Category Archives: Columns

A View from a DKM: Looking Back One Year

I was home on vacation.  I was relaxing and sleeping in and enjoying not being at work.  However, on Wednesday night I had not slept well.  I woke up on and off all night because I was dreaming about the Queen and her health.  It wasn’t the first time, but it was the most vivid. Unable to sleep I grabbed my phone and looked at my messages and email.  There it was, Susan and Scott talking about the announcement regarding HM The Queen’s health.

“The Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral.”

It was this generations “The King’s life is moving peacefully to its close” used for her grandfather, King George V, over 87 years before hand.

I got out of bed and turned-on BBC World to watch the news.  All the coverage was about the announcement and it early enough that nobody had changed clothes yet.  I texted a friend to give her the news.  I grabbed my laptop and checked a couple of online but “hidden” sources I knew about.  The news there wasn’t good.  I continued to watch BBC as I did a few things around the house, took care of the dogs, and ate a little.  I kept an eye on Unofficial Royalty to make sure it didn’t go down and messaged friends about the situation.  I watched the crowds gather and the talking heads on TV talk.  On my phone I would rotate between the UK Telegraph and the Times of London.  It still didn’t seem real.  I was watching history.  Then I saw it.

The helicopter over Buckingham Palace showed the flag at half-staff.  Just as it was registering in my mind what that meant, Huw Edwards announced The Queen had passed then read the official announcement:

“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”

It hit me a lot harder than I thought it would.  It was 12:30 my time and quite honestly the rest of the day was a blur.  I watched BBC into the night; it would be my pattern over the next few days as I came to grip with what was going on.

A year later and I’m sure I have fully come to grips with it yet.  Rest-in-Peace Your Majesty, you certainly earned it.

A View from a DKM: The Coronation

I have been waiting since 1981 for a coronation and since that time I have gotten up early to watch every royal event. I have watched videos of A Queen is Crowned and news reel footage of the coronation of George VI. Needless to say, I was extremely excited about watching the coronation this past Saturday. I got up extra early to watch all the processions and the ceremony and here are my thoughts.

Things experts got wrong:
1. Charles did not wear a military uniform but wore traditional tunics. (He did wear trousers and not britches)
2. Harry was not in the 10th row; he was in the third, which was the first row of nonworking royals.
3. Lady Louise was on the balcony.

Things I did not like:
1. Most peers were not in coronation robes and did not have coronets. That was one of my favorite parts of previous coronations. They could have at least let the peers who were part of the ceremony wear their coronets since they were in coronation robes.
2. The removal of the homage except for the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Prince of Wales.
3. The Queen not holding the consort’s scepter and rod.

Surprising emotional moment for me: After the anointing screens were removed and we see the King kneeling in trousers and white shirt as the bishops prayed over him.

Rock Star of the Coronation: The Lord President of the Council (Penny Mordaunt)

Moment that lived up to all the hype: The actual crowning of the King.

Random Thoughts:
• Louis and Charlotte were every bit a little prince and princess.
• One of the girls in the choir reminded me of a young Lindsay Lohan.
• There were moments when both the King and Queen looked their age.
• No moment brought me to tears, but after the Prince of Wales kissed the King’s cheek, I might have come close.
• The royal salute and three cheers for the King and Queen by the troops was impressive.
• They did an excellent job of making the balcony look full.
• The Queen’s crown looked so big to me.
• God willing, I will live to see one more coronation.
• God save the King!

The Laird o’ Thistle (Special Edition) – A Scottish Dedication

© Unofficial Royalty 2023

St. Giles’ Cathedral; Credit – By Carlos Delgado – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35465527

As we prepare this week for the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, I cannot help but take a quick look ahead to another upcoming event. It has been announced by Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf that there will be a special “service of dedication and thanksgiving” held at Edinburgh’s High Kirk (St. Giles Cathedral) later this year, which will include the ceremonial presentation to the King of the Honours of Scotland – Scotland’s historic Crown, Scepter, and Sword of State dating to the 16th century. The Stone of Scone, sans the Westminster Coronation Chair, will also be featured after having been repatriated from its brief journey down to London for the ceremonies on 6 May. I am guessing that the service will take place during the annual Scotland Week at the beginning of July when the King and Queen take up residence at Holyrood Palace at the foot of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.

Queen Elizabeth II returning the crown of the Honours of Scotland to the care of the Duke of Hamilton, in St. Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, during the Scottish National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication in 1953

This summer’s service will be modeled on the service of Thanksgiving  Service held for the late Queen Elizabeth II during her post-Coronation visit in 1953. As with the Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen’s life held in Edinburgh in last September, the dedication service will be under the direction of Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) leaders and traditional Scottish royal officers (the Lord Lyon, etc.). It will doubtless include other Christian and Interfaith leaders. The preliminary plan is for the Honours to be escorted on their short journey down the hill from Edinburgh Castle by a “People’s Procession” of about one hundred representatives chosen from around the country.

It is key to note, for all concerned, that this Scottish ceremony will not be a SECOND Coronation. The Honours themselves were last used in a Coronation in 1651, interestingly enough for the crowning of King Charles II at Scone. (Cromwell and his English Parliamentarian forces chased the young King off to Europe shortly thereafter.) King Charles III will neither wear nor bear the Honours. He will merely receive them. He will not be re-anointed, but he and Camilla will be blessed. If the model of 1953 is followed, Charles and Camilla will wear formal day dress, not formal robes and regalia.

I admit that I have rather mixed feelings about the Coronation on 6 May. The late Queen’s 1953 Coronation took place in a still-imperial context, though the Empire was already transitioning into the Commonwealth. The House of Lords was actually still the House of LORDS back then. The established Church of England involved a far greater proportion of the English people at the time. (And, the Moderator of the Kirk was at least accorded a brief walk-on role, to present a Bible to H.M.) Even so, the 1953 pageantry seemed rather archaic… and that was 70 years ago.
Since World War II, the United Kingdom has been the only European monarchy that has continued to anoint and crown its sovereigns. The last non-British coronation in Europe was for the young King Michael of Romania in 1940. Other European monarchies now use simpler ceremonies of enthronement and blessing, at most. The upcoming Scottish service will be more in that mode.

Back in September, I commented to various friends that the Thanksgiving Service for the Queen’s life in Edinburgh was “the “real funeral” as far as I was concerned. The formal State Funeral in London was historically interesting; but, for me, it was the Edinburgh service that best combined simple dignity with sincere heartfelt affection in honoring Her Majesty. I have a suspicion that may prove similarly true in a few weeks when King Charles and Queen Camilla come again to the High Kirk. The old Kings of Scots were ne’er sae pompous and grand as those down in England, and traditionally – whether they liked it, or not – they were closer to their people. After many years of observing him, I suspect that is rather more what King Charles ultimately wants for the future of the Crown, and I hope he succeeds in bringing it to pass. I wish the King and Queen well.

Yours Aye,
Ken Cuthbertson – the Laird o’ Thistle

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

The Laird o’ Thistle (Special Edition) – Remembering the Platinum Queen

Queen Elizabeth II, official photo for the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne; Credit – The Royal Family Facebook page

by The Laird o’ Thistle (Special Edition)
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

3 February 2023

This coming Monday, 6 February 2023, will mark the one-year anniversary of the Platinum Jubilee of her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II… “of happy memory” as the saying goes. And, in this case, for this writer, the memory is happy.

On the day itself, last year, readers may recall, Her Majesty was in residence at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate, but on the afternoon of 5 February, she came over to the “Big House” for a special tea party with representatives of local organizations. There was cake, and the Queen moved (carefully) among the tables, leaning on her stick and greeting her guests. The hostess, who was also the guest of honor, was bright and cheery that day.

I will admit to having been greatly relieved at the time. The Queen’s evident weight loss and increasing frailty over the preceding months had been evident for all to see. Like many, I think, I had wondered if HM would in fact live to see the milestone anniversary. That she did make it, not just to 6 February but to 8 September, is in many ways remarkable, and in so doing she left us many wonderful memories of her final months.

In the closing pages of his most recent book (December 2022), ELIZABETH: AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT, broadcaster and author Gyles Brandreth reports what I would term the rather “authoritative” rumor that circulated among those likely to be “in the know” after HM’s death that she had been suffering from multiple myeloma, a cancer of the white blood cells that lodges in the bones, and which can cause pain in the spine, fatigue, weight loss, and “mobility problems” in the legs. It is a not uncommon condition among the very elderly. Brandreth notes that this form of cancer would explain much of what was observed over the Queen’s final months. It might also help to explain HM’s never-explained overnight hospital stay in the autumn of 2021, “for tests.” While the symptoms may be treated, and life may be extended for some time, the cancer itself is not currently curable.

If the report is correct, then Queen Elizabeth moved through the last months of her life with the awareness that it was drawing to its close, and she did so determinedly carrying on as best she could, in regular good cheer, no less. Her deep Christian faith, which Brandreth refers to repeatedly, was undoubtedly a major factor in this. But, as I recall The Princess Royal attesting in a 2012 interview, the Queen’s essential realism and pragmatism must also be taken into account. “Keep calm, and carry on…” as the old, and recently over-used, saying goes.

And so in that light, we remember… the February 5 tea party, and HM’s surprise statement of support the next day for Camilla becoming Queen Consort; her determined presence – controversially on Prince Andrew’s arm – at the memorial service for Prince Philip at the end of March; the electric buggy she rode in, and the vivid pink coat she wore, at the Chelsea Flower Show in May, seeming to thoroughly enjoy herself; her balcony appearance with her cousin The Duke of Kent, and then the working Royal Family, at the end of the Jubilee Trooping the Colour, including her amusement at Prince Louis’s antics; the very brief appearance to ignite the first Jubilee Beacon; her amazing comedy sketch with Paddington Bear, and the surprised smiles on the faces of Prince George and Princess Charlotte when she appeared; her final appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony (over 95 years after her first) with her three direct heirs, two of their spouses, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, as she beamed with delight and wonder at the vast crowd; the delight she again showed in late June during her few in-person events during “Scotland Week” in Edinburgh; and, lastly, her now-more-poignant final public engagement in July, accompanying Princess Anne to the new Thames Valley Hospice, visiting with various patients and their families. (They didn’t know the irony then, but we do now.)

There has been speculation that the Queen considered it likely (and, maybe even hoped) that she would pass from this life at her deeply beloved Balmoral, and so she did on a dreich (dark and rainy) early autumn afternoon, with her eldest son and her daughter at her side, just days after entertaining her much-beloved niece Sarah Chatto, her Bowes-Lyon kin, the Moderator of the Kirk (who found her lively and engaged) for the weekend, and then two Prime Ministers… outbound and inbound… on the same day. Sadly, though, she’d missed the Braemar Gathering on the previous Saturday, for one of the few times ever. Whatever else, she truly lived and loved life right up to the end, and then she was gone….

As 2022 drew to an end, I did my own personal sort of year-in-review. I noted five significant deaths in my life for the year, four being family and dear friends, and the fifth being Queen Elizabeth II. Even though I never laid eyes on her in person, I have been grieving for her, and still am. As so many have said, she’d just always been there, for our whole lives.

An important part of my ongoing reflection on her life and passing has been reading two wonderful books. The first is Gyles Brandreth’s book, already mentioned, which I received for Christmas. It is a wonderful, personal, telling of her life through both research and direct personal experience over many years, plus the reminiscences of close friends and family. There are many delightfully funny stories, along with much affection and, I think, a good honest assessment of the Queen as a person… not a personality.

The second is Robert Hardman’s 2019 book, QUEEN OF THE WORLD, which covers HM’s international role over the course of her reign, particularly her role in building and maintaining the Commonwealth as it transitioned from the original eight countries to now fifty-six member states, with fifteen of them still retaining Charles III as Head of State. This was a re-read for me, but with an especially important reminder of Queen Elizabeth’s very “hands (discreetly) on” role in working with Commonwealth leaders to bring about the transition of both Rhodesia/Zimbabwe and South Africa from white rule to black-majority rule. The Princess who in 1947 made her 21st birthday pledge from South Africa stayed constant in her love and support for that land and its people across the decades, and… fascinatingly… formed a particularly strong and enduring friendship with Nelson Mandela. He was one of the very few people outside of her own family to call her simply by her given name, “Elizabeth.” At a luncheon during one of his London visits, he warmly hailed her as “this gracious lady” and she replied referring to him as “this wonderful man.” It is an amazing tale to read anew.

That said, the time has come that we need to look onward to the coronation of King Charles III on May 6, 2023. It will be interesting to see how things unfold. I’ve not heard it really remarked on thus far, but I find it highly significant that Charles III will be crowned with the “new” St. Edward’s Crown made for the English coronation of Charles II in 1661. (Charles II had previously been crowned King of Scots at Scone in 1651, only to be forced into exile by Oliver Cromwell soon thereafter.)

Beyond that, in truth, I am finding myself more “interested” than “fascinated” by most things in the new reign thus far. I am deeply impressed with the new Queen Consort’s “down to earth” approach to her role. I am pleased with the ongoing roles of Princess Anne and Prince Edward in the new reign, along with the Duke of Gloucester. I do hope that the King will in due course carry through with his parents’ intention to create Prince Edward as Duke of Edinburgh… possibly as a lifetime appointment rather than hereditary according to some media reports. And, as we move toward May, I wish King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla all the best, along with Prince William, Catherine, and their family. God bless them, each and all!

Yours aye,
Ken Cuthbertson – The Laird o’ Thistle

P.S. – A friend asked recently where I got my “Laird o’ Thistle” moniker. That is simple enough. My earliest known paternal ancestor was, in fact, a “bonnet laird” (i.e. a small freeholder) in Ayrshire, Scotland but that’s just part of the equation. When I started writing this column back in March 2004 [sic!] we had recently moved from a house we had called The Thistlecot. We loved that house very much, and so it inspired the name.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

1. “My Heart’s in the Highlands” / 2. The New Royal Family

by The Laird o’ Thistle (Special Edition)
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

As the two things I want to write about today do not lend themselves being combined into a single column, for this one time I am doing a double feature….

1. “My Heart’s in the Highlands”
My heart’s in the Highlands, my heart is not here;
My heart’s in the Highlands a-chasing the deer;
A-chasing the wild-deer, and following the roe,
My heart’s in the Highlands wherever I go.

— Robert Burns, 1789

I said to a friend yesterday that it feels like a dear aunt has passed, the aunt of the whole world.

In the midst of great sadness, I am taking some comfort in the fact that Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully yesterday at Balmoral, reportedly her favorite place on earth. She passed from this life in the place she loved best with her two eldest children in attendance. (Reports indicate that Prince William, the Wessexes, and Prince Andrew arrived shortly after her passing.) I am even taking a bit of bemused pride in the fact that by dying in Scotland, she died a Presbyterian… for the Sovereign is a member of the Kirk when in Scotland.

Balmoral has been a place of respite and refuge for two great queens, Victoria and Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth has loved it from childhood when she and her parents, her sister, and (often) her cousin Margaret Rhodes would spend summer holidays at adjoining Birkhall. After her father became king the scene shifted to the castle itself, and three years into the reign the young princesses remained at Balmoral for the first three months of World War II before finally rejoining their parents “down south” in December 1939. In the postwar years Balmoral was the site of happy times for the King and his family, and of both courtship and honeymoon for Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip. A number of heartwarming photos remind us King George’s final summer at Balmoral with the entire family… including grandchildren Charles and Anne. (See: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/transition-the-final-months-of-king-george-vi-and-accession-of-queen-elizabeth-ii/ ) And, now, we will forever treasure the final image of Queen Elizabeth there, taken just two days before her death, a photo of the tiny and frail, but warmly smiling 96-year-old, tartan clad and leaning on her stick, standing by a roaring fire in the castle’s drawing room as she awaited the arrival of her 15th Prime Minister.

I am thankful that before being whisked off to England, the Queen’s body reposes today in the ballroom at Balmoral, where she loved dancing reels at the annual Ghillies Ball. I am also thankful that in a couple of days her coffin will be taken first to Edinburgh, to Holyrood, for due honours in her Scottish capital and palace where, in 1999, she reconvened the first Scottish Parliament since 1707. But as she departs Balmoral for the very last time, no doubt to the plaintive sound of the bagpipe, I hope someone there will quietly whisper in her behalf:

Farewell to the mountains, high-cover’d with snow,
Farewell to the straths and green valleys below;
Farewell to the forests and wild-hanging woods,
Farewell to the torrents and loud-pouring floods.
…My heart’s in the Highlands wherever I go.

2. The New Royal Family

I am sure that many will have shared my experience of startle-ment yesterday, upon hearing the words “His Majesty the King” spoken for the first time in my lifetime. The era of King Charles III and Queen Camilla has begun.

Over the last several years, while remaining firmly in charge, Queen Elizabeth took great care in preparing the way for this moment. She successfully won the agreement of the leaders of the Commonwealth that Charles should succeed her as its Head. In February she made it very clear that she wanted Camilla to be known as Queen Consort when the time came, and then she personally appointed and invested Camilla as a Lady of the Garter. For very practical, but also deeply symbolic, reasons she designated Charles as her representative to preside at the most recent State Opening of Parliament in May. Similarly, it was Charles who “took the salute” for her at the Trooping the Colour in June. And now he is King.

In a moment, yesterday afternoon, everything changed… not just for Charles and Camilla, but for many. William has… just this evening… been created Prince of Wales by the King. William and Catherine are now the Prince and Princess of Wales, Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge, and… in Scotland… Duke and Duchess of Rothesay. William is now the Great Steward of Scotland and Lord of the Isles, as well. Their children are now Princes George and Louis, and Princess Charlotte of Wales. Harry’s children are now… if their parents so choose… Prince Archie, and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.

I deeply hope that King Charles will also fulfill his parents’ longstanding intention and deeply-held wish, and quickly move to create Prince Edward as Duke of Edinburgh. (Albeit, it may be the appropriate time to transition the Royal Dukedoms into lifetime appointments, rather than them being hereditary.)

King Charles has talked for years of transitioning to a “slimmed down” monarchy, with fewer working royals. Over the last several years it has sort of created itself, in large part through the disgrace of Prince Andrew and the departure of Prince Harry to America. I expect that the increasingly frail Duke of Kent (soon to be 87) and his sister Princess Alexandra (soon to be 86) will probably take the new King’s accession as their opportunity to retire from active service. The Duke of Gloucester (age 78) may continue to assist for a while, or he too may decide it is time to step back.

The big question in my mind concerns the ongoing roles of the Princess Royal and of Prince Edward and Sophie (either as Duke/Duchess of Edinburgh, or continuing as Earl/Countess of Wessex). Over the course of the pandemic, and following the departures of both Andrew and Harry from royal duties, they have become invaluable working members of the royal team. I have already heard rumours that Anne may choose to “retire” at some not-too-distant point. (Though, I hope not too soon!) On the other hand, Edward is “only” 58 and, having been forced out of his earlier career attempts largely by Charles, he and Sophie have worked hard for years now “in support of” the Queen, and the Crown.

As I see it, the practical reality for the next several years will be that there is more to be done than Charles and Camilla, and William and Catherine, can do. It is at least twelve years, and probably longer, before Prince George will assume any significant role. (He just turned age 9.) Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis may (or may not) both follow in turn. But, just as happened for Princes William and Harry, the family may also want to give the rising generation a bit more time… until around age 30 or so… before asking them to assume a full load of duty.

Finally, as odd as it seems to say this on his first day as King, I find myself hoping that Charles will at least consider adopting the model of other European royal houses and retiring (i.e. abdicating) at some point down the road. He has, today, pledge himself to “lifelong” service. But, sometimes such service is best offered by stepping back at the right moment.

King Charles will turn 74 in November. As much as I have loved and admired the Queen throughout my 66+ years of life, and have understood her ingrained sense of the “job-for-life” tradition, I have personally wished over the last couple of years that she would have followed Prince Philip’s lead in stepping back, for her own sake as well as for those coming after. She sort of did so, in a very careful and limited way. But as recently as this Tuesday she was still at work, possibly overextending herself in the end. King Charles will have to choose his own way, but I hope he at least holds the retirement option open.

And so, for today and days ahead… “God save the King! God bless the Prince of Wales! And, God bless all of the new Royal Family!”

Yours aye,
Ken Cuthbertson – the Laird o’ Thistle

Elizabeth: The Firstborn Windsor

by The Laird o’ Thistle (Special Edition)
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Queen Elizabeth II, official photo for the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne; Credit – The Royal Family Facebook page

I hope that many who read this were able to see the BBC’s The Unseen Queen on May 29, 2022 or subsequently online. I found it an amazing and moving record of Her Majesty’s life, mostly based on the family’s own home movies, with narration mostly from written and recorded comments by Her Majesty, including some reflections recorded as recently as the last month. I found some of the earliest clips of the Queen with her grandparents, George V and Queen Mary, and with her uncles, the Dukes of Windsor and Kent, particularly fascinating.

It occurred to me some time ago that Elizabeth II is now the last living person who can be said to have known several members of the royal family (and some other historical figures as well). First and foremost on that list is King George V, the founder of the House of Windsor, who died in January 1936, about three months before Elizabeth’s 10th birthday.

Elizabeth knew the old King and was a great favorite of his. As a tiny child, not yet 3 years old, Princess Elizabeth was brought to Bognor (Regis) in early 1929 to keep the King and Queen Mary company as George recuperated from surgery and a nearly fatal bout of septicemia. Accounts say that the princess and the King would chat away… as best she could at that age… while she played in the sand. Later accounts by Marion Crawford, Elizabeth and Margaret’s governess, tell of the King’s expressed desire that she learn to write in “a decent hand.” Various photos show young Princess Elizabeth riding to church with her grandparents at Crathie Kirk (Balmoral), and the two princesses participating in King George’s Silver Jubilee events in 1935, including the procession, thanksgiving service, and balcony appearance. I have mentioned previously here that there is also newsreel footage of Princess Elizabeth and her parents following the old king’s coffin into St. George’s Chapel on the day of his funeral… a clip not included in The Unseen Queen. (See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgJJbq8FvvQ, look at the 9:30 minute mark.) Elizabeth was the youngest royal attendee, and the only one now living.

A well-known story tells that George V… given his testy relationship with his eldest son and heir… bluntly attested his hope at the end of his life that “nothing come between Bertie (George VI), Elizabeth, and the throne.” He saw in her the future. Providence, in due course, granted his wish.

In point of fact, Queen Elizabeth II is the actual firstborn member of the House of Windsor, the first member of the royal family born with the Windsor surname. (Her two elder cousins, the sons of her aunt, Princess Mary, were Lascelles, not Windsors. All of the other elder family members had their surname changed to Windsor in 1917.) That seems both a simple happenstance and incredibly significant.

As well as George V, the Queen is also the only living member of the current royal family who can remember several others, such as her grandfather’s sisters Princess Victoria (d. 1935), and Queen Maud of Norway (d. 1938). [She might, or might not, remember Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife, who died in January 1931.] There are several other senior royals, who died in the first half of the 1940s, that HM remembers along with her cousins Prince Edward (the Duke of Kent, b. 1935) and his sister Princess Alexandra (b. 1936). First and foremost of these is the Kents’ father, Prince George, who was killed in 1942 on active duty in WWII. The others are the last three surviving children of Queen Victoria: Princess Louise (Duchess of Argyll, d. December 1939); Prince Arthur (Duke of Connaught, d. 1942); and Princess Beatrice (widow of Prince Henry of Battenberg, d. 1944.)

In her comments in The Unseen Queen, HM notes that “looking back” is a way of also looking toward the future. It’s a matter of perspective. This week Britain, the Commonwealth, and the world celebrate the unprecedented Platinum Jubilee of the little princess who waved so enthusiastically from carriage and balcony at the 1935 Silver Jubilee, and who grew up around those to whom Queen Victoria was “Grandmama” and even “Mama”, and so on. She’s also the 96-year-old “Gan-gan” of little ones who will remember her as she remembers those others, especially Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis… the family future. The firstborn Windsor will be standing in a unique spot on Thursday as she (hopefully) appears on the balcony at Buckingham Palace with the currently “working” family and the Cambridge children. She will be standing as much at a point in time, as in a physical place. She will be looking “onward” as well as outward. Hopefully someday in the future… God and the British People willing… Prince George will himself stand there in turn, thinking back to a June day in 2022 with his Gan-gan, and also ahead into a then still unfolding future. That, I think, is clearly what HM is hoping.

Yours Aye,
Ken Cuthbertson – the Laird o’ Thistle
May 30, 2022

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Charles Alongside

by The Laird o’Thistle (Special Edition)
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Embed from Getty Images

I believe that this is the first time that I have been asked by the staff of Unofficial Royalty to address a particular topic, and not a small one at that. On Tuesday, 10 May 2022, Prince Charles presided at the State Opening of the new session of the U.K. Parliament in the Queen’s behalf. It was announced the previous day that the Queen, upon the advice of her doctors, had “reluctantly decided not to attend” the State Opening due to the “episodic mobility problems” that have limited her activities since early last autumn. In an unprecedented, but entirely legitimate and appropriate move, she issued “Letters Patent” designating Prince Charles and Prince William as “Counsellors of State” to act in her behalf, with Prince Charles taking the lead. Charles and William did so on Tuesday, also accompanied by Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.

All of this was done under provisions of the 1937 Regency Act, which was adopted following the Accession of George VI as a contingency for what would happen if he were to die before Princess Elizabeth came of age. (The Act was subsequently updated in 1946 and 1953; and the need for further revisions is currently being discussed. See note.) The pertinent section invoked for Tuesday’s State Opening reads as follows:

[Section 6] Power to delegate royal functions to Counsellors of State.
(1) In the event of illness not amounting to such infirmity of mind or body as is mentioned in section two of this Act, or of absence or intended absence from the United Kingdom, the Sovereign may, in order to prevent delay or difficulty in the despatch of public business, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal, delegate, for the period of that illness or absence, to Counsellors of State such of the royal functions as may be specified in the Letters Patent, and may in like manner revoke or vary any such delegation.
(https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Edw8and1Geo6/1/16/section/6)

With two Counsellors of State being required, at least implicitly and by precedent, Prince William was called upon to accompany his father in this instance. Though some are questioning whether, in the Queen’s absence, it was actually a “State Opening” (versus simply an “Opening”), I would argue that it was… precisely due to H.M.’s invoking of the provisions of Section 6. This was further reinforced by the symbolic inclusion of the Imperial State Crown in the ceremony… placed on a small table on the very spot where H.M.’s throne usually stands.

So much for the facts of what occurred, and why. The question raised anew by it all concerns the degree to which we are seeing the emergence of a sort of “dual monarchy” in which Prince Charles and Camilla become the “public face” of the Crown, while the Queen… still the Sovereign… retreats more and more from public view. This, I think, is increasingly the case, with Prince Charles and Camilla being assisted by Prince William and Katherine, the Princess Royal, and Prince Edward and Sophie. (Although still officially active, the Duke of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, and Princess Alexandra, are increasingly stepping back and “aging out” of their longtime service as “working” royals.) The question behind the question is whether this de facto situation may… sooner or later… shift to an official (de jure) designation.

My layperson’s read of the Regency Act is that it does not provide for the possibility of a co-Regency shared by the Queen and Prince Charles. Nor would the plural wording allow Prince Charles to be solely designated as Counsellor of State without a second Counsellor. Either would, I think, require a revision by Parliament of the legislation.

The focus then shifts to the Queen, and what she is willing to do? By all accounts she has, always and still, totally ruled out the idea of abdication. (One wonders if the future Charles III may hold a different attitude when his turn comes.) By all accounts the Queen is still fully compos mentis (i.e., sound of mind, memory, and understanding), and thus able to do the “desk job” of monarchy, as it were. The issues at hand are her great age, and her apparent physical disability to attend public events going forward.

She’s now at the age where Prince Philip chose to withdraw from public duties. There was talk in the press at the time that she might eventually follow suit. But, as recently as her statement released for the 70th anniversary of her Accession, it is clear that she takes her 1947 pledge that “my whole life, whether it be long or short, will be devoted to your service” VERY seriously. Her Coronation Oath, likewise. The thing that I wonder about, however, is whether she may be at, or near, the point at which that service needs to become vicarious? When does she reach the point at which her devotion to service itself requires her to step further back, if not away?

As in most families, this is probably not something that her family feel they can broach with their mother/grandmother, at least not yet. At some point her U.K. and Commonwealth governments may feel the need to raise the question. The U.K. press has begun making some noises on the topic in recent months. My own gut is telling me that once we get beyond the official Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June, something may significantly shift over the summer. Whether and how that involves some sort of more official and permanent “viceregal” role for Prince Charles will emerge.

All that being said, the one thing that I am absolutely confident about is that Queen Elizabeth II will continue to do her conscientious best in her stewardship of the Crown and her service to the peoples of the U.K. and the Commonwealth to her life’s end, in whatever form that takes. That is her never-wavering sacred trust.

Yours aye,
Ken Cuthbertson, the Laird o’ Thistle

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Transition: The Final Months of King George VI and Accession of Queen Elizabeth II

by The Laird o’ Thistle (Special Edition)
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth picnicking on the moors near Balmoral in August 1951, Princess Elizabeth behind, taken by the Earl of Dalkeith, later 9th Duke of Buccleuch; Credit – ROYAL FAMILY PICTURE ANNUAL – Volume One, The Daily Graphic by Pitkins Pictorials Ltd

One of the royal treasures that I have acquired over the years is a little volume I found in a used book shop circa 1990. It is the ROYAL FAMILY PICTURE ANNUAL – Volume One, published “in association with” The Daily Graphic by Pitkins Pictorials Ltd. In 1952. The volume of photos and narrative traces the Royal Family’s activities from August 1951 to August 1952… which is to say the final six months of the life of King George VI, and the first six months of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.

Over the last few months, as we have drawn ever nearer to HM the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee observance, I have found myself picking up this little volume repeatedly, to remind myself of how the story of the King’s final months unfolded, as well as the more widely familiar story of his death and the Queen’s Accession to the Throne. I have found it a poignant story… such as occurs for so many families. But in this case, it is the story of a very particular family… of the last King-Emperor and his wife, his elder daughter and heir, with her husband and two children, his younger daughter who had only just come of age and an elderly mother who was beginning to experience her own decline. (Queen Mary died in March 1953.) In what follows, from this and various other sources, I want to briefly convey the broad outlines of King George VI’s final months, culminating in the first two weeks of February 1952.

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (soon to be Queen Mother) departed London for Balmoral on the Royal Train on the evening of 2 August 1951. They were accompanied on the journey by their grandchildren, Prince Charles (age 2-3/4) and Princess Anne (just turning 1), and the children’s nannies. After fulfilling some engagements in Edinburgh on 4 August, Princess Elizabeth joined the children at Birkhall, followed by Prince Philip on 10 August. Princess Margaret arrived on 13 August. The immediate family was assembled.

It was intended to be a “normal” family holiday at Balmoral, essentially as it had been from the days of Queen Victoria to the present. The King and his guests would shoot grouse. The family would attend services at Crathie Kirk. Guests would come and go. But, there were also to be a couple of very special celebrations, the first birthday of Princess Anne on 15 August, and the twenty-first birthday of Princess Margaret on 21 August. A special family group photoshoot was arranged to mark the two occasions.

The royal family at Balmoral in August 1951

This holiday was additionally intended as a recuperative time for the King. His health had been concerning since May, including an inflammation in the lung. Advised to rest and recover, the King canceled his public engagements in June and July. By early September, however, concerns were renewed. The King and Royal Family attended the Braemar Gathering on 6 September, but the next day he flew to London for an in-depth examination by medical experts. After returning briefly to Scotland, the King departed his beloved Balmoral forever in mid-September. On 18 September it was announced that “structural changes” had occurred in the King’s lung. Three days later it was announced that he would be having surgery. An operating room was quickly fitted up at Buckingham Palace, and the surgery took place on 23 September. The King’s cancerous left lung was removed. (It is believed that he was never actually told he had “cancer” – generally a taboo word in that generation – though he may have realized it.) He began an extended period of recuperation and recovery.

The Royal Family undertook to “keep calm and carry on” in the immediate aftermath of the King’s surgery. Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh were due to depart for a tour of Canada, and a brief visit to the United States, shortly afterward. The decision was made for the trip to proceed, but they would fly out from the United Kingdom on 7 October, rather than travel by sea as first planned. They departed accordingly, leaving their children in the care of the Queen and Princess Margaret… and, of course, the nannies.

Elizabeth and Philip were away from 8 October to 17 November. They crisscrossed Canada and paid a brief visit to the United States, including an official dinner with President and Mrs. Truman at Blair House in Washington DC (the White House being under renovation at the time). This was Princess Elizabeth’s first encounter with a sitting American President, although she’d met Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt on several occasions during and since World War II. At the end of the trip, they returned to the United Kingdom by sea.

The future Queen Elizabeth II with American President Harry Truman in the autumn of 1951

As the King recuperated and grew stronger he returned to a few low-key duties, audiences, meetings, and so on. This included the post-General Election meetings on 26 October to accept Clement Atlee’s resignation as Prime Minister, and to ask Winston Churchill to form a government.

Having the grandchildren staying at Buckingham Palace meant that Prince Charles celebrated his third birthday with them, on 14 November. Much in the way that the little Princess Elizabeth (age 3) bonded with her grandfather during a recuperative period at Bognor Regis in the spring of 1929, the King now had the opportunity to bond more closely with his grandson. In fact, Prince Charles spent quite a lot of time around his grandparents during the King’s final months… at Balmoral, at Buckingham Palace, and then at Sandringham. (Princess Anne, too. But she was only 1 at the time.)

King George VI with his grandson Prince Charles on Charles’ 3rd birthday

On 14 December, the Royal Family gathered at Buckingham Palace for a small luncheon to celebrate the King’s 56th birthday. Along with the Queen and Princess Margaret, the King was joined by Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Queen Mary, The Princess Royal, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and the Duchess of Kent. Also on 14 December, the King knighted his surgeon, Dr. Price Thomas, and pulmonologist Dr. Geoffrey Marshall, who had attended him.
As in more recent times, the Royal Family’s Christmas holiday began when the King and Queen, Princess Elizabeth and the children, Princess Margaret, and Queen Mary, departed for Sandringham on the Royal Train on 21 December. (Prince Philip followed on the 22nd.) It was the first public sighting of the King since his surgery. The Gloucester and Kent families joined the house party in the following days.

Christmas at Sandringham was, then, much as it continued up to 2019. There were special services at St. Mary Magdalene Church. After the large Christmas Dinner, the King and his family listened to the pre-recorded Christmas Broadcast. In listening to the King’s “last” speech, you can hear not only the lingering post-surgical hoarseness but also the remnants of the old royal stammer.

British Royal Family, Christmas 1951

As 1952 began, the King and Queen remained at Sandringham. The King attended to both his official boxes and estate business along. He even went out with the guns on several occasions.
The big upcoming event for Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip was the Commonwealth Tour they would be undertaking in the King’s stead, beginning in February. The pace of preparations picked up quickly in January, though they still spent nearly three weeks of the month at Sandringham. The children would once again be staying with the King and Queen while their parents were away. Elizabeth and Philip returned to London on 25 January for a week of engagements, packing, and last-minute details.

King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, and Princess Margaret came down to London on 28 January. Over the next couple of days, he undertook some “light duties” at Buckingham Palace, including several audiences. On the night of 30 January the King and Queen, Elizabeth and Philip, and Princess Margaret attended South Pacific at Drury Lane. The King received an ovation which he acknowledged with a wave from the Royal Box. It was King George’s first true public outing since September. On the following morning the King, Queen, and Margaret were at London Airport with the Prime Minister and other relatives to send Princess Elizabeth and Philip off to Kenya, and the Commonwealth. The King looked gaunt and frail, hatless in the late January weather. The family returned to Sandringham the next day, 1 February.

King George VI at London Airport on January 31, 1952

Upon their arrival in Kenya, Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip fulfilled a series of official engagements in Nairobi before journeying on to Royal Lodge, Saguna, their wedding gift from the people of Kenya. They were to spend a few quiet days at the lodge before departing on the Commonwealth Tour. Among their party was Philip’s cousin, Lady Pamela Mountbatten (Hicks), who was serving Elizabeth as a Lady-in-Waiting on the Tour. Along with the Queen, she is now… at age 93… the only surviving member of the immediate royal party.

Meanwhile, at Sandringham, the King attended to business as he could. On 3 February he attended church with the Queen and Princess Margaret, walking back to the house with them afterward. All accounts say that Tuesday, 5 February 1952, was a “good” day for King George VI. He spent the afternoon with the “Keeper’s Day” shoot on the estate, enjoying himself. He got to spend some time with Prince Charles and Princess Anne at Tea. After dinner Princess Margaret played the piano. He retired to his room to do a bit of paperwork, enjoyed a cup of cocoa, and went to bed. At midnight the policeman on duty saw him latching his bedroom window, after which he turned out the light. Sometime in the night, he died. “Coronary thrombosis” is the longstanding official cause of death. More recently other possible causes have been suggested, such as an embolism or hemorrhage in his right lung.

The next morning, it is said, Prince Charles noticed one of the maids crying, and asked why? “Because your grandfather has gone away.” He was told. The child was confused, but no further answers were forthcoming. Eventually Queen Elizabeth – the new “Queen Mother” – came to see him and tell him that his parents would be coming home unexpectedly soon. As I’ve read, he then asked his grandmother where his grandfather was, at which point she broke down in tears. It was finally his mother who explained, as best one can to a 3-year-old, that his grandfather had died.

In Kenya, the royal party had spent an exciting night observing the wildlife at the Tree-Tops Hotel, Nyeri, before returning to the Saguna Royal Lodge. It was to be some hours before the news reached them, and was confirmed. Prince Philip took his wife out for a walk on the grounds to break the news. Observers remarked that he looked like the weight of the world had descended upon him. Her secretary duly asked by what name she wanted to be known? “Why, my own of course.” And so the second Elizabeth acceded to the throne.

There remained the whirlwind of arrangements to head immediately back to the U.K., a trip delayed some hours by thunderstorms en route. Messages had to be sent. Mourning clothes had to be procured. (The Queen’s packed ones were in Nairobi, but they were flying more directly back. Fresh ones were rushed to the airplane when they got back to London.) At her request, no photos were taken of her until she reached London. As they departed Saguna Lodge the accompanying journalists lined the road in respect, with their cameras sitting at their feet.

Dressed in black Queen Elizabeth II sets foot on British soil for the first time since her accession as she lands at London Airport following the death of her father King George VI

Reaching London on 7 February, she descended the airplane steps… discretely followed by Prince Philip… to be greeted by her Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, The Duke of Gloucester, and various officials. Arriving home at Clarence House, her first visitor was “her old Granny”, Queen Mary, who said she came to kiss her Sovereign’s hand. The next day, 8 February, was occupied by the official Accession Council and Proclamation. Then, finally, she could depart to her family at Sandringham.

It was three days later, 11 February 1952, that George VI’s body was brought to London to lie-in-state at Westminster Hall. Charles and Anne remained at Sandringham with the nannies. Perhaps the most striking photograph of all the solemnities emerged from the Lying-in-State, that of the three black-clad queens – Elizabeth, Mary, and Elizabeth (QM) – awaiting the arrival of the coffin at Westminster. Queen Mary looked spectral. After that, the aging Dowager (nearly 85, which was “older” then than now) did not in fact attend any of the rest of the funeral rites… although she later watched the funeral procession pass down The Mall from her window at Marlborough House.

Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Mary, and The Queen Mother await the arrival of King George VI’s coffin at Westminster Hall in London on February 11, 1952

King George was buried at Windsor on 15 February 1952, in rites at St. George’s Chapel not unlike those we saw for Prince Philip earlier this year… except, of course, in scale. In 1969 the tiny George VI Memorial Chapel was added to St. George’s Chapel, and the King’s remains were moved there.

On 6 February 2022, ninety-five-year-old Queen Elizabeth II is expected to follow her tradition of having a small service of remembrance for her father at Sandringham, 70 years to the day after his passing. For her, the accession anniversary is a day of remembrance, not celebration.
These coming weeks will also mark the twentieth anniversary of the deaths of Princess Margaret (9 February) and the Queen Mother (30 March), followed by the first anniversary of Prince Philip’s death (9 April).

Recent months have seen increasing concern for the Queen’s health. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, The Princess Royal, and the Earl and Countess of Wessex have been taking most of her public engagements. In the few instances where she has been seen, shown at a private audience or glimpsed as she is being driven somewhere, she seems increasingly frail.

In the course of time, the Queen, too, will pass on. It is the “way of all flesh” as it is said. When the time comes, the plan is for her to be buried in the George VI Chapel at Windsor, along with her parents, her sister Margaret, and her beloved Philip. But, for now, she continues carrying on, day by day. May God bless and keep her, always!

Yours aye,
Ken Cuthbertson, the Laird o’ Thistle

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

The Laird o’ Thistle – Special Edition – A Funeral at Windsor

Out of a day of many unforgettable images, viewed by a worldwide audience, one picture has quickly come to epitomize the funeral of HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, on Saturday 17 April 2021. It is the photo of his widow, HM the Queen, sitting alone in the choir stalls of St. George’s Chapel, a tiny figure, her shoulders stooped with age and sorrow, masked (perhaps a blessing?) and wearing somber black relieved only by a stunning diamond broach that first belonged to her grandmother.

The scene set me thinking…. One of my first forays into reading books about the royals, fifty-some years ago, was Marion Crawford’s THE LITTLE PRINCESSES. Miss Crawford – the Scottish governess who cared for and companioned the princesses from the early 1930s, through WWII, and up to Elizabeth and Philip’s marriage – noted her concern at the time as to whether Princess Elizabeth should attend the Lying-in-State, and then the Windsor funeral, of King George V in 1936. Was it too much for one so young? (Not yet age 10 at the time.) It was duly decided that the princess would attend and, as one would expect of this particular princess, she proved her mettle. “Crawfie” described her as somber and pale, wearing a black coat and little velvet tam as she joined her heavily veiled mother and the royal ladies at Paddington Station for the trip to Windsor and St. George’s.

Later on Saturday, after the funeral, I decided to look for any images of Princess Elizabeth at that 1936 funeral and struck gold as it were. On YouTube, I found a clip from the British Pathe newsreel coverage of that day: YouTube: The Funeral Of His Majesty King George V (1936). If you look at the 9:00 minute mark you’ll find the coffin of George V being carried up the steps of St. George’s Chapel, followed by his sons, widow, and family. At the 9:30 mark, you will see, in the lower right of the screen, the unmistakable image of Princess Elizabeth, solemn but observant, as she and her mother join the Duke of York on the steps. A small solemn figure, dressed in black… then, and now.

The Queen is the last surviving member of the family that attended the funeral of George V. In subsequent years she has returned many times, for the burial services of her adored father, George VI; her formidable grandmother, Queen Mary; her mother-in-law, Princess Alice; her uncles, the Dukes of Windsor and Gloucester; her mother, Queen Elizabeth; her sister, Princess Margaret; and various other members of the House of Windsor, now including that of her much-beloved husband and companion of 73 years. (Among those, I’ve looked, but have not found out, whether she was also among the attendees at the particularly poignant and tearful funeral of the Duke of Kent in 1942, after his tragic death in wartime service.)

Not one to dwell on such things, snippets of memories of all those other funerals must nonetheless have passed through the Queen’s mind over the last week or so… along with thoughts of others such as Lord Mountbatten’s and Princess Diana’s, in particular. For all of those services since 1947, she had had Prince Philip at her side.

On Saturday Philip was not at her side but, in a way, he was all around her. Though down-sized and adapted due to COVID, Prince Philip’s hand shown through in every detail of the striking service that may set a new standard for royal funerals at St. George’s. Two of the pieces of music, the settings of Psalms 100 and 104, beautifully sung by the 4-person ensemble in the bare nave, were originally commissioned by Prince Philip. Liturgically and aesthetically, the whole service was perfection.

Following the service I found myself imagining the Queen calling the Prince of Wales and her new Lord Chamberlain over to her afterward and saying something to the effect of, “On Monday, start re-writing my funeral plans to be more like this. I know there will have to be the State ceremonies in London, but here at Windsor, I want something like today.”

It is inevitable that sometime in the next few years the Queen will follow those who have gone before her. That, too, must have crossed her mind, sitting there by herself on Saturday afternoon. And, with that thought, perhaps also the well-known and much-beloved prayer of John Henry Newman:

O Lord support us all the day long,
until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes,
and the busy world is hushed,
and the fever of life is over,
and our work is done.
Then in your mercy grant us a safe lodging,
and holy rest, and peace at the last,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Yours aye,
Ken Cuthbertson – The Laird o’ Thistle
April 19, 2021

The Laird o’ Thistle – Special Edition – The Passing of Prince Philip

by The Laird o’Thistle
April 9, 2021

Buckingham Palace announced the news at mid-day: “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning [9 April 2021] at Windsor Castle.” The news was a surprise, and not a surprise. He was so very old, and so very frail-looking in the final pictures of him leaving hospital last month.

Thoughts immediately began to fly in my head. The first one was “Well, he got his wish!” (Philip’s remark from some years back, that “he could think of nothing worse!” than turning 100, has been widely reported over the last year or so. And so here he dies, two months short of the mark.) My second thought was, “How will this affect the Queen?” She turns 95 herself twelve days from now.

Any death, even in one so elderly, even when anticipated, rips a tear in the fabric of a family. Queen Elizabeth has lost her deeply beloved spouse of nearly 73½ years, the man she is said to have adored since 1939 when she was a teenage Princess and he a handsome naval cadet (and Prince). At age 72, Prince Charles has lost his father… with whom he did not always have an easy relationship. Princess Anne has often been said to be the closest to her father of the four children. Prince William has been particularly close to his grandparents ever since their staunch support at the time of Princess Diana’s death; and it was Philip who volunteered to walk with him and Prince Harry in Diana’s funeral procession. The two youngest grandchildren, Prince Edward’s Louise and James, have grown up almost literally on the doorstep of Windsor Castle, with Lady Louise taking up Philip’s love of carriage driving. And, and, and…. All the dynamics now shift and change.

Prince Philip died at Windsor Castle, where 160 years ago the previous Prince Consort (a title Philip never officially held) also died. In the 2005 BBC documentary series, WINDSOR CASTLE – A ROYAL YEAR, Philip commented that Prince Albert’s ongoing heritage was a hard act to follow. Philip’s mother, Princess Alice, was born at Windsor in 1885, in the presence of her great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. Prince Philip had served as a very hands-on Ranger of the Great Park at Windsor since 1952, and oversaw the rebuilding and restoration effort after the 1992 fire. He also co-designed the great formal rose garden on the castle’s east terrace.

Who was he? Born a Prince of Greece and Denmark, he was the eldest living member of the former Greek royal family. Until today he was also perhaps the closest living relative of both Czar Nicholas II (a first cousin of Philip’s father) and the Czarina Alexandra (his mother’s aunt). He was a serving Naval Officer in both the Mediterranean and Pacific in WWII, later given the historic title of Lord High Admiral by the Queen. He was something of an explorer in the early years of the Queen’s reign, and an early environmentalist. He painted in oils.

His big job in life, however, was to be “supporting the Queen” in her role as monarch. It was Philip who broke the news to Elizabeth of her father’s death in February 1952. Always a few steps behind… or wandering off on his own at times… on state occasions and royal visits, HM described him on their 50th wedding anniversary (23 years ago!) as “simply my strength and stay all these years.” Although viewed with some apprehension by members of the “establishment” in early years (reportedly including Churchill, and Queen Mary, for instance, but not King George VI), he departs the scene as the longest-ever British royal consort, and as a careful hand in the many adaptations the royal family has necessarily made since 1952.

It has been noted how this last year of quarantine together has proved something of an ironic “gift” to the Queen and Prince Philip, giving them more time together, day-by-day, than they have had since early on in their marriage.

In interviews at the time of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee (2012) and her 90th birthday (2016) there began to be speculations about how she might cope when he eventually stepped out of the picture. Would it impede her ability to carry on? Some of the answer began to emerge after Prince Philip’s retirement from royal duties in 2017. Often accompanied by younger members of the family, the Queen has kept on keeping on… at least until now. Now, we’ll see what happens.

It has previously been reported that – unlike the late Queen Mum – Prince Philip decidedly did not want a big state funeral. His preference is said to have been for something more modest and private. We’ll now see how things unfold. Ongoing COVID-19 restrictions will certainly be a factor. Greater privacy will, I think, be a true blessing for his widow and family.

Back in that 2005 documentary, Prince Philip refused to try to say what his legacy might be. That, he thought, was for others to determine. “You just hope that you’ll leave things better than they might have been otherwise.” In that, there can be little doubt that he succeeded. Well done, Sir. And, thank you!

Yours aye,

Ken Cuthbertson – the Laird o’ Thistle