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HM The Queen's Speech 2014 #monarchyonline #christmas #2014 #london

H.M. THE QUEEN’S CHRISTMAS BROADCAST 25th DECEMBER 3PM.  

This year, the centenary of the start of World War One, the Queen used the theme of reconciliation in her Christmas Broadcast. She praised the ceramic poppy installation at the Tower of London which was a tribute to the fallen of the Great War and seen by millions. She said that as she walked among them that the only possible reaction was silence. The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Invictus Games for injured service personnel launched in London by Prince Harry, who turned 30 this year, were cited as examples of togetherness.

The Queen used a statue, called Reconciliation, to symbolise her theme, often she uses quotes from scripture and in her first televised Broadcast in 1957 quoted from a passage in Pilgrim’s Progress. She also talked of her visit to Crumlin Road Gaol in Belfast and mentioned the Scottish Referendum. She also paid tribute to those helping the victims of Ebola in Africa. It was a superbly delivered and scripted Christmas Broadcast.

The tradition of Christmas Broadcasts was begun by George V when he inaugurated the Empire Service with a BBC broadcast from Sandringham in 1932. The Queen first Christmas Broadcast took place in 1952 and now can be watched online and is available on social media. This has considerably widened its audience, far fewer of which watch at 3pm as in the early decades of the Queen’s reign.

The Queen chooses a theme which is her own and in her own words, it is personal to her and it may also be one with global significance. There is always a deeply religious context to the message as she takes her role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England very seriously. Tributes are usually paid to our armed forces for whom the Queen records a special message. The highlights of the royal year, births, jubilees anniversaries and significant public engagements are included in the Broadcast, which lasts up to ten minutes.

The continuity embodied in this annual Broadcast is important as the Queen speaks to the Commonwealth to which she is so dedicated and broadcasts have often featured royal visits abroad.

The Queen’s state visit to France to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landings and her state visit to Rome and meeting with Pope Francis were most successful. The enormous popularity of the visits by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to the Antipodes, with Prince George and to New York, with William meeting President Obama in Washington, was most significant.

The Queen’s historic state visit to Ireland in 2011 was arguably the highlight of her reign. The return visit of President Michael D. Higgins to Britain this year was an enormous success and the royal involvement in the Northern Ireland peace process and in reconciliation with Ireland has been a triumph.

On 9 September 2015 the Queen will become our longest reigning monarch. The Duke of Edinburgh at 93 is now the oldest ever European male consort. William and Kate, now resident at Anmer Hall with George at 17 months, have had a highly successful year despite Kate’s severe morning sickness and we look forward to a sibling for George in April. The Prince of Wales’s environmental campaigns and William’s campaign against the illegal trade in wildlife have also been of considerable significance in an excellent year for the monarchy.

By: RICHARD FITZWILLIAMS, royal commentator is available on 07939 602 749 www.richardfitzwilliams.com

Italian Navy Helps Amazing Aragonese Castle in Taranto Italy. #Navy #ItalianNavy #ArgoneseCastle

The Monarchyonline.org team were most fortunate to have a special private tour of the Aragonese Castle in the Naval port of Taranto with officers from the Italian Navy. Naval officers that led the tour first showed an amazing film about the history of the castle then led a private tour explaining about the excavations and what had occurred since the castle was built between 1487 and 1492.

Many artifacts and even skeletons have been uncovered during the excavations that will probably continue for around 10-15 years. The Italian Navy still use this castle and cherish the church where the King of Naples got married. Complete Greek & Italian kitchens have been discovered and you can see in the pictures along with many coins and ancient artifacts.

The Castel Sant'Angelo di Taranto, better known as the Aragonese castle, has a long history, as evidenced by recent excavations. The previous structure Greek, Byzantine and Norman-Swabian-Angevin are still legible and visible during the tour. The new era Aragonese castle was rebuilt in the years between 1487 and 1492, according to the new criteria imposed by the refinement of the artillery. It seems that the reconstruction project, created by the king of Naples, Ferdinand of Aragon, was made with the director, more likely, indirectly the great Sienese architect Francesco di Giorgio Martini. The characteristic cylindrical towers and walkways inside. Interesting is the Renaissance chapel of St. Leonard inside. 

IIt was amazing to have such a wonderful tour and also see the bridge open to allow a Navy ship through as you can see in the pictures. The bridge now electric and a real delight to see opening as many locals rushed to watch from the roadside.

 

We all learned so much from our amazing visit on a sunny afternoon in December 2014. Our special thanks to the Naval Officer pictured below from us all at Monarchyonline.org. 
Additionally, encourage you to think about a visit if you are able as such a wonderful place to visit in Southern Italy, Europe. Roll on our next visit!

Check out the website http://www.castelloaragonesetaranto.com/

Rotary club of London World War I remembered

Brigadier Tim Waugh CBE talks about global aspects from the first world war and in particular the thousands of people killed & injured.
Tim does lots of activities since retirement from the army for Nato and communications for the middle east in particular.
A wonderful talk to remember all the people who losts their lives in World 1 and other associated conflicts.
Thanks Tim a member of the Rotary club of London.

The Commonwealth Games 2014 do you understand what it is all about?

Her Majesty the Queen opens the 2014 commonwealth games and is continuing to enjoy this amazing sporting event. Here is just one of the press links when she appears in the background of a selfie!

Queen high jacks a selfie https://twitter.com/_JaydeTaylor/status/492269017215012864/photo/

Richard Fitzwilliams our Royal Commentator shares some useful information about the history and what it means in society today.

The Commonwealth Games, was opened by H.M. The Queen in Celtic Park, Glasgow, are the most high profile occasion associated with this unique body. 71 teams compete as apart from the 53 nations who are members, the four Home Nations of the United Kingdom, island states and Crown dependencies also compete. It is the third largest multi-sport event in the world.

Last year’s CHOGM was held in Colombo and this was was extremely controversial because of the Sri Lankan Government’s record on human rights. The Prince of Wales deputized for the Queen. At the previous CHOGM in Perth the report of the Eminent Persons Group which recommended action on human rights including a Commissioner was largely ignored. What is the purpose of so loose an alignment of states, all free and equal? Have so many high-sounding declarations from previous CHOGMS a real purpose, a Declaration on Human Rights from Harare for example?

The Commonwealth’s most valuable function lies in the huge number of cultural, parliamentary, scientific, business, legal and other inter-governmental organizations which cement this gathering of 53 states, all but Rwanda and Mozambique being former British territories. They have the English language in common and often a shared history as well as High Commissioners. The Commonwealth Games, held every fourth year, is the most high profile of its activities.

The Queen’s personal affection for the Commonwealth is legendary and though the headship is not automatically passed to the British monarch it would be ridiculous if it did not as this ensures continuity and cohesion. The 2013 CHOGM was only the second CHOGM she has not attended since these meetings began in 1971. 16 Commonwealth countries have her as head of state. 5 are monarchies, the rest are republics.

The Commonwealth has suspended Fiji, Zimbabwe left in 2003, Gambia in 2013 and Nigeria and Pakistan have previously been suspended so it does try to create a moral framework in which its members have to appear to operate. Burma, Aden and Ireland never joined. South Africa was not readmitted after it became a republic in 1961 until democracy in 1994 and the campaign against apartheid was one of the commonwealth’s successes. Few celebrate Commonwealth Day (the secondMonday in March) and the organization has no military power, it is a variety of states comprising roughly a third of the world’s population which gives smaller nations a unique chance for a say.

Britain might consider, as a reluctant member of the EU, it a good idea to look anew at this unique body.

Prince George 1st Birthday 22nd June 2014

A year has now past since Prince George was born on the 22nd of June 2013, and he is doing so well as you can see in his picture. Lots happening to celebrate we are sure with his family. Here are some interesting facts from Royal Commentator Richard Fitzwilliams about this special time.

PRINCE GEORGE IS A YEAR OLD. TUESDAY 22^ND JULY. Richard Fitzwilliams, 

The first birthday of the third in line to the throne, Prince George, will be marked with three photographs taken in the Butterfly House outside London’s Natural History Museum of which the Duchess of Cambridge is a patron, by John Stilwell. The first shows him walking with ease and looking confident, the others are happy family photos which will delight after a most successful year.

There will be a party at Kensington Palace. The Queen will be attending and the guests might include royal cousins Maud (11 months), daughter of Lord Frederick Windsor and his wife Sophie and Mia (6 months), daughter of Zara and Mike Tindall. It will have a theme, could it be animals as he loves wombats? There are reports there was a party with a Peter Rabbit theme put on for him on Saturday by the Middletons whose Party Pieces firm specialises in this.

George’s major appearances in his first year have been in the Antipodes. The party at Government House in Wellington with ten other babies of eight months was a huge success. The photo opportunity with the bilby at Taronga Zoo in Sydney was simply marvellous.

The vast interest nationally and internationally when George was born was, for many, excessive, especially the hours spent on rolling news during the waiting outside St Mary’s but the major stories do receive this sort of coverage if there is demand for it. His appearances in Britain have been wisely rationed since, there were lovely Christening photos at the historic royal gathering, the first of its type since 1894, by Jason Bell and George also appeared at the Cirencester Polo Club where William and Harry played in June on Father’s Day.

When William was a year old his parents were on tour in Canada. He is clearly arranging events so he has the maximum amount of time to spend with his family. His next job will be becoming a pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance though this has yet to be confirmed. Today, there is much to celebrate with the Royal Mint releasing a £5 coin and the Summer Exhibition at Buckingham Palace has the theme Royal Children.