Diamond Jubilee Festivities In May Ahead Of Main Weekend

I just wanted to share a couple of events that have occurred this month leading up to the main Diamond Jubilee festivities this weekend for Queen Elizabeth II.

On May 18th, various heads of states and nations gathered at Windsor Castle before the opening festivities for the Diamond Jubilee which I reported on in my last post. To see the slideshow at the BBC Online, click on this:

In pictures: Monarchs at Windsor for Diamond Jubilee

On May 23rd, the Queen met with members of the arts for a Diamond Jubilee reception in London. There are photos and videos on the BBC Online article about the gathering here:

 

Diamond Jubilee: Arts A-listers gather for the Queen

 

 This was taken by a friend and sent to me of a portrait of the Queen made of LEGO in a London shop window.

Sir Richard Branson & Virgin Airways got into the act with a contest to win a street party for your block.

So that brings  us to the Diamond Jubilee Thames Pageant which willbe on June 3rd. Here is an artist's depiction of the Royal Barge Gloriana:

 

The BBC has had some spectacular coverage of the barge.

Click here for a fascinating video on the decorations being carved for the barge:

Diamond Jubilee: Decorating the Royal river pageant barge

 

A great video of the launch of the barge:

 

Diamond Jubilee: Royal Rowbarge will be lowered onto Thames

 I can hardly wait to see it and the flotilla on the Thames!

I will be covering more of the festivities later in the week. We still have a few of our Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee English bone china mugs at Time Was Antiques, and we are having a Diamond Jubilee sale!

Honouring Queen Elizabeth II on her 60 year reign! Use code DIAMOND for a 15% Discount on any order over $50.00 through June 6th to honour the Diamond Jubilee!

  

Enjoy your day and get your Union Jack and bunting ready!

 

Queen Victoria's Birthday, Windsor Diamond Jubilee Celebrations

Happy Birthday Queen Victoria! Victoria was born on May 24, 1819 so tomorrow is her birthday! She lived until 1901 and was the longest reigning monarch...until our current Queen Elizabeth II who celebrates her Diamond Jubilee year of 60 years' reign this year.

This wonderful portrait was painted by Winterhalter in 1842. I love the meticulous lace. We are all more familiar with photos like this as she went into mourning on the death of her beloved husband Prince Albert and remained in mourning until her death.

 Her birthday was remembered in Canada this past weekend with the Victoria Day celebrations. The celebrations were also linked this year to Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations.

This last weekend was also the opening salve for the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations with a Royal party for Windsor Castle, the Queen's favorite home. There was an armed forces Muster, Fly By, massed Queen's Guard Unit parade and bands and other festivities including a Windsor High Street walk about for the city residents.

There are Yeoman Warders, also known as Beefeaters at Windsor as well.

As the Navy passes by, they are viewed by military pensioners who live in the area.

I especially loved the manuever of a fly by with planes in the formation of E II R and also in the number 60. The colored trails are so cool as well!
 

This is the massed Queen's Guards regiments which includes the Coldstream Guards, my husbands old regiment. He was quire teary as we watched the YouTube video below of the fly by.
 

 all photos from The Mail Online

I am quite excited about the main Diamond Jubilee celebrations on the weekend of June 2nd. I'll tell you more about them soon.

Here is a YouTube video of the Diamond Jubilee Fly By at Windsor. Enjoy!

William And Catherine's First Anniversary, Thursday Tea Things And Talk

Welcome to my meme Thursday Tea Things and Talk!  It is really amazing to me that Prince William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will celebrate their first anniversary on Sunday, April 29th. It just doesn't seem like it has been that long!

We remember their engagement in November of 2010...Prince William having given Catherine his mother's Sapphire and Diamond engagement ring....

 photo BBC archives

And then the wedding on April 29, 2011...a year ago! Amazing!

photo by Hugh Burnand 

So I want to raise my cup of tea to the anniversary of William and Kate in an English bone china mug below we still have a few of at Time Was Antiques made for the Royal Wedding. For more info, click on the photos.

Congratulations William and Catherine!

I am joining the following blogs today:

Miss Spenser ~ http://missspensersblog.blogspot.com/

Teacup Thursday

Coloradolady  ~ http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/

Vintage Thingie Thursday

 Mrs. Olson ~  http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Share Your Cup Thursday

 

 Have a wonderful day! Join the linky below if you'd like...I'd be honored!

Dunoon London Mug, How the Buttons tell the Queen's Guards Apart

Hello and welcome to my contribution to Tuesday Cuppa Tea with Antiques And Teacups, and the other blogs listed below.

This is a really cute large bone china London mug by Kate Mawdsley for Dunoon China, England. I love her designs! This has a Q!ueen's Guard soldier, a Royal Horse Guard and even a Corgi, Queen Elizabeth's favorite dog.

About 2 weeks ago, I mentioned that my husband had been in the Coldstream Guards, one of the 5 regiments that make up the Queen's Brigade of Guards, and mentioned that you can learn to tell them apart by the differences in their uniforms. I had several emails asking me to explain, so...here goes.

The Queen's Own Brigade of Guards are actually crack troops drawn from 5 different regiments. They can be guarding the Palaces and the Queen for several months and then be off anywhere in the world in the next moment. My husband "found the guard" as it is called in a red tunic and bearskin hat for several months then his regiment was sent to various places for tours of duty then back again to London and the Palaces. He was in Germany and the Suez area.

The units that make uf the Brigade of Guards are:
Coldstream Guards
Grenadier Guards
Irish Guards
Welsh Guards
Scots Guards 

Check out the buttons, because that is the best way to tell the soldiers apart.  They all alternate at the Palaces, and all wear red tunics. The only way you can telol them apart easily is by the order or configuration of the buttons. Their collar, cal and shoulder insignias are different as well, but the buttons is the easiest to spot.  By the way, all Guardsmen must meet a height minimum of 6 feet tall...more intimidating.

I am starting with the Coldstream Guards, because it is my husbands old unit.

 This is a Coldstream Guard tunic photo I took at the Guards Museum in London....well worth a visit by the way.  Notice the configuration of the buttons being in sets of 2. The Coldstream Guards are affectionately known as the "Chilly Rivers".

This is the Grenadier Guard unit that was heading from St. James Palace to Buckingham Palace. Note that there are no gaps in the buttons.

The Irish Guards are next with their buttons in sets of four. Prince William was married to Catherine Middleton in the uniform of the Irish Guards.

The Welsh Guards have thri buttons in sets of 5. The above photo from the BBC archives is 2 Welsh Guardsmen who have just graduated from training with their first uniforms. Below thm is a photograph of King Edward VIII in the uniform of a Welsh Guard. Edward abdicated the throne in favor of George VI so he could marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson in 1937.

Lastly are the Scots Guards with their buttons in sets of 3.

So I hope when you see the festivities for Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee in June you will be able to tell which unit is which!

For more info on the Dunoon London mug at Time Was Antiques, click on the photos.  I am joining the following blogs. Have a wonderful day and have a cup of tea with and enjoy your day!

Ruth ~ http://antiquesandteacups.blogspot.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Terri~  http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/ 
Teacup Tuesday

Trisha~  http://sweetology101.blogspot.com/ 
Tea Party Tuesday

Sandi  ~  http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com

Teatime Tuesday

Kathy~  http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com
Victoria - A Return to Loveliness

Martha~  http://www.marthasfavorites.com/ 
Teacup Tuesday 

Ruth  ~ http://timewasantiquesfamily.blogspot.com

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Bernideen’s ~ http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/

Friends Sharing Tea Wednesday

Angela  http://teawithfriends.blogspot.com/

Tea With Friends

Miss Kathy ~ http://thewritersreverie.blogspot.com/

Celia ~ http://attitudeivlife.blogspot.com/  Afternoon Tea

Wanda Lee ~ http://theplumedpen.blogspot.ca Tuesday Teatime 

Ivy And Elephants ~http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/

 

Pink Saturday Happy Birthday to a Queen!

It's Pink Saturday with How Sweet The Sound and Saturday April 21st is a birthday as well! 

Pretty in hot pink, Queen Elizabeth II was born on April 21, 1926 although her birthday is usually officially celebrated on the first weekend in June. Hey...the weather is (usually) a bit better!

This photo, from the BBC archives, pictures the Princess Elizabeth at age 10 with little sister Margaret Rose and her parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

 Queen Elizabeth ascended to the throne of England in 1952 upon the death of her father, so the first weekend in June of this year, 2012 is her Diamond Jubilee of 60 years on the throne.

So happy 86th birthday your majesty!

And congratulations on your Diamond Jubilee year!