On Sunday, April 19, 2015, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh accompanied by Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, attended a reception at Canada House in London to “…to commemorate the Regiments’ involvement in the First World War.”
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On Wednesday, April 15, 2015, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh hosted a luncheon at Windsor Castle for members of the Order of Merit.
According to the British royal court the Order of Merit was:
“…founded by King Edward VII at the time of his coronation in 1902, to be ‘given to such persons, subjects of Our Crown, as may have rendered exceptionally meritorious services in Our Crown Services or towards the advancement of the Arts, Learning, Literature, and Science or such other exceptional service as We are fit to recognize’.
The Order of Merit is in the sole gift of the Sovereign and is restricted to 24 members as well as additional foreign recipients.
The badge is an eight-pointed cross of red and blue enamel surmounted by the imperial crown; in the centre, upon blue enamel and surrounded by a laurel wreath, are the words in gold lettering ‘For Merit’.”
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On Wednesday, April 1, 2015, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II attended the launch of the George III Project at Windsor Castle.
This special project is a:
“…collaboration between King’s College London and the Royal Archives will make the complete collection of King George III’s papers available online. It will commence in the coming weeks and will result in the digitization of historic documents from the Royal Archives, making them widely available for the first time.
The project will include the digitization of all the historic manuscripts from the Georgian period, totaling more than 350,000 pages, of which only about 15% have previously been published. While the vast majority of the collection comprises papers from George III, papers from Kings George I, George II, George IV and William IV will also be made available.
It is hoped that the work will transform the understanding of Georgian Britain and its monarchy, at a time of profound cultural, political, economic and social change which created the modern nation.
Professor Edward Byrne, President and Principal of King’s College London, said: ‘King’s was founded by King George IV – George III’s eldest son and successor – and with Her Majesty The Queen as our present day Patron, we are delighted and honoured to have been approached by the Royal Household to work on this prestigious project and to continue our long history of association with the Crown. This joint project, to open up over a century of Royal Archives, provides an unprecedented scale of opportunity to discover more about the Georgians.’
King’s has an historic association with the Georgian Archives. The bulk of a collection of scientific instruments accumulated by King George III and others was donated by Queen Victoria to King’s in 1841 for public display and use in scientific demonstrations and experiments. The university converted one of its libraries into a museum for the purpose of exhibiting these and the George III Museum in the King’s Building at the Strand was opened on 22 June 1843 by Queen Victoria’s husband Albert, Prince Consort.
The university’s Departments of Digital Humanities, War Studies and History and the Centre for Enlightenment Studies will all bring expertise to the digitizing and exploration of the archives.
The project is part of a wider program of work by the Royal Archives to open up access to its primary source material, following the success of the digitization of Queen Victoria’s journals in 2012. The intention is to create a rich internet resource which will be open to academics and the public alike, which will present the documents and allow them to be searched and analysed in creative and flexible ways.
The Georgian Papers Programme is expected to transform historical research and understanding of Britain and its monarchy and a crucial period in British and world history. It will be of particular value to universities, schools, academics and authors in the UK, the Commonwealth and overseas.”
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On Tuesday, March 17, 2015, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh opened the new £4.8 milliom Mary Tealby kennels at the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in London, England.
Since 1860 the organization has “…been rescuing, reuniting and rehoming lost, abandoned and unwanted animals…” Her Majesty The Queen is patron of the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home since 1956.
According to a press release the new:
“…canine facilities will play a vital role in supporting the dogs during their early days at Battersea, improving and speeding up their journey towards a loving new home.
[The kennels will also] replace the noisy and out-dated Victorian facilities that were closed in 2012 after providing a home to around one million dogs over the centuries. The new block, designed by Battersea and award-winning architects Jonathan Clark Associates and delivered by contractor Lakehouse will provide accommodation for 56 dogs. The focus is on providing a quiet, calming environment for the Home’s most vulnerable dogs. Each kennel has built in speakers to play calming music and an external run area, whilst adjoining paddocks have paddling pools, climbing mounds, play equipment, and plants to awaken and interest dogs’ senses.
The new kennels will help Battersea respond to an all-time high demand for its services. In the past three years, the charity has seen an 84% increase in calls from owners wanting to give up their dogs to the rescue. Accommodation issues such as eviction and downsizing are the most common reasons, and around 13 dogs arrive at the Home’s three centres every single day.”
On Tuesday, March 17, 2015, Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited the Irish Guards at Mons Barracks, Aldershot, Hampshire.
During today’s visit the lovely presented “…shamrocks to officers and guardsmen of the regiment and pinned a traditional sprig on the silver collar of the regiment’s beloved mascot, Irish wolfhound Domhnall.”
After serving ten years in the British Army His Royal Highness Prince Harry of Wales has decided to leave to begin “…a new chapter…” in his life.
In a press release, via Kensington Palace, the 30-year-old prince noted that:
“…moving on from the Army has been a really tough decision. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had the chance to do some very challenging jobs and have met many fantastic people in the process. From learning the hard way to stay onside with my Colour Sergeant at Sandhurst, to the incredible people I served with during two tours in Afghanistan – the experiences I have had over the last 10 years will stay with me for the rest of my life. For that I will always be hugely grateful.
Inevitably most good things come to an end and I am at a crossroads in my military career. Luckily for me, I will continue to wear the uniform and mix with fellow servicemen and women for the rest of my life, helping where I can, and making sure the next few Invictus Games are as amazing as the last.
I am considering the options for the future and I am really excited about the possibilities. Spending time with the Australian Defence Force will be incredible and I know I will learn a lot. I am also looking forward to coming back to London this summer to continue working at the Personnel Recovery Unit.
So while I am finishing one part of my life, I am getting straight into a new chapter. I am really looking forward to it.”
On February 25, 2015, Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visited the offices of the London Evening Standard newspaper in Kensington, London, England. And, that’s it.
Please click here for more information about today’s visit.
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The Royal Correspondent 