Here’s your royal daily video news wrap-up for May 13, 2022.
Enjoy your weekend, everyone!
Here’s your royal daily video news wrap-up for May 13, 2022.
Enjoy your weekend, everyone!
On Friday, April 8, 2022, it was announced from Buckingham Palace that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will not attend the upcoming Maundy Day Service to be held at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor. The 95-year-old queen’s absence is not due to illness, but rather due to mobility issues.
Maundy Day Service happens every Thursday before Easter Sunday whereupon Her Majesty:
“…distributes gifts according to the number of years she has lived: for example, when she turned 80 she distributed 80 pence worth of Maundy money to 80 men and 80 women in recognition for their contribution to the community and to the church. The service dates back to 600AD and these special coins have kept much the same form since 1670.”
Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will represent Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for Maundy Day Service on Thursday, April 14, 2022.
On the morning of Tuesday, March 29, 2022, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, members of the British Royal Family, foreign royals from the European continent, members of the UK Government, and 500 representatives of the late Duke’s many charities attended a Service of Thanksgiving for the late His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh held at Westminster Abbey in London, England.
In a press release via Buckingham Palace the purpose of this morning’s service was to:
“…gave thanks for His Royal Highness’s dedication to his family, to the Nation, and to the Commonwealth as both Consort to the Queen, and a working member of the Royal Family in his own right. The event also recognized the importance of The Duke’s legacy in creating opportunities for young people, promoting environmental stewardship and conservation, and supporting the Armed Forces.
The Service, in particular, paid tribute to The Duke of Edinburgh’s contribution to public life and steadfast support for the over 700 charitable organizations with which His Royal Highness was associated throughout his life.”
In his address during the service the Dean of Windsor reflected on the life of The Duke of Edinburgh stating:
“In 1947, Prince Philip was made a Knight of the Order of the Garter. On the back
of his stall in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, is fixed, in perpetuity and for
everyone to see, a small enamelled brass plate on which is inscribed his motto. It is
simply: “God is My Help”. We do not understand the man unless we see him, at the
heart, to be a man of faith.
That faith was never dogmatic, sentimental or paraded and, as it went in search of
understanding, was frequently questioned and examined. However, it was real and it
endured, inspiring and shaping a lifetime of commitment to the making of this world
a better place.
I am not sure that Prince Philip had much time for the theological controversies that
divide people. His faith was a heartfelt trust in a loving God whose intention for this
world is glimpsed in the life and teaching of Jesus Christ; such trust, such hope, as
could unite people in a common endeavour.
This trust, this hope, was not idle wishful thinking or escapism. Rather, it evoked in
him a kind of impatience; eagerness for that God-intended future upon which his
gaze was always fixed.
He knew however that that future, from any human point of view, had to be arrived
at step by step. He was practical, wanting to put flesh upon his dreams, and
(acknowledging the limitations of living in this so-called ‘real world’) he devoted his
astonishing intellectual and physical energy, his enormous capacity for sheer hard
work, to a host of down-to-earth enterprises. These included the equipping of young
people to face tomorrow’s challenges, the encouragement of respect and care for the
natural order, and his pioneering work in facilitating conversation between
representatives of the different world faiths.
Through his passionate commitment, he drew others to himself in admiration and
respect and, in the case of those who lived and worked most closely to him, genuine love.
However, I sense that he did not believe that all these achievements were made in
his own strength. I am reminded of those words: ‘God is My Help’. I think he
understood his constant need of inspiration and of guidance. I am quite sure that his
prayers were not reserved for public occasions alone.
He would hate to think that I should paint a picture of him as a ‘plaster saint’;
someone without the usual human foibles and failings. He was far too self-aware
ever to be taken in by flattery. Of course, it must be said that his life bore the marks
of sacrifice and service. Certainly, he could show great sympathy and kindness. There
is no doubt that he had a delightfully engaging, and often self-deprecating, sense of
humour. It is quite clear that his mind held together both speculation and common
sense.
Moreover, nobody would ever doubt his loyalty and deep devotion to our
Queen and to their family. Yet, there were times when he could be abrupt; maybe,
in robust conversation, forgetting just how intimidating he could be. A kind of
natural reserve sometimes made him seem a little distant. He could be somewhat
sharp in pricking what he thought to be bubbles of pomposity or sycophancy. On
the other hand, we should not forget that he himself was sometimes wounded by
being unfairly criticised or misunderstood.
Like the rest of us, he was part of flawed humanity. Unlike most of us however, he
was one of those rare people who remained true to, and guided by, what you might
call ‘an inner spiritual compass’; a sense of being called to play a part in the making
of a God-intended world.
As we give thanks for the life of a remarkable man, perhaps our greatest tribute to
him, most especially in these far too troubled times, will be for us to accept the
challenge, implicit in his life, to rekindle in our hearts something of that call, and to
pray (as I think he did) for the inspiration and the guidance to play our part, however, small, in working for a kinder future.
Below is the list of the members of the British royal family and foreign royals who attended this morning’s Service of Thanksgiving:
Other guests at the Service included representatives from UK Government, the Armed Forces and the Devolved Administrations, Realm High Commissioners, representatives of Overseas Territories, representatives from The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Household, representatives from The Duke’s Regimental Affiliations in the UK and the Commonwealth as well as the clergy and other faiths.
Notably absent from today’s Service of Thanksgiving was The Duke of Sussex. It’s quite unfortunate that the Duke of Sussex did not attend this meaningful day; moreover, a day that meant so much to Her Majesty The Queen. In the past, the Duke has mentioned a myraid of times how much he “…adores his grandfather…” and how much the late Duke of Edinburgh has helped him throughout the years.
After the Service of Thanksgiving, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales hosted a reception at Clarence House in London for members of the British royal family and foreign royals.
On December 2, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II attended the British Military Tournament at Earls Court in London, England. Click here to view photos.
On November 22, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh hosted a state banquet at Buckingham Palace in honor of the President of Turkey, Abdullah Gül’s, three-day state visit to Britain.
To view photos please click here. To read Queen Elizabeth’s speech during the banquet please click here.
Photo courtesy of: Daylife/Reuters
On November 22, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh officially welcomed the President of Turkey, Abdullah Gül, and his wife Hayrunnisa, with a traditional ceremony in London, England.
According to the newspaper, Telegraph, upon the President’s arrival at Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall:
… a 41-gun royal salute, fired from nearby Green Park by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, could be heard in the distance.
The Band of the Coldstream Guards then played both Britain’s and Turkey’s national anthems. President Gül and the Duke of Edinburgh undertook the inspection of a guard of honour made up of 101 soldiers and three officers from the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards.
After the traditional welcoming ceremony they made their way back to Buckingham Palace where they viewed an “…exhibition of Turkish Artefacts from the Royal Collection, in the Picture Gallery…” at the palace.
To watch a video as well as to view photos from today’s event please click the links below:
Source: Telegraph
Photo courtesy of: Daylife/AFP
On November 18, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II arrived in Guildford, England to attend a service at Guildford Cathedral to celebrate its “…50th anniversary of the dedication of the religious building.” Also, on that day the queen visited East Surrey College with H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh.
To view photos please click the links below:
Source and photo courtesy of: Daylife