Tag Archives: Elizabeth II
Memories of Empire
I almost forgot that today is Flashback Friday. Today’s post comes from this date in 2017, a monument I had noticed on a visit to London the previous month. It’s a huge monument, popular with tourists and pigeons alike, right in front of Buckingham Palace. Looking at it had me thinking about just how much […]
The King Of Canada
In all the pageantry and ceremony surrounding the coronation of King Charles III, I doubt the British people have paid much attention to his relationship with the colonies. Which doesn’t mean there has been no discussion of the monarchy in those colonies. Canada had strong ties to Queen Elizabeth II as the only Queen most […]
More Thoughts on the Queen (and King)
I must admit to not watching the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. It isn’t that I wasn’t interested. A state funeral says a lot about the nation and the individual, and the British know how to do it right. I thought though that watching it would be depressing. I think I was right. […]
Hard To Accept
I feel as if the world has lost its moorings and is now drifting with the tide. Elizabeth II is dead. We knew the day was coming. She was 96, and had been Queen for an unprecedented 70 years. It was only a matter of time Yet somehow she seemed immortal. The only Queen of Canada […]
God Save The Queen
It was on this date in 1952 that King George VI of England died. His 25-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, became Queen. That was 70 years ago. She still reigns, the longest serving monarch in British and Commonwealth history. To put it in perspective, during her reign there have been 12 Canadian Prime Ministers and 14 American […]
Buckingham Palace I
I knew from the map it was at the end of St. James Park, and indeed, I could see it in the distance. So I headed over to visit for the first time since 1981. I didn’t have the courage to ring the doorbell though. In 1981 I don’t remember the street in front of […]
The Queen’s Message
I could do without the music before and after her annual Christmas message (she starts talking just before the two minute mark) , but I really like what Her Majesty had to say this year. I’ve linked to a version with subtitles if you have difficulty with British English. People sometimes forget that one of […]
The Oath
What does it mean to be a Canadian? Apparently whatever you like. Earlier this week, within seconds of being sworn in at a citizenship ceremony, a newly minted citizen handed the citizenship judge a letter recanting the oath of allegiance he had just sworn to the Queen, but indicating his loyalty was to Canada. It […]
Elizabeth Regina
When I was first in school, a long time ago now, we started every day by singing God Save The Queen, which at the time was still officially the Canadian national anthem. The present anthem, O Canada, has been around for more than a century, but didn’t become official until 1980. I mention this today […]
random thoughts from lorne 
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