Well, tomorrow is the big day when Charles is crowned king. I admit that I'm not interested in all the pomp and ceremony. I've got other things that I would rather do than watch all kinds of people dressed up in fancy clothes, hundreds of horses with fancy harness, many bands and many military dressed in their finest.
Sorry folks but I'm not interested in this stuff.
I do know and understand the role of the monarchy in the parliamentary system of government. I do understand the history of the monarchy.
One of my favorite movies was Henry the VIII. At least I think it was Henry the VIII. They would load up the wagons and go tearing across the countryside to a place where they would camp for a time.
My Mom was very interested in the monarchy and followed their activities.
I remember Queen Elizabeth's Coronation. We didn't have television in 1953 so listened to the coronation on the radio. It was a long drawn out procedure. The radio crew was very skilled in describing and we really could imagine what was going on. I remember the sounds of horses, bands and the church ceremony.
All school kids received a copper coin marking the Queen's coronation. The coin had no monetary value . Mine was probably in the family home until Mom died and then who knows what happened to it.
There was also a fireworks display in town and I had never seen fireworks before.
So there you have it. I'm not keen enough about royalty to watch all the ceremonies.
Me either. No interest in the pomp and circumstance!
ReplyDeleteThe pomp is far overdone. It's just not rational.
DeleteI'm trying to imagine 'watching" the Queen's coronation on the radio. Amazing times. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteYes we huddled around the radio and broadcasters at that tie could be very descriptive.
DeleteNo, I'll be doing other things tomorrow, though I do appreciate the concept of the monarchy.
ReplyDeleteThere's a set amount of time for these occasions.
DeleteNot my thing either. But there are plenty of people who will enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteHi Red, I like it … well we are on the same page when it comes to Coronations. It’s going on as I am typing this and I’m not watching. However, my Micro Manager had me set the DVR to record it and so I’ll probably end up seeing some of it later today when she watches. I like the fact that the first time you saw fireworks was at the time of Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation. John
ReplyDeleteI'm not one who's out there fighting against the monarchy. I just think the ceremony is far overdone. It seems like a tremendous waste of money.
DeleteAs an American it always puzzles me why the monarchy gets so much press. The Dutch and the Danes have monarchs, don't they? But you never hear about them.
ReplyDeleteCurrent population of Britain - 63 million. Denmark - 5.8 million. Netherlands 17.5 million. Also those lovely little countries were not at the heart of the most extensive empire the world has ever seen - The British Empire.
DeleteNow when you mention colonialism you hit a sore spot. We are still suffering from colonialism and always will. Treaties were made with the aboriginals which is still making life difficult .
DeleteThat doesn't alter the point I was making to Tom.
DeleteThough there were many benefits, some of the things that happened in the name of Empire were terrible. An often forgotten aspect of Empire building is that working class people over here in Great Britain were frequently abused and exploited by the ruling class and lived in poverty - little better off than slaves. Harriet Beecher Stowe remarks on this in "Uncle Tom's Cabin".
I just watched a short video in the NY Times. I was surprised by how big and awkward that crown is. It took a while for it to get placed right on Charles's head. Then the cheering, "God save the King!"
ReplyDeleteI just say couldn't they lessen the ceremony to some extent.
DeleteMy daughter is fascinated with the monarchy and has been since she was a child. I gave her a Jean Plaidy book (a fictional work about one fo the Kings or Queens of England) that I had read. That sparked an interest that has lasted all her life. She did get up early this morning to watch the actual coronation (not the prelude to it). I did not, though will watch highlights I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that your daughter follows royalty.
DeleteNot interested at all, it's seems like a play to me.
ReplyDeleteIt is a performance and everybody has weaseled their way into some part of it.
DeleteI think in the days before movies and "influencer" celebrities, all eyes were on the royals. They were the celebrities of their era. So I'm not surprised your mom followed their activities.
ReplyDeleteI think the ceremony was much less before the days of modern communication. Now the networks milk it for all they can get.
DeleteI am catching up on the Coronation but did not see it live. There certainly is a lot of pageantry and have to say I enjoy it. Seeing the crowds supporting the day still made me feel very good. My parents were very much royalists and always admired the old King and Queen for staying in London when the Blitz was on, that came up a lot over the years. Having been out England now since 1975, I look at the Monarchy differently but all in all I wish them well.
ReplyDeleteIt's a tough position to be in so they need good wishes. They are a petty bunch and I don't think some of them have been treated well as in Harry.
DeleteIt's easy to watch the highlights on YouTube. There were lots of sweet moments. I wondered if Prince William and his young son were thinking, "That will be me someday!"
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they have been receiving instruction as to how things may be done in the future.
DeleteI'm basically neutral about the monarchy. If we didn't have the monarchy's representative we'd have to have someone else as head of state, and it would be just as expensive and probably not as stable. As far as the pageantry goes, I have no interest. The only time I was interested in royalty was when Charles and Diana were married, and then when Diana died and the funeral was shown on TV. I was in disbelief that she could be dead; I identified with her as a mother because our children were about the same age and I also found her to be such an interesting person. Your memories of the coin and the fireworks are interesting and show that it was widely promoted and celebrated even in the days before instant communication and commercialism of the event!
ReplyDeletethey are some of the characters that we like and some are not popular at all.
DeleteI saw that crown going onto his head and hoped nobody would drop it. Apparently he only wore the "real" crown a short while before they replaced it with one much less heavy!n :-)
ReplyDeleteDarn! I missed that!
DeleteWe have just devoted about four hours to watching our video recording of what occurred while we were sleeping, We do enjoy some of the pomp and pageantry. The good part of a record mg in that you can fast forward.
ReplyDeleteIt is a show and with television it can be well presented.
DeleteI have forwarded your name to The Tower of London. No doubt you will be invited to an execution... Your own! Off with his head!
ReplyDeleteWell, how about if we make a deal. I won't rain on your party if you won't rain on mine?
DeleteI didn't watch it, but I did see brief articles about it. It does sound like a lot of pomp and ceremony.
ReplyDeleteTV has a lot of influence these days.
DeleteI was 13 in 1953 and living within 50 miles of Saskatchewan so we got radio stations from Regina and Saskatoon and Winnipeg and I remember listening to Elizabeth's coronation all day. And I guess I got caught up in the pageantry and it's never left me though today for the first time I watched very little of the t.v. coverage of a big event in England.
ReplyDeleteHey, I remember those radio stations. CKY in Winnipeg played awesome music. Winnipeg is the home of Randy Bachman and Neil Young. Oops, I got off the royals.
DeleteI watched Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953 and will watch what I can of Charles' on YouTube. No TV available this time. I'm an unabashed royalist down here in the liberated colonies. This is just more history.
ReplyDeleteI like the term you use Liberated colonies. Colonialism robbed much from various areas.
DeleteWe didn't watch. Sue liked the queen but has no use for the king. I don't much care either way. I am neither pro nor anti monarchy.
ReplyDeleteI was two when Elizabeth was crowned...71 now. So yes, I watched yesterday's coronation. History...I may not be aroung for William's.
ReplyDeleteI'm new here...Like your blog and hope to visit often!
hugs
Donna
I watched bits of the coronation. For some reason I follow royalty: I'm going to blame the women's magazines. I got a whole education just from reading headlines while waiting in the supermarket :)
ReplyDeleteIt is a very expensive business, a coronation, I see you could object to it
I watched most of it and enjoyed it very much! :)
ReplyDeletei too am not fond of such ceremonies nor interested in monarchy movies or shows but hubby enjoys ,he has watched most of such movies among which Elizabeth i remember he watched few times starring Cate Blanchett
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