HM The Queen’s State Visit to the Republic of France

HM The Queen’s State Visit to the Republic of France

In early June this year to mark the 70^th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy H.M. Queen Elizabeth joined by HRH The Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh; HRH The Prince Charles, Prince of Wales; HRH The Princess Charles, Duchess of Cornwall; HRH The Prince William, Duke of Cambridge; HRH The Princess William, Duchess of Cambridge carried out a State visit to the Republic of France at the invitation of the President of the Republic of France.

Her Majesty’s First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs The Right Hon. William Hague FRSL, MP, also escorted H.M.. 

H.M. The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh departed the United Kingdom on the train via the Euro Tunnel after unveiling a plaque at St. Pancreas station, London, to make the 20^th anniversary of the completion of the Euro Tunnel project and arrived shortly thereafter at the Gare de Nord in Paris.

When H.M.’s motorcade arrived at the Arc de Triomphe the President of the Republic of France, President Hollande with full military honours, officially greeted her. The Queen and the President then proceeded to lay a wreath and rekindled the flame at the tomb of the unknown solder to commemorate the sacrifice of solders of both countries before meeting with veterans who had assembled to honour their fallen comrades.

Her Majesty, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and President Hollande were escorted by 146 members of the French Republican Guard as they drove down the Champs-Elysees towards the Elysee Palace lined with thousands of people whom came out too see the Queen’s fifth State Visit to France.

Upon arrival at the Elysee Palace the President had a private audience with HM and the Duke of Edinburgh during which he was invested into the Order of the Bath at the rank of Knight Grand Cross before formally exchanging gifts that is customary during State Visits.

As the first day of the State Visit drew to an end HM Ambassador to France, H.E. Sir Peter Ricketts GCMG hosted a birthday party for the Queen at the British residence in Paris.

The following morning, June 6^th, the anniversary of the Allied landings on the beaches of Normandy HM joined with other members of the Royal Family took part in events across the region marking the anniversary alongside delegations from the other Allied nations including the President of the United States of America, HM’s British Prime Minister, HM’s Canadian Prime Minister, HM’s Australian Prime Minister and HM’s representative for New Zealand.

In the morning HM was joined by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at the Royal British Legion Service of Remembrance at Bayeux Cemetery in Normandy where they were joined by some 400 veterans from the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and the Commonwealth of Australia among 4,144 of their fallen comrades. The D-Day landings were to commence what was to turn out to be an 80-day campaign to liberate Normandy involving 3 million men of whom 250,000 were to lose their lives. The Queen laid a wreath for those who made the ultimate sacrifice to free Europe followed by the sounding of the Last Post and a minute’s silence after which the Royal Family met with the veterans.

The day concluded with a formal State Dinner in Paris where the Queen made a very moving speech in both English and French.

On the final day of the State Visit the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh met with the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, before they visited the world famous Marche aux Fleurs which was re-named Marche aux Fleurs – Reine Elizabeth II in honour of HM.  While at the market the Queen met with charity cyclists who are raising funds for the charity Help for Hero’s who are biking between the European capital and London via Paris and World War One battlefields. While the Queen and the President were walking around the market and viewing all the beautiful flowers the Duke of Edinburgh was outside the market meeting and talking with school children.

Images from www.Royal.gov.uk

Royal Visit to Canada by TRH The Prince of Wales & Duchess of Cornwall

The Princes of Wales & Duchess of Cornwall’s Royal Visit to Canada

In June of this year TRH’s the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall carried out an official visit to Canada with a three-day whistle stop tour of the three Canadian Provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Manitoba.

They landed at the Halifax International Air Port in the early evening having arrived from the United Kingdom on board a military aircraft to be welcomed at the foot of the steps by The Hon. Peter MacKay PC, QC, MP, and Minister for Justice & Attorney General of HM’s Canadian Cabinet.  

After being met they were transported to Government House in Halifax, the official home of HM’s Lt. Governor of Nova Scotia where they were officially welcomed by the Governor General of Canada His Excellency The Right Hon. David Johnson CC, CMM, COM, CD, FRSC(hon), FRCPSC(hon) who is HM’s representative in Canada.

Earlier in the day HM’s Canadian Prime Minster the Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper PC, MP announced that HRH The Prince of Wales was to be appointed to the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada. HRH was sworn into office by the Governor General of Canada. The Privy Council for Canada was established under constitution in 1867, the year Canada as a country came into existence, to advice the Canadian Government. The Privy Council is made up of all past and present ministers, as well as selected Canadians who have been honoured for their service to Canada.

The following morning Their Royal Highnesses continued their Royal Tour by carrying out engagements in Halifax and Pictou County in the Province of Nova Scotia followed by travelling to the Province of Prince Edward Island.

The day became with the Prince of Wales laying a wreath and meeting with military family members in Grand Parade outside City Hall in Halifax. The Prince of Wales proceed to praise the Canadian troops who helped to protect ‘cherished freedoms’ by sacrificing their lives in the First and Second World Wars. It is interesting to note that the first full day of their visit occurred on Victoria Day, the Canadian national holiday in honour of Queen Victoria's birthday which acts as the Queen’s official birthday in Canada, they laid a wreath at a cenotaph built to commemorate those killed in the First World War. The Prince of Wales then addressing hundreds of people gathered at Grand Parade square, saying ‘Halifax has borne witness to so much of Canada's modern history. The magnificent cenotaph before us on Grand Parade reminds us of Canada's involvement in two World Wars when Canadians sacrificed so much to protect their cherished freedoms.’

Their Royal Highnesses continued their day by a visit to the Canadian immigration meausum, Pier 21, where over half a million Canadian service personally departed for action in Europe during the Second World War. During this visit HRH The Prince of Wales reportedly made a private comment to a bystander linking the current actions of the President of the Russian Federation to those of Hitler during the 1930’s and 1940’s. I personally believe that private comments are just that and should never have been repeated let alone to members of the press in a “Chinese whispers” manner.

Later the couple visited a Military Families Resources Centre in Halifax where they encountered an unusual line-up - a group of fruit. Their Royal Highnesses were introduced to volunteers dressed up as a banana, a carrot and a bunch of grapes in order to promote healthy eating among children. The Prince of Wales also visited the Halifax Public Gardens where he viewed an English Oak Tree planted by his grandfather King George VI in 1939, before planting an oak sapling himself. His Royal Highness later met traders and customers at the Seaport Farmers' Market whilst The Duchess of Cornwall visited the Northbrook Community Centre.

TRH’s then departed Halifax International Airport to fly the very short distance to the Province of Prince Edward Island where they were officially met by local dignitaries.

First on The Prince of Wales schedule was an award ceremony where he was given an honorary Symons Medal. An award reserved for Canadians who have a positive impact to Canadian society.   

While the Prince of Wales was receiving the award his wife The Duchess of Cornwall undertook engagements at Prince Edward retirement home where she saw residents taking part in a pet therapy session followed by a visit to the Immanuel School which she and The Prince of Wales had been invited to by the children attending the school.  

While in Prince Edward Island they visited the town of Cornwall, named after the county of the same name which the Prince of Wales derives his secondary title of Duke of Cornwall before travelling to Bonshaw Provincial Park where he took part in a traditional First Nations ceremony called “smudging”.

Later in the day Their Royal Highnesses attend an event, which included a “drag act” betending to be Queen Elizabeth II that I personally think, was in bad taste that perhaps can be seen on the faces of TRH’s. Much has been made of this event not only in Canada but also back in the United Kingdom.

In the evening Their Royal Highnesses departed Prince Edward Island on route to the Province of Manitoba where they were again officially meet by national and local dignitaries.

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall were greeted by students an event to celebrate ‘Aerospace and Innovation in Manitoba’ at Stevenson Hangar in Winnipeg. Accompanied by HM’s Canadian Prime Minster and his wife they talked at length to students while learning about the aerospace industry.

Later in the day the Royal couple paid a visit to the Assiniboine Park Zoo where the Prince of Wales was offered the opportunity to feed one of the most famous residents, a polar bear by the name of Hudson, which of cause the Prince did presumably very carefully. 

The Duchess undertook a separate engagement at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet followed by having tea with the Queen’s own Rifles.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall then were engaged at an investiture ceremony where the Prince presented some 14 recipients with the Order of Manitoba that recognizes outstanding efforts by residents of the Province and activities in support of the Province.

TRH’s then departed Canada to return to the United Kingdom.

The Diamond Jubilee State Coach

The state opening of parliament this year was the first official occasion that the general public had the opportunity to see the new state coach, the Diamond Jubilee State Coach as it is now referred too.

Initially called the State Coach Britannia it was made to make the occasion of HM Queen Elizabeth’s 80^th birthday however it was delayed for approximately 8 years. Designed by the Australian coachbuilder who was responsible for the 1988 Australian State Coach W. J. Frecklington it was completed in 2010 however it was not transported to the United Kingdom until March 2014 due to there being issues surrounding funding the transportation of the coach to the United Kingdom from Australia.

Before its formal arrival in the United Kingdom Buckingham Palace was at pains to insure that the public was informed that the coach project was initiated by Mr. Frecklington and was not commissioned by the Palace. Build with a grant from the Australian Federal Government in the order of $250,000 (or £138,000) the coach weighs 2.75 tons, is 18ft long and 11 ft high and has electric windows, heating and hydraulic stabilizers.

The coach has been described in the popular media as a museum on wheels as it contains historic objects that represent more than 30 kings and queens of England, Scotland and Ireland, the most important figures of historic United Kingdom such as Horatio LORD Nelson, her greatest victories and her greatest contributions to the world.

The coach is made up of material from the following:

·       The crown atop the roof is carved from timber from Lord Nelson’s flagship, HMS Victory.

·       Timber segments from The Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, Edinburgh Castle, Henry VIII's flagship the Mary Rose, the Mayflower, Balmoral Castle, Blenheim Palace, Caernarfon Castle, Canterbury Cathedral, Carlisle Cathedral, Chichester Cathedral, Durham Cathedral, Ely Cathedral, Hampton Court, Holyrood Palace, Kensington Palace, Lincoln Cathedral, Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, Osborne House, Salisbury Cathedral, St George's Chapel, Stirling Castle, The Palace of Westminster, the Royal Pavilion, the White House at Kew, Wells Cathedral, Westminster Cathedral, Winchester Cathedral, Windsor Castle,York Minster and others are inlaid into the interior lining of the coach.

·       Also included is material donated by the Scottish Government from the Stone of Scone, wood from the Ferriby Boats (~1800BC), a segment of material donated by the Canadian Government from the Franklin expedition 1845 and others from the former Royal Yacht HMY Britannia, HMS Endeavour, The Battle of Hastings, RMS Queen Mary, RMS Olympic, SS Great Britain, RSS Discovery, an original counterweight from Big Ben, a Battle of Britain Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane, a Dambusters Lancaster, part of a musketball from the Battle of Waterloo.

·       Segments related to Shakespeare, Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Edward Jenner, John Harrison, Joseph Banks, Florence Nightingale and other famous figures are also included as well as digital copies of the Magna Carta and Doomsday Book.

·       The two door handles are individually decorated with 24 diamonds and 130 sapphires.

·       The lamps were handmade by Edinburgh Crystal.

Once the coach arrived safely in the United Kingdom it was purchased for an undisclosed amount of money by the Royal Collection Trust and now forms part of the Royal Collection and after being used in the State Opening of Parliament will be placed on display at the Royal Mews, London.

W. J. Frecklington was born in 1949 in Parkes, New South Wales Australia. After working in the Arctic he moved to England and was engaged at Windsor Castle and later moved to the Royal Mews in London caring for the Royal ceremonial horses and driving the carriages on ceremonial occasions. He also served as an outrider at Ascot.

In 1977 he was invited to manage the Queen's Silver Jubilee Exhibition during its tour of Australia and following that built a replica of the Edward VII 1902 Landau.

He then went on to build Queen Elizabeth's Australian State Coach that was presented to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of the Australian Bicentennial in 1988

For those well informed readers you will recall that Parkes is world famous for being home for the Southern hemisphere radio telescope used by NASA during the Apollo missions and rather famously “lost” contact with the Apollo 11 space craft due to the fact that backup pumps had not been corrected pumped by staff working at the site for use during a power cut.