The Peace of Christmas Eve

 

British delegate Lord Gambier shaking hands with American leader John Quincy Adams as they formalize the Treaty of Ghent peace pact

The Treaty of Ghent, also known as the Peace of Christmas Eve, was the pact signed in the city of Ghent, Belgium (chosen because Belgium was a neutral country) that officially ended hostilities between the fledgling United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

Peace talks started in Ghent in August of 1814. Chief negotiator for the Americans was future president John Quincy Adams, and his British counterpart was a man named Baron Gambier.

Britain may well have sent its “B team” to these negotiations; top British diplomats like Foreign Secretary Viscount Castlereagh and later, the Duke of Wellington, went to Austria to attend the Congress of Vienna, which was taking place at the same time.

So many wars, so many peace pacts to hammer out!

The Treaty of Ghent was approved by Parliament and signed into law by the Prince Regent right before the end of the year, on December 30, 1814. However, the treaty didn’t go into full effect until it was ratified by the U.S. Senate a couple of months later, on February 17, 1815.

How the war started

The War of 1812 was actually several years in the making. Tensions between Great Britain and the United States had been simmering ever since the end of the American Revolutionary War. The Treaty of Paris ended that war in 1783, but rather than diminishing American resentment against the British crown, those feelings grew over the following years.

However, there were a couple of immediate causes that sparked the War of 1812. One was the Royal Navy blockade, intended to hurt Napoleon and the French economy but which also affected American trade with Europe.

Depiction of an impressment gang, 1780

The other was the Royal Navy’s habit of “impressment” – taking American sailors off their ships and forcing them to serve on British warships.

To counter heavy battle losses with Napoleon’s forces, British naval officers supplemented their ranks with these involuntary American conscripts. The Royal Navy reasoned that “once a British citizen always a British citizen” and indeed, it’s possible that some of the American sailors were born before the Revolutionary War and the forming of the new nation. The British officers also found deserters from their own ranks aboard American ships, which only encouraged them to keep up the practice.

In any event, when Congress declared war in 1812 it wasn’t exactly a unanimous decision – it was the narrowest vote on any declaration of war in American history (70 to 39 in the House; 19 to 13 in the Senate).

Strategy

What followed that vote was a truly scattered, wide-ranging war, probably the most disorganized and disaster-prone in U.S. history. It ranged from the provinces of Canada to the Gulf Coast in Louisiana, and from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. Native Americans fought on both sides, helping both the British and the American forces.

The United States did enter the war with a strategy of sorts, no matter how harebrained that strategy looks in retrospect. The idea was to conquer Canada, and then either hold the entire country for ransom, using it as leverage to get concessions from the British or failing that, to keep Canada as a consolation prize.

Understandably, the Canadians weren’t too thrilled with this plan. And when the war was over, many Canadians felt that they were the true victors since they had successfully prevented a U.S. takeover of their country.

Burning of Washington, D.C.

Madison in 1817, during her tenure as First Lady.

While peace negotiations were being conducted in Ghent, the British were actively involved in four different invasions in America. The most notorious one was the British attempt to capture Baltimore. Along the way they decided to march on Washington, D.C. and burn the city down – most notably the Capitol, along with other government buildings, including the 3,000-volume Library of Congress and the White House.

At the White House, First Lady Dolley Madison and her staff fled the oncoming troops in such a hurry that they didn’t even have time to clear the dinner table, on which a fine meal had been laid out. The British soldiers apparently enjoyed the food and drink before burning down the house. Talk about adding insult to injury!

Results of the war

Historians have more or less concluded that there were no conclusive winners in the War of 1812. No territory was gained on either side, and the borders of both the U.S. and Great Britain in North America went back to what they were before the war started.

Some argue that Great Britain actually won. Britain made no concessions on the maritime issues, such as the blockade or impressment, that had sparked the war. It didn’t give up any of its North American territories and kept its Canadian colonies and Western forts. The war also put a stop to America’s annoying repeated attempts to invade Canada.

And to top things off, the Royal Navy didn’t stop impressing American sailors until after the Napoleonic Wars ended in 1815.

The war did have a few benefits for the United States, however. The Treaty of Ghent mandate that the countries involved in the war would return to the status quo antebellum – their pre-war borders – was actually a big win for the U.S., which didn’t have to make any territorial concessions to Great Britain as a condition of the peace.

In this way, the Treaty of Ghent actually recognized U.S. sovereignty, giving the new country the respect from Great Britain that had been lacking. For this reason, the War of 1812 is sometimes described as “the second War of Independence.”

The U.S.S. Chesapeake, the ship the mortally wounded Capt. James Lawrence implored his men not to give up. The ship was captured by the British in June 1813.

Lasting cultural impacts

The war may have been short, but it did have a lasting impact on American culture. We gained a national anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner, which started out as a poem written by Francis Scott Key after he witnessed the British shelling of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in September of 1814.

In that battle, the British sailed a fleet of 19 ships into Baltimore Harbor, defended by Fort McHenry, and sent about 5,000 soldiers overland to take the city. After a couple of days of fierce fighting and heavy shelling, the Americans won and the U.S. flag still flew over the fort.

Ironically, the American national anthem based on Key’s poem was set to the tune of a popular British song, written by Englishman John Stafford Smith. It’s Smith that Americans can thank for how difficult this song is to sing, as we try to warble through its daunting range of just over an octave and a half.

Also, two expressions from the War of 1812 permanently entered the American lexicon: “war hawks” (referring to the Congressmen who were pro-war) and a catchphrase that’s still heard today: “Don’t give up the ship.”

A Lasting Peace

Following the Treaty of Ghent, the United States has enjoyed an enduring peace with its northern neighbor, Canada. In the early 20th century, three memorials celebrating this peace were built:

  • The Fountain of Time (1920) in Chicago, Illinois
  • The Peace Arch (1921) straddling the border communities of Blaine, Washington and Surrey, British Columbia
  • The Peace Bridge (1927) that connects Fort Erie in Ontario to Buffalo, New York, across the Niagara River at the east end of Lake Erie

Christmas and peace  – what a great combination! Let’s hope it catches on.

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Sources for this post include:

  • 187 Things You Should Know About the War of 1812, by Donald R. Hickey, Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore, Maryland, 2012
  • World History Series: The War of 1812, by Don Nardo, Lucent Books, Inc., San Diego, California, 2000
  • The Prince of Pleasure and His Regency, by J.B. Priestley, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969

 Photos and images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Thanksgiving

Harvest Festival flowers in a church in Shrewsbury, England

It’s almost time to break out the pumpkin (or apple, or pecan) pies, candied yams, cranberry sauce, and, of course, roast turkey. For many Americans, a family meal featuring traditional fare is the basis of a Thanksgiving celebration. But you may surprised, as I was, at just how far back in history our Thanksgiving tradition is rooted.

A common belief is that the Pilgrims held the first Thanksgiving after sailing on the Mayflower to Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620 to set up a colony. However, the origins of this feast go back much further. People during the Regency era would have known about, and participated in, days of thanksgiving, although their observances likely included more praying and less feasting.

Thanksgiving as we know it can actually be traced back to pre-Christian Britain. The Saxons used to offer the first fruits of their harvest to their fertility gods, with a community supper to follow. Even after Christianity took hold on the British Isles, the tradition of a supper in thanksgiving for the harvest remained.

During the time of Henry VIII and the English Reformation, religious thanksgiving services became even more important. Days of thanksgiving were called not only for good harvests but also for special occasions, including the victory of England over the Spanish Armada in 1588, and the failure of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605. (That particular day of thanksgiving has morphed into Guy Fawkes Day.)

So, it’s no surprise that English settlers brought the concept of thanksgiving days with them when they came to America. However, the Pilgrims weren’t the first Europeans to hold a day of thanksgiving on American soil.

A shrine to the first US Thanksgiving, held in 1619 in Charles City County, Virginia

In 1619, a group of 38 English settlers sailed to Virginia to form a colony. The London Company (also known as the Virginia Company of London) that sponsored the voyage told the settlers that “the day of our ships arrival . . . shall be yearly and perpetually kept as a day of Thanksgiving.”  The colonists faithfully complied, writing the thanksgiving provision into their charter.

This documented thanksgiving tradition was established two years  before the Pilgrims conducted their own thanksgiving in 1621 in gratitude for a good harvest, as well as for surviving a brutal winter.

In England and her colonies thanksgiving days continued to be celebrated as needed, often declared by the Church of England and coupled with religious services and fasting. Military victories and recovery after plagues were occasions for a day of thanksgiving, in addition to gratitude for a bountiful harvest.

Today, Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the United States and Canada, celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the US and on the second Monday of October in Canada. It’s also officially and unofficially celebrated in a few other countries as well. In the United Kingdom, the Harvest Festival of Thanksgiving doesn’t have a specific date, but according to tradition it’s held either on or close to the Sunday of the harvest moon that is nearest the autumnal equinox.

Thanksgiving can mean many things to many people, but however you observe this day, I hope you have a happy one!

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Sources for this post include:

America’s Favorite Holidays, Candid Histories, by Bruce David Forbes, University of California Press, Oakland, California, 2015

Images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and Pixabay

September in Georgian History

September 29, 1829
An act of Parliament, at the request of Sir Robert Peel, created the Greater London Metropolitan Police Force, later known as Scotland Yard. The men, afterward nicknamed “bobbies,” were named after Sir Robert himself.

Portrait of Sir Robert Peel by Robert Richard Scanlan
“BLEST IF THEY HASNT PUT , ON A BOBBY! PRETTY STATE WE RE COMIN TO, WITH THEIR CENTRALISATION! LETS CUT TO LAMBETH.” PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.1866

Napoleon’s last home

Red dot showing the remote location of St. Helena off the coast of Africa.

In my earlier post this week I described Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo and how it led him to St. Helena. After trying to evade the British forces and make his way to United States, Napoleon had to accept his punishment, which included a final sea voyage to his last place of exile.

Sketch of Napoleon onboard the Northumberland, on his way to St. Helena.

The trip down the African coast took about two months, and the ship didn’t reach St. Helena until October 15. According to contemporary accounts, Napoleon grew silent on the deck of the HMS Northumberland when he first spotted his future home.

St. Helena in 1815

At his initial sighting of St. Helena, I don’t think Napoleon was struck dumb with admiration. I imagine his heart sank when he saw the island’s forbidding cliffs rising out of the ocean.

On the globe, St. Helena looks like an isolated speck in the middle of the vast South Atlantic Ocean. It’s basically a rock, 1,200 miles west of Angola on the African continent, and 2,500 miles east of Rio de Janeiro.

It is a volcanic island, 47 square miles in area, attached to the ocean floor with only the tip visible above sea level. St. Helena’s nearest neighbor is Ascension Island, another volcanic island and British possession, about 800 miles northwest of St. Helena.

And on the uninhabited Ascension Island, as yet another precaution, a garrison of British soldiers was stationed, under the command of Sir Edward Nicolls of the Royal Marines.

During his stay on St. Helena, Napoleon was guarded by 3,000 troops, and four ships constantly patrolled the coastline to prevent any escape attempts. The man in charge of the famous prisoner, Sir Hudson Lowe, was a harsh and ruthless jailor. Napoleon was not going to escape on his watch.

Death of the emperor

Longwood House, where Napoleon spent his last years in captivity.

Napoleon only lasted less than six years in exile. He spent most of his time in Longwood House, built especially for him. But the house and general location were described by Napoleon and his fellow exiles as humid, damp, and unhealthy – conditions which may have contributed to his death.

Napoleon had many health complaints, including liver problems, towards the end of his life, and he died May 5, 1821, at the age of 51. His doctor listed his cause of death as stomach cancer, but for years there was speculation that he was poisoned by arsenic, either deliberately or accidentally. Lately, though, the death-by-poison theory has been discredited.

The former emperor was buried on St. Helena, but in 1840 the French King Louis-Philippe arranged for Napoleon’s remains to be returned to Paris, where they were buried in splendor under the Dome of Les Invalides.

Napoleon spent much of his time on St. Helena dictating his memoirs. Of his contribution to France during the French Revolution, he said: “I have unscrambled Chaos. I have cleansed the Revolution, ennobled the common people, and restored the authority of kings.”

Following Napoleon’s death, the last of his 20 companions in exile left St. Helena. They departed at the end of May in 1821 and arrived back in Europe on August 2 – another summer cruise courtesy of the Royal Navy.

St. Helena today

Although it’s still remote (the internet didn’t reach the island until 2015) today St. Helena is becoming a tourist magnet for history buffs, hardy hikers, rock climbers, bird watchers, and anyone who enjoys an adventure.

The “Saints,” as the residents are called, encourage the tourist trade with charming restaurants and hotels. I’m sure the cuisine and the accommodations are a decided improvement over what Napoleon experienced over 200 years ago.

There is also much natural beauty on the island to enjoy, as well as boat tours that showcase the large pods of frolicking dolphins and scores of whale sharks in the surrounding sea. You can even visit a resident group of tortoises, one of which is almost 200 years old. And of course, there are many memorials to the island’s famous former resident.

The “world’s most useless airport” on St. Helena

The once-arduous trip has been made a little easier with the construction of an airport, although you may want to think twice about taking that route. Flights to the island are notoriously rough due to high winds and the dangerous effects of wind shear.

Before the airport began to offer regular flights in 2017, to get to the island a traveler had to fly to Cape Town, usually by way of Johannesburg, and then be prepared to embark on a 5-6 day boat trip aboard the cargo liner RMS St. Helena. Bad weather or other complications could make the trip even longer.

That puts Napoleon’s 2-month voyage from England to St. Helena into perspective.

Traces of Napoleon

Napoleon’s exile on St. Helena seems an inglorious end for someone who had a spectacular career, especially considering his meteoric rise from the lowly ranks of an artillery officer to becoming the Emperor of France. But even in 1802, over a decade before his final exile, Napoleon seemed aware of the risk that was inherent in an ambition like his, and he accepted it.

As he put it, “It would be better never to have lived at all than to leave behind no trace of one’s existence.”

Napoleon would no doubt be relieved to know that in St. Helena, Europe, and across the world, there are plenty of traces that attest to the existence of Monsieur Bonaparte.

Snuff box depicting Napoleon’s grave on St. Helena. Look for the trompe de oeil image of Napoleon in the trees.

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Sources:

  • “From Waterloo to the island of St. Helena,” by Joanna Benazet and Irène Delage,  October 2015 (translation Rebecca Young); Napoleon.org, the history website of the Fondation Napoleon
  • “Why You Should Visit St. Helena, home to the ‘world’s most useless airport’,” by Julia Buckley, Independent.co.us, Thursday, 28 December 2017

Images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Napoleon’s reluctant summer cruise

Approaching St. Helena by ship – as Napoleon likely saw the island from the HMS Northumberland in 1815.

 

This summer the cruise ship industry is getting back on its feet after being shut down by the pandemic for 15 months. According to the Cruise Lines international Association, 31.5 million passengers are expected to board a cruise ship in 2023, surpassing 2019 pre-pandemic numbers.

For many, a summer cruise means a fun vacation, a journey to anticipate and an opportunity to escape mundane cares and responsibilities. But a summer cruise 208 years ago promised a different experience for Napoleon Bonaparte.

That August the former Emperor of France set out unwillingly on a special voyage, designed just for him. His ship was no luxury liner; it was more like a prison transport, taking him to his final place of exile.

Consequences of Waterloo

I doubt Napoleon knew he would wind up in St. Helena after two Coalition armies, led by the Duke of Wellington and the Prussian Prince Blücher, decisively defeated the French forces at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815. But he must have suspected that his glorious career as a European emperor had run its course.

Napoleon on the Bellerophon in Plymouth Sound after surrendering onboard to Capt. Maitland. Artist Charles Eastlake hired a boat to take him to the ship, and he sketched Napoleon from the boat.

Napoleon’s first stop after his defeat was Paris. There he methodically prepared for the next phase of his life. After all, it wasn’t the first time he’d lost a battle and been forced into exile.

However, Napoleon’s stay on the Mediterranean island of Elba in 1814 following the Treaty of Fontainebleau didn’t last long. He traded this relatively cushy exile for another shot at glory when he escaped to France on February 26, 1815, and assembled an army.

After vanquishing Napoleon four months later at Waterloo, Coalition commanders were determined not to let history repeat itself. This time, the consequences of defeat would include a much stricter exile for their former enemy. However, Napoleon still tried to exert some control over where he would spend the rest of his life.

First, though, he had business to attend to. In Paris, he abdicated his throne in favor of his son. Which incidentally didn’t work – the French throne went to Louis XVIII, brother of Louis XVI, the unfortunate monarch who was guillotined during the French Revolution.

The next step in Napoleon’s retirement plan was to escape France and go to the United States. He was even promised a passport to the U.S. by the French provisional government.

But the promised passport never materialized. So Napoleon decided to take matters into his own hands. He went to Rochefort, a port on the southwestern coast of France. Still determined to go to the U.S., he hoped to slip past the Royal Navy blockade.

A thwarted escape 

Napoleon boarding the HMS Bellerophon just outside of Rochefort on July 15, 1815.

But Napoleon’s dreams of escape evaporated when he saw the tall ships of the Royal Navy blocking every conceivable exit. So, on July 15, 1815, Napoleon accepted the inevitable and surrendered to Captain Frederick Maitland aboard the HMS Bellerophon, a British man-of-war anchored off the small island of Aix near Rochefort.

“I have come to put myself under the protection of your prince [that would be the Prince Regent] and your laws,” said the man who was once a feared British foe.

Next, the Bellerophon carried the former Emperor of the French (now known simply as General Bonaparte) to Plymouth and Torquay Harbor on the north shore of Tor Bay.

At Torquay Napoleon stayed on the ship, becoming a tourist attraction for the curious who clustered onto small boats and rowed out into the English Channel hoping to catch a glimpse of the defeated emperor.

If Napoleon thought he’d ever get off a Royal Navy ship while in England he was sadly mistaken. British officials vowed they wouldn’t make the same blunder they’d made in 1814.

So they decided to exile their old enemy to a remote location far away from Europe and any chance of a comeback. On July 31, Napoleon was told that he was headed for St. Helena, an island off the coast of Africa.

Concerned that the aging Bellerophon couldn’t make the voyage, the Navy transferred Napoleon to another ship, the HMS Northumberland, which set sail for St. Helena on August 7, finally leaving British waters on August 9.

Napoleon left the British Isles without ever having set foot on British soil. In fact, he would never return to Europe at all, alive at least.

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Sources for this post include:

  • “From Waterloo to the island of St. Helena,” by Joanna Benazet and Irène Delage, October 2015 (translation Rebecca Young); Napoleon.org, the history website of the Fondation Napoleon
  • The Wars of Napoleon: The History of the Strategies, Tactics, and Leadership of the Napoleonic Era, by Albert Sidney Britt III, The West Point Military History Series, Thomas E. Greiss, Series Editor, Department of History, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, Avery Publishing Group Inc., Wayne, New Jersey, 1985.
  • “The Cruise Industry Is Back—and Breaking Pre-Pandemic Travel Records,” by Simmone Shah, Time Magazine, March 16, 2023

Images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

 

Off to the Races! The Royal Ascot

Depiction of the Ascot Gold Cup race, by James Pollard, 1834

June is a busy month in the UK’s royal calendar. In addition to the King’s Birthday Parade (also known as Trooping the Colour), on the second Saturday of June there’s the Royal Ascot – arguably the most famous horse race in the world.

The Royal Ascot races, held every year, span five days in the middle of June, from Tuesday through Saturday. This year’s event took place last week on June 20-24.

Fabulous hat seen in the Royal Enclosure at the 2009 Ascot

It’s the social event for the sporting season, and a must for everyone who can afford tickets, especially the upper classes who go to see and be seen in their formal clothes. Some female guests like to display their hats – which can be huge, show-stopping creations or whimsical “fascinators.”

Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, 1964

As to the social importance of this royal racing event, who can forget the scene in My Fair Lady when Professor Higgins takes his pupil, Eliza Doolittle, to the Ascot races to prove that he has transformed her from a Cockney flower girl into a “real lady?”

But the Ascot races have a history that started long before the Edwardian setting of George Bernard’s famous play. It’s a history that includes our favorite time period, the Regency.

Here a selective timeline of that history, (as detailed on the Royal Ascot Hub, linked below), from the inception of the races through the mid 1820s:

1711: Queen Anne, an avid horse racing fan, starts a racing tradition at East Cote in London. Her race, called Her Majesty’s Plate, takes place in August and carries a prize of 100 guineas. The race was open to any horse, mare or gelding that was six years or older and capable of carrying a rider weighing 12 stone (168 pounds).

Queen Anne, painted by Michael Dahl, 1705

1744: A ceremonial guard called the Greencoats is formed. The Guard got its name from a rumor that their green uniforms were sewn with fabric left over from curtains made for Windsor Castle. By the early 19th century the guards’ duties expand to include crowd control. Today, Greencoats still can be seen assisting attendees of the Ascot races.

1752: By the mid-18th century the popularity of the annual races, especially among the ton, is becoming apparent. Peers like the Duke of Bedford complain that when he visits London during the races he can find “no soul to dine or sup with.” Surrounding the races are other diversions, and attendees can watch cockfighting and prize-fights, gamble in gaming tents, listen to balladeers, see freak shows and marvel at lady stilt-walkers.

1783: A new rule states that jockeys must wear the colors of their horse’s owners. Up to this point, jockeys could wear whatever colors they wished, making it confusing for spectators to follow the race.

Late 18th century: Men in the Royal Enclosure must don black silk top hats, or “toppers.” Vintage top hats, made from the original material of silk hatter’s plush, are very rare and valuable now. If you can find one that fits your head (apparently men’s heads were smaller 200 years ago) it can cost a small fortune – tens of thousands of pounds.

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Beau Brummel caricature by Richard Dighton, 1805

Early 19th Century: A general dress code for upper class men attending the races develops. Influenced by Beau Brummell, one-time friend of the Prince Regent,  men abandon the bright colors and ornate embroidery of 18th century fashion for plain white waistcoats, and pantaloons, worn with a black cravats. The emphasis is on cleanliness, quality fabrics, and expert tailoring.

1807: This year the Gold Cup, Ascot’s oldest surviving racing event, is introduced. Winners of the Gold Cup today still receive – and get to keep – an engraved gold trophy.

1813: Ascot Heath becomes the new home of the races, thanks to an Act of Enclosure, passed by Parliament. Although the property actually belongs to the Crown, the act guarantees that the land will be used as a racecourse, open to the public.

1822: Prinny, now King George IV, orders the construction of a two-story seating stand at the racecourse. Access to the Royal Enclosure is granted only by the king’s invitation.

1823: The tradition of Ladies Day, also known as Gold Cup Day, starts. It gets its name from an anonymous poet, who describes this day, Thursday of the racing week, as Ladies Day, “when women, like angels, look sweetly divine.”

1825: King George IV inaugurates the first Royal Procession, a tradition which has endured to modern times. Each day of the five-day event begins with the king and queen, along with other members of their royal family, arriving at the racing grounds in horse-drawn landaus. They drive in a procession along the track before going into the Royal Enclosure to watch the races.

There was much excitement at this year’s Royal Ascot when King Charles’s horse, Desert Hero, won Thursday’s marquee race, the King George V Stakes. Desert Hero, ridden by jockey Tom Marquand, was bred by the late Queen Elizabeth II. The odds against the horse winning were long – 18 to 1 – making the victory all the sweeter.

This is King Charles’ first Royal Ascot win as a reigning monarch. It’s yet another first for the newly crowned king.

AscotFinishingPost.JPG
The finishing post at the Ascot racecourse, photo by John Armagh, 2007.

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Sources for this post include:

The Royal Ascot Hub

“King visibly moved as horse bred by Queen Elizabeth wins at Royal Ascot,” by India McTaggart, Royal Correspondent and Tom Cary, Senior Sports Correspondent, The Telegraph, June 22, 2023

“King Charles III claims his 1st Royal Ascot winner; Dettori rides to victory in Gold Cup,” by The Associated Press, June 22, 2023

All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

 

Trooping the Colour

The 2013 ceremony, which hasn’t changed much over the last 200 years. The two-rank formation of soldiers shown here is a tribute to Wellington’s successful tactics at the Battle of Waterloo.

This month on the second Saturday in June, a curious and uniquely British ceremony took place, as it does every year. Trooping the Colour is a centuries-old tradition full of pomp and pageantry, where anything can, and sometimes does, happen.

King Charles and Queen Camilla after their coronation on May 6, 2023

Also known as the Sovereign’s Birthday Parade, the event officially honors not only the sovereign’s birthday but also the infantry regiments of the British Army.

Typically taking place on the second Saturday in June, it’s one of the biggest events on the royal calendar every year, along with the State Opening of Parliament in May.

The parade starts at Buckingham Palace and goes along the Mall to the Horse Guards Parade grounds, and then to Whitehall, before going back again to Buckingham Palace.

About 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians took part in this year’s ceremony. This year’s event was especially noteworthy since it marked the first time the newly crowned King Charles III was honored.

Also this year Charles put his own stamp on the ceremony by reviving the tradition of the monarch leading the parade on horseback.

The last time a horse-mounted sovereign led Trooping the Colour was over thirty years ago, when Queen Elizabeth did so in 1986. For the remainder of her reign, she rode in a carriage at the ceremony.

Charles II, circa 1660-1665, by John Michael Wright

The tradition of Trooping the Colour traces its origins back to the reign of Charles II in the 17th century.

Starting in 1748, during the reign of King George II, it became an occasion to publicly celebrate the king or queen’s birthday, no matter what month or day the reigning monarch was actually born. (King Charles was born on November 14, 1948.)

“Colour” is another name for the brightly-colored battalion flags associated with the Five Foot Guard regiments (including the Scots Guards, Irish Guards, Welsh Guards, Grenadier Guards, and Coldstream Guards).

These flags not only showcase the individual spirit of each regiment but also commemorate its fallen soldiers.

In times past, there was a very practical reason to publicly display the “colour” like this – so that the soldiers would be able to recognize the flags of their comrades in the heat of battle.

Every year one of the five Foot Guard Regiments is chosen to display its flag.  This year the 1st Battalion of the Welsh Guards got to troop its color through the ranks of the assembled regiments. The honorary Colonel of the Welsh Guards is Prince William.

The inspection of the military troops and horses typically lasts about two hours. At the conclusion of this year’s event, King Charles and Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch a flyover of about 70 RAF (Royal Air Force) aircraft.

George III, sick and unkempt in his final years. Engraving by Henry Meyer, 1817

This was a reprise of a flyover event originally planned for Charles’ coronation in May. That display had to be cut short due to bad weather.

The planes used in the flyover included Hurricanes and Spitfires from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Also, 18 modern Typhoon fighter jets spelled out “Charles R” (short for Charles Rex) in the sky to honor the king.

Trooping the Colour has been an annual event since the mid-18th century, with a few notable exceptions.

One exception was during the nine years of the Regency, from 1811 to 1820, when the king’s birthday parade was suspended due to King George III’s seclusion and illness. And the military parades were halted again during World War I and World War II.

There have also been a few memorable, unscripted moments, too, during this annual event, especially in the 20th century.

For example, in 1970 a guardsman rather spectacularly fainted while the Queen was reviewing the troops.

The Queen and her horse appear nonplussed by the fallen soldier ,who, though unconscious, has kept admirable form rather than collapsing into a crumpled heap.

And in 1981, a fame-hungry and delusional teenager fired six blank shots, point-blank range, at the Queen as she rode by with her procession from Buckingham Palace, on her way down the Mall to the Horse Guards Parade grounds.

Queen Elizabeth won a lot of praise that day as she kept her composure and her startled horse firmly under control. The young man was wrestled to the ground, charged with treason, and served a five-year prison sentence. When the man who shot blanks at the queen got out of jail at age 20, he changed his name and made a new life for himself.

I think he got off easy, considering how convicted traitors have been treated in the past!

Nothing that dramatic happened at this year’s event, though the King’s horse was notably restless and hard for the king to handle at times, perhaps most embarrassingly while the national anthem was being played.

Temperatures on the day of this year’s Trooping the Colour were in the high 70s, and I’m sure the king’s heavily decorated Welsh Guards uniform was hot for him to wear, but Charles sat ramrod straight on Noble, his horse, throughout the ceremony.

I suppose you could say the new king proved himself to be a real trouper as he led his first official Trooping the Colour!

King Charles on his horse Noble, at 2023’s Trooping the Colour

 

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Sources include:

“King Charles’ Horse Fails to Keep Still During National Anthem in Clip,” by Jack Royston, Newsweek, June 21, 1923

“What to Know as King Charles Takes Part in His First Trooping the Color Birthday Parade as Monarch,” by the Associated Press, June 17, 2023

 

Images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

 

 

Remembering a Historic Battle

 

“Waterloo,” painting by Denis Dighton (1792-1827), showing British Hussars of Viviene’s Brigade

 

June 18 is the 208th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, the epic 1815 encounter that put an end once and for all to Napoleon’s dream of conquering Europe.

Napoleon

The emperor had made a glorious comeback to power a hundred days earlier, after escaping from his exile on the island of Elba, just off the western coast of Italy. Napoleon seemed unstoppable as he made his way in triumph across Europe. It took the combined and well-coordinated military forces of Great Britain and its allies to halt the Emperor’s progress.

Waterloo was where it all come crashing down for Napoleon. His mighty army and his plans for the future of Europe were vanquished on a field near a village just south of Brussels.

On that summer day over 200 years ago the peaceful Belgium countryside was engulfed by the sights and sounds of a deadly battle: the thunder of drumbeats and hoofbeats; frantic shouts; booming guns; the thick, pervasive smog of musket and artillery fire; and the smell of death.

Engaged in fierce fighting against Napoleon’s Armée du Nord was a multi-national military force of British, Dutch and German troops under the command of the Duke of Wellington.

Sir Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1815-1816)

Joining Wellington was the Prussian army led by Prince Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher. This wasn’t the 72-year-old Blücher’s first encounter with Napoleon; five years earlier he’d defeated the French general at the Battle of Leipzig.

For such a short conflict Waterloo was extremely bloody, with approximately 50,000 casualties combined on both sides and thousands more wounded, captured or missing. And that carnage doesn’t account for the hordes of dead horses strewn over the battlefield, a gruesome contribution to the hellish scene.

Even worse, because of inadequate medical resources many of the wounded lingered on the open field for days, with no doctors to treat their injuries and prevent unnecessary and excruciating deaths.

So what did the battle achieve? Here are few reasons why the Battle of Waterloo merits attention:

  • First and foremost, Waterloo firmly squashed Napoleon’s hopes for a French-dominated Europe. Following his defeat, the emperor was forced into exile once again, this time on the distant South Atlantic island of Saint Helena, where he died in 1821.
  • The Battle of Waterloo also marked the end of the Napoleonic Wars, which spanned more than 15 years and caused the deaths of an estimated 3-6 million soldiers and civilians. If Napoleon had won the battle, the map of Europe would have been redrawn and the course of history changed.
  • Following Wellington’s victory at Waterloo, Britain became the world’s most powerful nation, expanding its empire and dominating international politics.
  • The aftermath of Waterloo also ushered in a period of relatively long-lasting peace, with no further armed conflict between the major powers in Europe for almost 40 years, until the Crimean War of the mid-1850s. The British army didn’t fight again on Western European soil for almost a hundred years, up to the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.

A smaller but enduring effect of the battle was the introduction of the word “Waterloo” into the English vernacular, as in the expression “meeting my Waterloo” or facing an ultimate defeat, just as Napoleon did that day.

Gebhard von Blücher

When news of Wellington’s momentous victory reached Great Britain, spontaneous celebrations broke out across the nation. Church bells were rung, people cheered, and students were given half-day holidays. Later, monuments were erected, and bridges and railway stations were renamed in honor of the battle. Poets such as Robert Southey and Byron immortalized the conflict in their work, while artists recreated battle scenes on their canvases.

The famous conflict is still commemorated today, though without the same fervor. Next Sunday, on June 18, the Battle of Waterloo will be remembered and celebrated, as it is every year, by a few regiments of the British Army. In much the same way, the Royal Navy commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar on Trafalgar Day every October 21.

By all accounts, Napoleon was shocked that he’d lost the battle.  Apparently he’d gone into the battle brimming with confidence and could only conclude that it must have been Fate that made him lose. He called June 15 “an incomprehensible day” and claimed “we ought to have won.” In September of 1815, as he set sail to his final exile on Saint Helena, Napoleon even said: “Ah! If it were only to be done over again!”

I think Wellington and Blücher would have disagreed.

A reflective Napoleon in exile on Saint Helena, painted by Franz Josef Sandmann circa 1820

***
For more on the Regency and the Battle of Waterloo, see:

The Regency Years During Which Jane Austen Writes Napoleon Fights Byron Makes Love & Britain Becomes Modern, by Robert Morrison, WW. Norton & Co., 2019

Commemorating Waterloo,” from Age of Revolution: Making the World Over 1745-1848, an educational legacy project from Waterloo 200 Ltd, the official body recognized by the UK government to support the commemoration of the Battle of Waterloo during its bicentenary in 2015 and beyond.

“Napoleon on Waterloo – What did Bonaparte Actually Say About His Most Famous Defeat?” by Shannon Selin, November 19, 2019,  Military History Now

Images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

 

 

Fancy Dress

As the crowning of King Charles III nears, I can’t resist sharing this image of George IV in his full coronation glory in 1821.

Prinny’s coronation robes were so ornate he needed help in his progress down the aisles of Westminster Abbey. This 1823 painting of the King George’s coronation by Edward Scriven shows the Master of the Robes and the eight sons of various Peers of the Realm who were chosen to carry George’s train.

Charles appears to have a simpler style, so I doubt he’ll opt for a robe that’s as elaborate as his predecessor’s.

In fact, according to a recent Vanity Fair Magazine article, Charles has complained about the weight of his coronation clothes, and there’s concern at the Palace that he may find walking while wearing his heavy robes difficult. There’s even talk of building a ramp to the thrones in Westminster Abbey to make it easier for him.

Will Charles need a small army of  courtiers to carry his train, the way George IV did? We’ll just have to wait and see  what the newly crowned king wears on May 6!

 

Source:

“Report: King Charles’s Coronation Robes Are Sowing Havoc for Planners,” by Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair Magazine, April 12, 2023

The Coronation Chair

The Coronation Chair containing the Stone of Scotland, 1859 illustration from The History of England by D. Hume

 

On May 6, when Charles Philip Arthur George is crowned King Charles III in Westminster Abbey, he’ll have the best seat in the house – the Coronation Chair.

During the ceremony, both Charles and Camilla will sit on thrones especially made for them. But only Charles gets to sit on the centuries-old wooden throne.

At first glance the Coronation Chair isn’t very impressive. It’s beyond old – it’s ancient – and it’s scarred, nicked, marked with nail holes, and scribbled upon. Once gilded, painted, and inlaid with mosaics, the chair now bears only traces of its former glory.

The Coronation Chair as it looks today

When there isn’t a coronation taking place, the Coronation Chair sits behind glass near the Great West Door of Westminster Abbey. Well-guarded now, for many years it wasn’t as protected. In the 1800s tourists could sit in the chair by paying the verger a small fee. Souvenir hunters damaged the chairs’ posts, and visitors etched their initials into the wood.

There’s even a bit of Regency-era graffiti: “P. Abbott slept in this chair 5-6 July 1800” is carved into the seat.

But what makes this old chair special isn’t its appearance but rather its historical significance. It holds a unique place not just in English history, but Scottish history as well.

Since the 14th century, 27 British monarchs have sat in this chair while being crowned, including Queen Elizabeth I in 1559 and Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

Built of sturdy Baltic oak, the six-foot-nine Coronation Chair was commissioned by King Edward I in 1296 to hold the Stone of Scotland. The stone was Edward’s trophy, seized when his army invaded Scotland.

The Stone of Scotland (also called the Stone of Scone and the Stone of Destiny) had previously been used for centuries at the coronations of Scottish monarchs. Now in England’s possession, the stone would henceforth be used at the coronations of English kings and queens, showing that the Scottish were under English rule.

Photo of the Stone of Scone in the Coronation Chair, taken circa 1875-1885

At first, English kings would just sit on the stone, placed on the seat of the chair, as they were being crowned. In the 17th century, a wooden platform was installed under the seat to hold the stone – a much more comfortable arrangement.

Understandably, the Scots resented having their precious symbol built into England’s Coronation Chair. And in 1950 a group of Scottish nationalists decided to do something about it.

That year four University of Glasgow students traveled to London on Christmas Day with a daring plan to break into Westminster Abbey and take back their national symbol. It was no easy task, since the massive piece of red sandstone stone isn’t exactly portable – it weighs about 335 pounds.

Though the stone broke apart during the heist, the students still managed to make it all the way back to Scotland with their prize. They hid the stone successfully for several months.

The bold students were celebrated as heroes by the Scottish, but the UK  government was not amused. British officials scoured Scotland for the stone.

The stone was finally found in April of 1951. It had been hidden on the altar of Abroath Abbey, which is where  the Declaration of Abroath was drafted in 1320, asserting Scotland’s identity as an independent,  sovereign kingdom.

The stone stayed in Scotland for repairs, but not for long. In February 1952, following the death of King George V, the stone was taken back to Westminster Abbey, in preparation for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation.

Although the stone ended up back in London, the students, who were never prosecuted, had effectively made their point. After another couple of decades, in 1996 the Stone of Destiny was officially returned to its native land, 700 years after it had been captured.

Scotland got their prized national symbol back with one condition – that the stone must be returned to London and placed in the Coronation Chair for the coronations of British monarchs.

A couple of films have been made about this adventure, most recently 2008’s Stone of Destiny. Currently, you can rent or buy this film on Amazon or stream it on Google Play or Vudu. You can also watch it for free on Plex. I found the DVD in my local library.

In September 2022, after Queen Elizabeth died, the Scottish Government announced the stone would make a temporary return to England for the coronation of King Charles III.  With the Stone of Scotland firmly in place, on May 6 Charles will become the 28th monarch to be crowned in Westminster Abbey.

And if you’d like to view the Stone of Destiny in person and can’t make it to Charles’ invitation-only event, you can plan a trip to Edinburgh Castle, where the stone is on display along with Scotland’s crown jewels in the Royal Palace’s Crown Room.

 

For additional more information about the Coronation Chair, see:

  • “The Coronation Chair,”  Westminster Abbey.org
  •  “The Grand History of Westminster Abbey” by Peter Ross in the Smithsonian Magazine, April/May 2023. (You can also read this article online .)
  • “King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla will sit on brand new thrones at the King’s coronation in May,” by Kate Mansy for The Daily Mail, February 24, 2023.

April in Georgian History

April 2, 1801 the HMS Elephant sank the pro-French Danish fleet in the Battle of Copenhagen thanks to Horatio Nelson deliberately disobeying orders. He famously claimed his blind eye made him unable to see the signal flags.

April 9, 1806 Isambard Kingdom Brunel born. His impact on railroads, roads, and shipping would be immense. If you’ve been to Balmoral, you’ve seen a Brunel bridge. On April 8, 1838, The Great Western, the first regular transatlantic steamship, designed by Brunel,  left Bristol for its maiden voyage.

April 19, 1775 Some pesky colonists in Lexington, Massachusettes Bay Colony fired on British troops. Outcome, Britain 1 Colonists 0.

The Steamer Great Western. H.R. Robinson. PAH8859

To Crown a King

George IV’s coronation on July 19, 1821, in Westminster Abbey

 

Imperial State Crown.png
The Imperial State Crown of the United Kingdom

On May 6, only a few weeks away,  an historic event will take place in Westminster Abbey: the coronation of Charles III.

For Regency fans, comparisons between Charles’ big day and the coronation of George IV are inevitable. And even though a little more than 200 years separates these royal milestones, there are significant similarities – and differences — between the two  events.

My postings this month focus on these coronations. And I’ve decided to start at the top, with the monarchs’ crowns.

Large gold crown decorated with diamonds and red, green, blue, and purple gemstones
St. Edward’s Crown

Charles’ Crowns

Charles will be crowned with the historic St. Edward’s Crown, the original of which was first used when Edward III was crowned in 1220. It’s also possible, but not proven, that this crown was used even earlier King Edward the Confessor,  in 1023.

The St. Edward’s Crown the Archbishop of Canterbury will place on Charles’ head was created in 1661 as a replacement for the original crown, which was destroyed in 1649  when Parliament abolished the monarchy during the English Civil Wars.

This crown is set with over 444 precious and semi-precious stones, including a glittering array of aquamarines, amethysts, and sapphires.

Charles will also put on the Imperial State Crown towards the end of the ceremony. This dazzler features the Black Prince’s Ruby, the Cullinan II diamond, the rose-cut St. Edward’s Sapphire, and the Stuart Sapphire.

Prinny’s Crown

The Prince Regent had a crown especially made for his 1821 coronation. It had a gold and silver frame, with a blue velvet cap and ermine trimming. It also had over 12,000 diamonds. It must have looked spectacular. Sadly, it no longer exists.

Though Prinny desperately wanted to keep the crown after his coronation to wear for other state occasions, the government refused to buy it for him.  Prinny’s crown was judged too expensive to purchase, and was dismantled in 1823.

Queen Mary’s Crown with the Kohinoor diamond

Camilla’s Crown

One thing George didn’t have to worry about at his ceremony was a crown for his wife, Queen Caroline. He loathed her and did everything in his power to keep her away from his big day. Not only was she omitted from the ceremony, but she also wasn’t even allowed to attend. She tried to get inside Westminster Abbey through several doors, only to be denied entrance at every one of them.

In contrast, Camilla will be crowned Queen next to Charles at his coronation. She’ll have a beautiful crown, too, not nearly as old as her husband’s but certainly more controversial.

Camilla will be wearing the Crown of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, also known as Queen Mary’s Crown. This crown was made in 1911 for Mary of Teck when she was crowned queen next to her husband, George V, at his coronation. However, Camilla’s crown won’t look like her predecessor’s. It will be minus one very significant and controversial diamond.

The Kohinoor Diamond

No doubt about it, the centerpiece of Queen Mary’s Crown in 1911 was the fabulous Kohinoor diamond.

Replica of the Koh-i-Noor (cropped).jpg
The Kohinoor diamond

However, over the past 100 years Queen Mary’s Crown has undergone several changes. The arches were made detachable so it could be worn open, and its three conspicuous diamonds – the Kohinoor and the Cullinan III and IV — were swapped out for quartz crystal copies.

Last February, to prepare for Charles coronation, Queen Mary’s crown was removed from the Tower of London and modified to fit Camilla. Plans include resetting it with the two genuine Cullinan III and IV diamonds and adding another, the Cullinan V.

Yet the Kohinoor diamond won’t be restored to its original place of honor.  It will stay where it is, in the Tower of London with the other crown jewels.

The Kohinoor Controversy

According to some news reports, the decision to omit the Kohinoor was made to side-step controversy over how this magnificent stone came to be part of the UK’s crown jewel collection. That’s because Britain’s acquisition of the diamond during the Victorian era is still a sensitive subject today.

Weighing in at 105.6 carats, the Kohinoor is one of the largest cut diamonds in the world. Its origin is shrouded in legend, with little clear evidence of when and where it was discovered.  The diamond circulated among the empires of South and West Asia until 1849, when the British Empire annexed the Punjab province. At this point the British East India Company acquired the diamond and gave it as a gift to Queen Victoria.

India has sought the return of the Kohinoor ever since that country became independent of the British Empire in 1947. The governments of Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, and even the Taliban, have also claimed ownership of the gem and are demanding its return.

To some, the Kohinoor represents how indigenous resources were exploited and plundered under colonial rule. However, the stones being used in Camilla’s crown in place of the Kohinoor, the Cullinan diamonds, came from South Africa and are also criticized as symbols of British imperialism.

The 9 major stones cut from the Cullinan diamond

These diamonds were cut from the Cullinan Diamond, the largest rough-cut diamond ever discovered. It was mined in South Africa in 1905  while the country was under British rule, and eventually presented to King Edward VII in 1907.

So, no matter which fabulous gems end up sparkling in Camilla’s crown, they are sure to attract attention. We’ll just have to wait till Coronation Day to see what her crown looks like.

For more information on the controversy surrounding the diamonds in Camilla’s crown, click on the link to this NBC News story.

_________________________________________

Article by Maureen Mackey for the Quizzing Glass Blog

Temple Newsam

A cross-post from The Regency Redingote:

In the West Riding of Yorkshire, about four and a half miles east of the city of Leeds, stands a Jacobean-era country house which has an important link to the Regency. The house, called Temple Newsam, stands on a large estate which has a history stretching back to Roman times. A Roman road connecting Castelford with Adel ran across the property, and the mound which remains of this ancient "street" can still be seen on the north side of the estate. In the early middle ages it was on this property that the Knights Templar built a preceptory, or complex of buildings, which housed a provincial community of their order. It was this preceptory which gave Temple Newsam its name. Here the members of the community worked the land to sustain themselves and to contribute to the support of the Templars. The preceptory is now gone, as is the original manor house, built by Thomas, Baron Darcy, a nobleman beheaded by Henry VIII in 1538, when he rebelled against the dissolution of the monasteries. The property was seized by the Crown after Darcy’s death, and Henry gave it to his niece, Margaret, Countess of Lennox. Thus it became the property of the Earls of Lennox. In that same manor house was born Lord Darnley, who became the ill-fated husband of Mary Queen of Scots, and father of James I of England.

After the death of Lord Darnley, who was the eldest son of the Earl of Lennox, the property passed to his only son, King James I. In the first year of his reign in England, James granted the property to Ludovic Stewart, the second Duke of Lennox. In 1622, the Duke sold the property to Sir Arthur Ingram. In about 1630, with the exception of the part of the house which contained the room in which Lord Darnley had been born, the old manor house was mostly pulled down and rebuilt in red brick. That is the core of the Temple Newsam House which stands today. In 1661, Sir Arthur’s grandson, Henry Ingram, was created Viscount Irwin, (sometimes listed as Irvine), in the Scottish peerage, for his loyalty to King Charles I. There were nine Viscounts Irwin, the last, Charles, died in 1778, leaving five daughters, but no sons.

So, what is the Regency connection to this historic property?

Continue reading “Temple Newsam”

Caricatures — Tabloids of the Regency

Caricatures were extremely popular during the Regency era. Thousands were produced, ranging from mild criticism to biting satire, and included political, social, and personal commentary. They were printed from etchings or engravings and sold to whoever would pay for them.

Continue reading “Caricatures — Tabloids of the Regency”

Below stairs at Belton House — Lincolnshire   by Jane Lark

Jane Lark, author of a number of historical romances, spent some time at historic Belton House, near Grantham, in Lincolnshire. This great seventeenth century house played the part of the many-windowed mansion of Rosings Park, Lady Catherine de Burgh’s country estate in the 1995 series of Pride and Prejudice. Today, Jane tells us about her tour of the servants’ areas of the great house.

Continue reading “Below stairs at Belton House — Lincolnshire   by Jane Lark”

Lady Hertford’s Chinese Drawing Room

A cross-post from The Regency Redingote:

Last week I wrote about Chinese paper-hangings in the Regency, and mentioned that one set of these very expensive papers may have had special significance in the life of a young girl. In 1806, the Prince of Wales made a gift of a full set of Chinese paper-hangings to the mother of a woman who would later become his mistress. However, the facts seem to suggest this gift was actually made in an effort to gain custody of a child in order to please his current inamorata.

How a set of Chinese paper-hangings may have been an attempt to sway the choice of who had custody of the little girl who gave the Prince his nickname …

Continue reading “Lady Hertford’s Chinese Drawing Room”

Marriage at Gretna Green   by Jane Lark

Ah, June, a popular month for weddings. And during the Regency, quite a number of those weddings took place at the small village of Gretna Green, the first hamlet over the English border in Scotland. Last year, Jane Lark, whose most recent Regency is The Scandalous Love of a Duke, spent some time in modern-day Gretna Green. Today, she shares with us what she learned about the famous, or infamous, Scottish capital of clandestine wedding.

What really happened in Gretna Green …

Continue reading “Marriage at Gretna Green   by Jane Lark”

The Dandy Chargers — 2014 Riding Season

A cross-post from The Regency Redingote:

Thanks to a dedicated group of aficionados known as the Dandy Chargers, the velocipede, which Georgette Heyer fans know as the pedestrian curricle, is not a thing of the past. Each year, the Dandy Chargers don Regency dress and ride their historically accurate "dandy-horses" at various historic estates and other venues in Great Britain. Thus, those who would like to see these vehicles in action as they might have appeared during the Regency have an opportunity to do so at one of the Dandy Chargers’ appearances this year.

The 2014 schedule of the Dandy Chargers fourteenth riding season …

Continue reading “The Dandy Chargers — 2014 Riding Season”

Hay-on-Wye   By Ann Lethbridge

In today’s article, Regency romance author, Ann Lethbridge, whose latest romance is Falling for the Highland Rogue, gives us a brief virtual tour of a charming, ancient Welsh town. A town through which any book lover, history buff or Anglophile could ramble with pleasure for many hours.

Continue reading “Hay-on-Wye   By Ann Lethbridge”