34 thoughts on “Order of the Garter canceled as State Opening of Parliament moved”

1. It’s fascinating to see such a crown, how much this has to weigh on the head!Wars started because other kings wanted to win new territory and get the crown of another monarch.These juwels must be priceless. There are surely differences between the crowns. I wonder who made this one?

   1. That one is the Imperial State Crown. It’s quite amazing! It has St Edward’s Sapphire on top, from St Edward the Confessor, the Black Prince’s ruby, and the Cullinan II which is the second largest diamond in the world. Three of the pearls belonged to Elizabeth I. Pretty neat history in there if you ask me. It weighs about 3 lbs I think? It sparkles and is incredible to see.

      1. Sparkles! I remember seeing this and the Crown Jewels in London. There was this GLOW coming from the room in which the crown jewels were kept. Just an amazing sight in person. I had never been a fan of diamonds previously but suddenly understood the allure ?

      2. Thank you! I love the history behind crowns or royal jewelry. 🙂

      3. To think there is more lost jewels belonging to Elizabeth I or other British monarchs out there is crazy.

         1. Lisa: me too.

            I went to see the QM lying in state in Westminster hall not because i was sad that she died, a given, but to see her jewels that had been placed on top of the coffin. As our group walked into the hall, the sun rays from the window became brighter and that thing shone and glowed like the business. Definitely worth the visit despite the sad occassion.

            Ellie / Lovely Blossom, this imperial crown wss made in 1937 using jewels and metals from across the centuries. The design itself has existed since the 15th century, but this particular crown isn’t the original one. This is the 4th or 5th version of the design.

            Crowmwell melted down and or sold the crown jewels when he came to power. After his death, Charles 2 had to borrow jewels for a pop up crown which were returned after his coronation.

            Different monarchs have used different crowns for their coronation until this one was made in 1937 in time for HM father’s coronation.

            1. Herazeus, I went to both the Cartier exhibit and the Elizabeth Taylor one. It is amazing how sparkly those gems are in person!

            2. Nota: i went to Elizabeth Taylor when it came through London.

               Le Sigh. Amazing. So sparkly.?

2. Can someone explain why there is another election when they recently had one? Or was that just for Brexit? I apologize for not knowing, but am trying to follow up and learn on the politics going on in the US and also in Europe. Just have not had as much time as I would like to read on it and research.

   1. This is a long-winded answer, and i apologise in advance. It’s not a simple answer because there is a long history behind our arrival to this point, scattered across different areas.

      We had a general election in 2015 after the 5yr fixed term of the previous govt expired.

      The issue of EU referendum has been a thorn in every govt’s side since 1973, a minute after we joined the Economic market. The issue is that we joined the market, but the EU expanded and forced Financial, judiciary, operative, security etc elements on it’s member states and we hadn’t signed up for those parts. Whether or not you think being in the EU was a good thing, the politicians failed to sell the advantages whilst allowing the anti-EU faction to sell their perspective. One canny politician, back in the 80s turned membership into a political hot potato and successive parties/ politicians campaigned on the promise of a referendum. None were stupid enough to actually follow through.

      Anyhue, in the past decade, the EU became a toxic subject for all parties, and Cameron didn’t want to return to the 80s/90s when it brought down a Tory govt, so he granted the long promised referendum on the assumption that the majority population would vote remain and that would shut dissenting voices up.

      Bad assumption because the population voted Brexit. Since then, various politicians, rich people etc have tried to block the vote or to find a way to reverse it.

      The infighting got so bad that the PM sat in a house of Lords debate on the issue, first time a PM has ever done that, in order to remind them that this was a democratically voted referendum even if it’s not the answer they prefer.

      I guess she couldn’t stop the infighting, so she called a snap election which is her perogative as PM.

      Snap elections are possible when the govt either loses a vote of confidence or they can’t agree on policy.

      I listen to BBC parliament all the time, and frankly if it were me, i would have fired the lot. So much infighting and posturing and pig-headed obstinency and threats to block Brexit. It was slowly taking over other parliamentary business.

      Having a snap election will strengthen the PM’s position if she wins because she has made Brexit the most important issue of the election. Any MP who is voted into parliament on this round will have to make their view on Brexit clear to the voting public so that the public can decide.

      That doesn’t mean that remainers won’t be voted into parliament, because a large section of the public voted remain, but if there are more brexit MPs than remainer MPs, then Theresa May has a stronger hand for pushing it. In effect, she’s asking the country to decide.again.

      1. Excellent and easy to follow summary! Thank you so much! As another American, I have been curious as well to understand how Britain arrived at this point.

      2. Thank you so much for the explanation! Is May herself up for election as well? In the US the presidential elections are separate entities from the senate and house of representatives elections. I know that the prime minister in the UK is a MP so if parliament is holding elections is it possible that her party will lose majority and she would no longer be prime minister?

         1. Yes, she is.

            She runs the risk of not getting elected herself because she is an MP as well as being PM.

            We do not elect Prime Minister. We elect individual MPs. The leader of the party with the most MPs elected becomes Prime Minister. The leader is simply another MP within their own party.

            1. Great summation, thanks. Another thing evident in addition to the squabbling was the set of lies told to the people, by polticians and the media.I’m not British, but they made the process seem easy, trouble free and lied about funds being available for the NHS for example. A tragedy for Britain.

            2. Daisy1000, i really don’t think the lie about the NHS was that important. That was just more political peacockery.

               The fact remains that this referendum was for the remainers to lose NOT the brexiters to win.

               My entire life, i’ve heard about the need to brexit and what a disaster the Common market (the original name of the EU) was.

               70s/80s/90s/00s and half of the 20-teens. Brexit has been an issue running in the background of British Politics.

               It brought down the Tory govt and eventually the Labour govt and dissolved the recent coalition govt.

               It’s been a high profile campaign since the 70s. Nigel Farage was merely the latest spokesperson. During those decades, it has variously articulated what we originally signed up to vs the expanded EU mandate being forced on us which we didn’t sign up to.

               The remainers have never articulated what was good about staying in the EU, and every time something bad happens in the EU and solutions can’t be found due to paralysis or ineffectiveness of Brussels, it strengthened and enlarged Brexit campaign.

               And by articulate, i mean they have never had their own Nigel Farage. A man who speaks like a truth teller down the pub even if what they are saying is nonsense.

      3. Thank you for the summary. I agree. I think May will get in. Because they will want to have a strong government and the country will not ratify the Labour Party, in a time of crisis. Madeleine will not get a vote if she lives here will she?

         1. Not unless she’s changed her citizenship.

            http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/faq/voting-and-registration/who-is-eligible-to-vote-at-a-uk-general-election

            Ineligible to vote in General Elections includes:
            “EU citizens resident in the UK (although they can vote at elections to local authorities, devolved legislatures and the European Parliament)”

      4. I think also she would be foolish not to take advantage of the Conservatives high standing in the polls in comparison to Labour. Good summaries, Herazeus!

3. I’m shocked about the cancellation of the Order of the Garter ceremony. Has it ever been cancelled before? I was lucky enough to get tickets to the parade at Windsor Castle a few years ago. It was a very big deal for me–and it seemed to be a very big deal for the British people. I presume there were no investitures this year, but there were not the year I attended either. It was still magnificent!!

   1. The public ceremonial part of the order of the garter is a PR exercise revived by the Queen’s father. No biggie to cancel it even if visitors enjoy it.

      1. Didn’t Charles substitute for HM for a big event like this in the last couple of years? Something to do with it being too much for her to walk backwards down steps while wearing ceremonial robes and a massive tiara, etc.

         1. Yes he did, but i think that was only for the ceremonial bit whilst she did the parade.

            Off to google to check. Will report what i find.

            1. Thanks. I looked for it, but failed using terms like “queen” “walking backwards” “stairs” “robes” etc.

      2. Herazeus, Was your comment about “visitors” enjoying the ceremonial part of the Garter ceremony intended to be condescending to visitors? If not, I’m sorry that I interpreted it that way. I would like to add that when I attended, I was surrounded by scores of enthusiastic Britons who seemed to be enjoying the pageantry just as much as I was. Busloads of British school children waving flags seemed ecstatic to be there, too. And I did enjoy it. I love your country, and I enjoy visiting its museums, its historical sites, its sites of natural beauty–as well as attending ceremonial events.

         1. Lyme: apologies. Completely wrong word to explain my point which on second reading gives your interpretation.

            Let me explain, whilst the Garter ceremony has been going on for centuries, it didn’t necessarily have a public component that the general public could view. The public being British/ realms primarily. Tourists from abroad are a bonus, but not the intended audience.

            After Victoria’s 40yr seclusion and refusal to participate in any public ceremony, the mobarchy was very poorly viewed by the public.

            Further, she died at a time when all the monarchies of Europe were being reviewed and or removed, most memorably the Russians.

            In order to survive, her son, grandson and great-grandson added or co-opted ceremonies that made them visible to the public.

            A gesture that brought them closer to the public. The garter parade is one such recent PR exercise that is designed for the royal family to show themselves to the public. Ditto Trooping the colour, the New Year and Birthday honours that award the public with OBE, MBE, CBE, Knighthood/damehood etc.

            It doesn’t reduce the monarchy not to have the parade as you initially wrote because the public parade was only conceived as a PR exercise to save the monarchy. And only in the past century.

            HM is notorious for not being innovative with regards the monarchy, but to simply follow her father, grandfather and great-grandfather’s initiatives.

            And as she’s lived so long, the public assumes these ceremonies are essential to the monarchy when in truth they are new and or PR exercises designed to keep her family on the throne.

            1. Thanks, Herazeus–I enjoy your very informative comments.

4. Interesting times. Effectively, minimizing the role of the crown – however intentional or not. Not sure why the Parliament opening is not full throttle. Is it because there is a pagent/dispay a week earlier in Trooping the Color?

   1. It’s not minimising the role of the Crown, that remains the same. It is just reducing the ceremonial, this has happened previously because of a snap election. It will be full bling again in the Autumn for re-opening!

5. This election is messing with my bling happiness! =( boo you’d think the gov’t has more important things going on =)
   So did the Spanish state visit get rescheduled for July?
   Doesn’t Victoria have a big bday coming up this summer? Maybe she’ll make it a tiara fest to appease me?

   1. Spanish state visit has been rescheduled to July.

      W-A is having a 50th birthday party pretty much right now – all weekend. Might be tiara shots from that.

      Harald of Norway has a big 80th birthday party May 9th (even though his birthday is in February iirc). Could be party pictures from that, as there are foreign royals attending.

      Victoria will be turning 40, but I don’t know if a big evening party with foreign royals is being planned.

      1. Nota, is Will and Kate going to be at the State Banquet for the King and Queen of Spain?

         1. I’d like to see Kate and Letizia together .

      2. Edward and Sophie will be going to Harald’s do, I think. Anne maybe as she is close to the Norwegians, I’ve read. Harald and Sonja visit HM and Philip often at Sandringham or Balmoral, and HM let Princess Mabel of the Netherlands stay at Windsor with them while her husband Friso was in the hospital in London before he died.

6. The Crown Jewels are fantastic – I was living outside of London in 2003-04 and went over winter – I got to do the circuit a few times as the visitot numbers were low – I hope to see them again . . .

Comments are closed.