As I was collecting my notes for today’s blog, I suddenly realized what a busy day it was and completely understood why I needed to stop in the middle of it and take a nap! Some of you will get tired just reading about it, so I know you can sympathize!
We began our day at Buckingham Palace, said to be the Queen’s favorite residence, perhaps because two of her four children were born here. However, since the death of Prince Philip the Queen has spent less and less time here and in March of 2022, she announced that she had permanently moved out of the residence. It still serves as the administrative hub for the Royal Family and is where the Queen holds her weekly meetings with the Prime Minister.
We happened to be at the Palace just in time for the Changing of the Guard. The Royal Guard has been protecting the Royal Family for nearly 600 years. They were formed in 1656, raised to protect an exiled King Charles. They have served in every British military battle since. Members of the Guard protecting the Palace serve in two-hour shifts. During the ceremony, those members who are completing their shift leave the palace, led down the road by a miliary band or equestrian procession. Those who are beginning their shift are led by a military band from their barracks across the way to the Palace. When the two meet in the middle (behind Palace gates) they each present their arms to one another, the keys are exchanged, the new guards are marched into place and the old guard leaves. The only part of the ceremony visible to the public is the coming and going.
Next up was Westminster Abbey. Yesterday we visited the outside; today we did the inside. Owned by the Royal Family since 1066 (!), Westminster Abbey has been the location of every royal coronation but two since then (Edward V was killed in the Tower of London before he could be crowned, and Edward VIII abdicated the crown just 11 months after succeeding his father and was never crowned). It is also the final resting place of 30 kings and queens, 5 monarchs and lots of other very important people such as Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens and Robert and Elizabeth Barret Browning. George II of Great Britain and Ireland was the last member of the Royal Family to be buried here; since then they have all been buried at Windsor Castle after their death (just to be clear; I don’t want you thinking any have been buried alive). The last person buried here was not a royal – it was Sir Lawrence Olivier, who passed away in 1989. On a happier note, the Abbey has also hosted sixteen royal weddings including those of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip and, perhaps most famously, that of William and Kate.
Our final tour stop of the day was London Tower. Built by William the Conqueror in the 1070s the Tower has long been associated with terror and fear. For over 800 years prisoners would be marched here for all manner of offenses, ranging from minor to egregious, never knowing what their fate would be or if they would ever leave. Three queens were among some of the more famous prisoners, two of whom were Henry VIII’s wives, both of whom literally lost their heads – Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. The third queen, imprisoned for marrying without permission, starved to death before she could be executed. Nice, eh? The Tower is also where kings and queens would go to protect themselves and their possessions during times of trouble, and it is where the Crown Jewels are kept to this day. There’s an interesting legend attached to the Tower. Since its inception the Tower has served as a home to Ravens; legend has it that if they ever leave the Tower will fall. Even now there are seven ravens that call the Tower home, cared for by a Raven Master. Each bird has had one flight feather clipped to keep it from being able to fly away. When the Tower is not open to the public it serves as a home to the Raven Master and his family, a Resident Governor, a garrison of soldiers, a doctor, and a chaplain. There’s even a pub on site!
The day was capped off with a visit to London’s Theater district where we saw the play, “Come from Away.” On 9/11 many of us watched in horror as terrorists commandeered two American commercial airplanes and deliberately flew them into the Twin Towers of The World Trade Center. Unsure of the extent of the threat then-President Bush shut down all American air space, leaving 38 additional commercial planes and their nearly 7,000 passengers with nowhere to go. “Come from Away” is the uplifting and heartwarming story of the tiny Newfoundland town of Gander that gave them a safe place to land and cared for them for nearly a week, until they could safely return to their U.S. destinations. It is a wonderful example of human beings’ capacity for kindness and compassion – and who couldn’t use a reminder of that these days? This Tony-Award-winning Canadian play opened on Broadway in 2017. I read recently that they announced on June 8th that October 2, 2022, will be their last performance. I am so glad we were able to see it while we were in London.
Tomorrow: Windsor Castle!
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