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Marcus Sarjeant shooting blanks at Queen Elizabeth II. London, 13 June 1981. Photo taken by George Uebel. [1600 x 1288] Check this blog!

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London Tower Bridge, Photo by George Rinhart, 1900

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Robin Hood's Bay. North Yorkshire. United Kingdom.

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His Majesty The King will shortly return to public-facing duties after a period of treatment and recuperation following his recent cancer diagnosis.

To help mark this milestone, The King and Queen will make a joint visit to a cancer treatment centre next Tuesday, where they will meet medical specialists and patients. This visit will be the first in a number of external engagements His Majesty will undertake in the weeks ahead.

In addition, The King and Queen will host Their Majesties The Emperor and Empress of Japan for a State Visit in June, at the request of HM Government.

As the first anniversary of The Coronation approaches, Their Majesties remain deeply grateful for the many kindnesses and good wishes they have received from around the world throughout the joys and challenges of the past year.

@RoyalFamily | 26 April 2024

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Sir Winston Churchill, Westerham, Kent.

Following yesterday's surgical procedure, I arrived back in Westerham shortly after 6pm this evening.

I thought I felt fit and well when I woke up after the operation yesterday... but, I may have been a little delirious. Although I did not feel like eating, I asked to see the hospital's dinner menu... and then complained that they had no red wine on offer!

Apart from being very tired, I am now feeling much better.

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The Medals & Orders of HRH The Princess of Wales GCVO

Yesterday HM the King appointed the Princess of Wales a Companion of Honour (CH), so I thought it an opportunity to update a previous post on the Orders and Medals held by Her Royal Highness.

She holds the senior rank of Four orders;

She is a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order GCVO appointed in 2019

An Companion of Honour (CH) appointed yesterday.

A Holder of the Tuvalu Order of Merit from 2016

And in 2017 the late Queen appointed her member of the royal order of Queen Elizabeth II

The Princess also holds the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond & Platinum Jubilee medals as well as the 2023 King Charles II Coronation Medal.

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The Medals of HRH the Prince of Wales

Yesterday HM the King appointed his son and heir the Grand Master and senior Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath. here is the full list of his Orders and Medals

Knight Garter (KG) appointed by his Grandmother Queen Elizabeth II in 2008

Knight of the Order of the Thistle (KT) by his Grandmother in 2012

Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (GCB) by his father King Charles III yesterday

Member of the Tuvalu Order of Merit in 2016 by Sir Iakoba Taeia Italeli the Governor General of Tuvalu

He also holds the late Queen's Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilee Medals, along with his Father's 2023 Coronation Medal.

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Today is ANZAC Day, the 25th April

The anniversary of the Gallipoli Landings in 1915 when the Allies tried attacking the Turkish forces in a controversial attempt to force the Turks out of WW1 Axis coalition. Several nations including Britain and France lost tens of thousands of troops but the new young Dominions of Australia and New Zealand suffered disproportionately and the failed campaign proved a defining moment in their national identities;

Should foreign foe e'er sight our coast, Or dare a foot to land, We'll rouse to arms like sires of yore, To guard our native strand; Britannia then shall surely know, Though oceans roll between, Her sons in fair Australia's land Still keep their courage green.

(from the fifth verse of the Australian National Anthem)

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There is an Anderson Shelter displayed at Hever Castle. It is just inside the main gate/pedestrian entrance by the Kent Sharpshooters Yeomanry Museum. It's worth a quick look just to understand the cold, damp and crammed conditions that may families had to endure during WWII.

A South London resident waters the vegetables planted on the roof of her Anderson shelter.

In 1938, with the outbreak of World War II on the horizon, Sir John Anderson was placed in charge of air-raid preparations in Britain. He commissioned engineers to design a cheap and simple shelter which could be distributed to the population, the result was the Anderson Shelter. Although the shelter would not provide protection from a direct hit for example, it would protect those within from the deadly flying debris and shrapnel produced during attacks.

Six feet tall, 6.5 feet long, and 4.5 feet wide, the corrugated metal shelters were a snug fit for a family of six. They were buried four feet under owner’s gardens and their arched roofs covered with a layer of soil.

The shelters were distributed for free to poorer residents. Wealthier residents could purchase one for a small fee.

Many chose to incorporate the shelters into their gardens, planting vegetables and flowers on top of them. Residents even held competitions for prettiest shelter.

By the time the Blitz began, over 2 million Anderson shelters had been erected.

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26th April 1923 - The wedding of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon at Westminster Abbey… later known as King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

This was the first Royal wedding at Westminster Abbey since 1383. The newly formed BBC wanted to record the service and broadcast it on the wireless radio but, the Abbey Chapter voted against the idea.

As Elizabeth entered the Abbey, she made an unexpected gesture of laying her bouquet at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in memory of her brother, Captain Fergus Bowes-Lyon who was killed during WWI. Since then, Royal brides have traditionally laid their bouquets at the Tomb… but, after the wedding ceremony rather than before.

Elizabeth was reluctant to join The Royal Family. She thought the constraints of Royal life might limit her freedom to “think, speak and act as I feel I really ought to,” Albert had to propose three times before she finally agreed to marry him.

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When people think of Windsor Castle they usually picture that Round Tower on top of a hill, but here’s the King George IV Gate which sits at the top of the Long Walk - an aptly named road that runs through the Great Park. Whoever decided to call it the Long Walk got it spot on — if you do the entire length from the castle gatehouse down to the statue of George III then you’ll have walked 2.64 miles.

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Heading to Church.

English village Churches, Sutton on the Forest, North Yorkshire.

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28th of February 1947 on their voyage to South Africa, 21 year old Princess Elizabeth plays tag with the officers and midshipmen onboard HMS Vanguard

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Severn Beach (Bristol)

View across the seawall walkway and cycle path towards Avonmouth along the banks of the River Severn & Bristol Channel

This image taken by Bristol photographer Martin Hewer 2024

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The Second Severn Bridge or Prince of Wales Bridge across the River Severn / Bristol Channel carries the M4 Motorway which runs from London to South Wales

Images taken by Bristol Photographer Martin Hewer

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1992, Our late Queen teaching her grand children how to ride.