 years, 236 days
66. King Ædwig of England ~ 02 years, 312 days
67. King Ædward the Martyr of England ~ 02 years, 253 days
68. King Harold I of England ~ 02 years, 126 days
69. King Canute III of England and Denmark ~ 02 years, 83 days
70. King Richard III of England ~ 02 years, 57 days
71. King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom of Great Britain ~ 00 years, 326 days
72. King Harold II of England ~ 00 years, 282 days
73. King Edmund II of England ~ 00 years, 221 days
74. King Edward V of England ~ 00 years, 78 days
75. King Edgar II of England ~ 00 years, 63 days

* James VI-I of England and Scotland. As King James VI of Scotland he ruled Scotland for 57 years. As King James I of England he ruled for 22 years.

Diamond Jubilee Thanks Giving Service

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Buckingham Palace, Camilla, Crown Jewels, Cullinan diamond, Diamond Jubilee, Duchess of Cornwall, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Elizabeth II, Kate, Kings and Queens of England, kings and queens of the United Kingdom, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince William, Queen Victoria

Here are a couple of photos from the conclusion of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. 

Church service at St Paul’s Cathedral. Her Majesty is wearing a brooch that is worn infrequently. The brooch, know affectionately as “Granny’s Chips,” contain stones 3 & 4 of the Cullinan diamond. The larger stones, 1 & 2, are also part of the Crown Jewels and are fitted into the scepter and imperial state crown respectively.

On the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the serve. The absence of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh is sadly noted. I wish him a speedy and thorough recovery. Her Majesty is supported by her two eventual successors, HRH The Prince of Wales (the future King Charles III) and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (the future King William V and Queen Catherine).

Although here in the United States we still have last night’s concert to watch, today’s ceremonies end the official Diamond Jubilee celebration.

I completely enjoy the pomp and pageantry that surrounds the British monarchy and I have been very caught up in the emotions of the events. These are rare historic events. Jubilees do not come very often and this is only the second Diamond Jubilee in British History. The first was in 1897 when Queen Elizabeth II’s great-great grandmother, Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee.

With millions celebrating and cheering in Britain and around the world the support for the monarchy is high at this moment and any rumblings and complaints from the Republicans (those who want the monarchy abolished) have been drowned out by the cheers. I am grateful that I lived to see these events and pray that Her Majesty continues in good health and may she continue to reign for a long long time. Who knows? If Her Majesty has the long life her mother had she will easily reach 96 years of age ten years from now and will celebrate her Platinum Jubilee, 70 years on the throne!