Trooping the Colour, 2026

The King's Birthday Parade, also known as Trooping the Colour, live from London on what the news commentator says is "a perfect summer day" there - temperature 68 F:

Bonus, 4 p.m.:  It's 93 degrees here Texas on a beautiful sunny afternoon.  English historian Allan Barton, who styles himself The Antiquary, gives an in-depth explanation of the Trooping and its history, if you can stand it:

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The King's Speech

Screen capture of the speech from the Associated Press broadcast.
Queen Camilla, in white, is seated to the King's left.

King Charles III addressed a joint session of Congress yesterday, as his mother had done in 1991.  Surveying the whole field of our common heritage from Magna Carta to the present, and displaying a deep understanding of American history and politics, his eloquence and humor went over well with the assembled representatives, who interrupted him with standing ovations a number of times.   A lovely speech by a kindly old friend, full of warmth, wisdom, and gentle warning - well worth heeding by those now in power.

If only they would!

The Associated Press transcipt of the speech can be found here.

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King Charles Commemorates 100th Birthday of Queen Elizabeth II

A lovely tribute and an inspiring one.

P. S. - I must say, I'm disappointed and a bit shocked that the UK Government has not yet erected some kind of memorial to their late beloved monarch, who served them so long and so well.  Shame on them!

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The King's Christmas Broadcast, 2025

From Westminster Abbey, His Majesty the King delivers his annual Christmas message to his peoples in Britain and throughout the Commmonwealth.  The King is a deeply spiritual man, befitting his role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England, not to mention his historic title, Defender of the Faith.

Bonus:  The Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte, age 10, perform a piano duet that was filmed for the annual service of carols at Westminster Abbey, which took place on December 5th and was broadcast in the UK on Christmas Eve.  The composure of the young princess is most impressive.

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VJ Day Plus 80

Monument to Allied dead in the Kohima War Cemetery, India.

King Charles III released an audio message last night commemorating the end of World War II on this day in 1945:

Here is the speech broadcast by his grandfather, King George VI, in 1945:

Earlieri that day in Washington, President Truman had announced the unconditional surrender of Japan, sparking riotous celebrations across the United States:

My dad was an Air Force mechanic stationed in Aachen, Germany, at the time. I don't know how he celebrated, but I do know that just two months later, after being shipped stateside with maybe ten thousand other G.I.'s on the Queen Elizabeth, he was back home with his parents, safe and sound. Many others never made it home, or were disabled for life. Living or dead, we owe them all an immense debt of gratitude - as it says on the monument pictured above.

Their service and sacrifice saved the whole world from depraved tyranny and unspeakable horrors. As President Roosevelt had remarked some years before, that generation had a "rendezvous with destiny." They met it with courage and righteous determination, bequeathing to us who followed three generations of general peace, progress, and unparalleled prosperity in the free world.  

What destiny lies ahead for today's linked-in generation, and how will they meet it? This weary old man in his twilight years wonders -- but would rather not stick around to find out.

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New State Portraits in Buckingham Palace

A look at the two new portraits of the King and Queen, as well as others from past reigns.

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Royal Ascot 2025

Ascot Racecourse is part of the Crown Estate, just down the road and over the hill from Windsor Castle.  It was founded in 1711 by Queen Anne.  Since 1825, the June races have been marked by a daily carriage procession of the reigning sovereign and assorted guests from the Castle to the course - a splendid old tradition that the horse-loving British are quite fond of.  It's also a marvelous occasion for ladies to dress up in their fanciest formal frocks and hats - think My Fair Lady. 

None of this has anything to do with the government of the country - but isn't this much nicer than a gloomy parade of tanks and guns and vainglorious bluster from a pompous buffoon?

The history of Royal Ascot:

Yesterday's royal carriage procession for the opening day, described by a couple of chatty newsgirls. Wait for the reveal of their hats at the very end:

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Trooping the Colour, 2025

Now this is how you do a real King's Birthday Parade.  Sky News covers the whole shebang, which took place in London this morning:

Note:  the British monarch and all other European monarchs are the good guys - constitutional monarchs.  Their powers were clipped centuries ago, and now they reign but do not rule, as the saying is.  It is hard for an American mind to grasp the concept of a king with all the glory but very little of the power, but that's the way the British like it.  (They don't think like we do.)  And as the 70-year reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II amply demonstrated, in a parliamentary democracy a figurehead monarch can be a strong force for good and an anchor of stability amid the to-and-fro of politics and social change.

For background on the evolution of the monarchy in Britain, start with the Bill of Rights 1689, which preceded our own Constitution and Bill of Rights by a century, and was very much in the minds of the Founding Fathers when they were getting our country off the ground.

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The Kings' Speeches - 1945 and 2025

Grandfather King George VI spoke by radio to all his peoples across the Empire at 9 p.m. on May 8, 1945, V-E Day:

Exactly eighty years later to the minute, grandson King Charles III spoke to a crowd of his people on Horse Guards Parade in London to commemorate the day: 

 

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The King's Easter Message

Continuing a tradition he started as Prince of Wales, HM the King has released a message to mark Easter:

One of the puzzles of our humanity is how we are capable of both great cruelty and great kindness. This paradox of human life runs through the Easter story and in the scenes that daily come before our eyes — at one moment, terrible images of human suffering and, in another, heroic acts in war-torn countries where humanitarians of every kind risk their own lives to protect the lives of others. A few weeks ago, I met many such people at a reception in Buckingham Palace and felt a profound sense of admiration for their resilience, courage and compassion.

On Maundy Thursday, Jesus knelt and washed the feet of many of those who would abandon Him. His humble action was a token of His love that knew no bounds or boundaries and is central to Christian belief.

The love He showed when he walked the Earth reflected the Jewish ethic of caring for the stranger and those in need, a deep human instinct echoed in Islam and other religious traditions, and in the hearts of all who seek the good of others.

The abiding message of Easter is that God so loved the world — the whole world — that He sent His son to live among us to show us how to love one another, and to lay down His own life for others in a love that proved stronger than death.

There are three virtues that the world still needs — faith, hope and love. “And the greatest of these is love”.

It is with these timeless truths in my mind, and my heart, that I wish you all a blessed and peaceful Easter.

Charles R

Beautiful.  Just right.  This is the Christian faith.

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The King's Christmas Broadcast, 2024

Continuing a tradition set by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1957, His Majesty the King today broadcast a televised Christmas message to his peoples in Britain and the other 65 member states of the Commonwealth of Nations.  

The first royal Christmas broadcast was made by King George V via radio in 1932, inaugurating the BBC Empire Service, later the World Service.

After the jump:  the lyrics of "Once in Royal David's City," quoted by the King in his address.

Trooping the Colour, 2024

Nobody does it better:  the annual review of troops by His Majesty the King for his Official Birthday, to be followed by a fly-past of the Royal Air Force and the appearance of the King and the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

The ceremony on Horse Guards Parade commences with the arrival of the King at precisely 11 a.m., London time (6 a.m. in New York), with the fly-past due around 1 p.m.

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D-Day Plus 80

Eighty years ago on this date, Allied land, sea, and air forces invaded Normandy to begin the liberation of Europe from Hitler's evil empire.  Four years earlier, the Nazi blitzkrieg had overrun the free states of Europe, and only Britain was left to defy him.  But the forces of darkness would not enjoy their triumph long.  After careful preparation, the tables were turned on June 6, 1944, as the greatest assemblage of armed forces in the history of the world breached the supposedly impenetrable walls of Hitler's Fortress Europe, leading to his utter defeat the following year, and Japan's too.

After the Fall of France in June 1940, Winston Churchill. in courageous words that echo down the halls of history, steeled his countrymen for what was to come next:

What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire.

The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science.

Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, “This was their finest hour.”

We who were born after the war have lived our whole lives in those "broad, sunlit uplands," however hilly or rocky they may have seemed in part; in the Western world at least, we have lived in times of peace and plenty, blessed with a panoply of comforts and conveniences undreamed of by any previous generation, and available to all but the most abjectly poor.  

Antibiotics, vaccinations, and ingenious new treatments for all sorts of bodily ills and injuries have allowed us, collectively, to live longer, healthier, and consequently happier lives than any generation who came before us.  How very lucky we were, how blessed, to have lived in the second half of the twentieth century, and into the first quarter of the twenty-first.  In material terms, the human race never had it so good.

And yet, times change.  Mr. Starmer. who in all likelihood will shortly be the next prime minister of Great Britain, said just the other day, "The post-war era is over and a new age of insecurity has begun."  He might be putting it mildly.  I think all halfway intelligent people must view the current trend of things as very alarming - frightening - horrifying, even.  

But today I will say only that I am mindful of and deeply grateful for the sacrifices made by those soldiers, sailors, and airmen in 1944, who died so that my generation could grow up in peace and prosperity and freedom.  May they rest in peace and rise in glory.  

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The King's Christmas Broadcast, 2023

Bonus: The Coronation Year, a documentary by British TV network ITV, which was given behind-the-scenes access to Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.

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The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla

Here's an assortment of live-stream coverage of the Coronation at Westminster Abbey, where the service begins at 11 a.m., London time (6 a. m. in New York, 5 a.m. in Texas).  Take your pick of these British broadcasters - avoid the goofball American news channels like the plague.

The Official Website of the royal family offers a schedule of events and much information on all aspects of the procession, the music, and the service here.

Sky News: 

 

 The BBC:

 

 Reuters (no commentary):

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Behind the Scenes: His Majesty's Forces

The British Monarch is Commander-in-Chief of all the military forces of the nation; soldiers, sailors, and airmen all swear allegiance to the Sovereign, his heirs and successors according to law.  As the following short videos show, they take their oath quite seriously and serve the Sovereign proudly, usually with a crown appearing on some part of the uniform.

My fellow Americans should understand - and I have it on good authority - that to the British, military and civilian alike, the King is a living symbol of their country, representing the dignity, unity, and authority of the state; their loyal feelings for the monarchy are akin to what we feel for the flag and the Constitution all wrapped up in one person.  (Britain has no written constitution.)  

But the monarchy was long ago tamed and stripped of any substantial powers (see English Bill of Rights).  Parliament is in fact the supreme power in the land, and since 1689 has asserted its right to make all the laws and even choose who will be king or queen.  So for quite a long time now, British monarchs have reigned, but not ruled.  The King as Head of State is expected to be the impartial representative of the whole nation, above all party politics.  The late Queen Elizabeth II was a shining example of that, as most British monarchs have been for the last two centuries.

His Majesty's Forces in particular are proud to be soldiers of the King, and thus servants of the nation whom he represents and reigns over.  Here are a few examples of how HM Forces are preparing to put on a typically British good show for the Coronation.

Royal Navy officers drill with swords in hand.

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The Coronation in Focus: Crowns, Robes, and Thrones

More fascinating information about the coronation from English historian Dr. Allan Barton.

 

The Church of England has published the Order of Service as a PDF you can download here. 

Westminster Abbey has links to more details about the service and its setting here.

And many more links about all things royal at the Official Site of the royal family.

I do pray everything goes well and safely and happily on the day.

God Save the King.

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King Charles III: The Monarch and the Man

After the death of the Queen last September, British TV network ITV presented this documentary about King Charles III, written and presented by distinguished newsman Jonathan Dimbleby.

 

Your Head Trucker remembers watching the live TV coverage of Charles's investiture as Prince of Wales in 1969, and has admired the development of his mind and character ever since. Highly intelligent, deeply spiritual, compassionate, and confident about human progress, he is a very fine man who, as it seems to your Head Trucker, has been unmercifully crucified by the hysterical, hypocritical press all his adult life. 

How he is able to rise above it and remain cheerful and steadfast in his duty to the nation is more than I can understand.   He has prepared all his life for this day and will, I have no doubt, make a fine king, with much to offer the world.  I pray God bless, protect, and sustain him with long life and the love of his people.

Bonus:  In this 2011 BBC film, British gardener and broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh is given a tour of Highgrove House gardens by the then-Prince of Wales, who was mocked unmercifully in the press for being an environmentalist long before it was cool.  

Which only goes to show how wrong, dead wrong, popular opinion can be - and frequently has been, about many things.

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The Coronation - Then and Now

Below are films of the late Queen's coronation in 1952, a splendid, deeply moving occasion that will be repeated - with some updating - this coming Saturday, May 6th, for her son and successor, King Charles III, and his consort, Queen Camilla.  

But first, if you are planning to watch the ceremony live (look on YouTube for the live streams from the BBC, ITV, or Sky News - NOT the clueless American networks with their mindless laugh-a-minute drivel), here is an abbreviated timeline of the day: 

9 a.m., London (= 4 a.m. in New York, 3 a.m. in Texas): Congregation seated in Westminster Abbey 

10 a.m., London: VIP arrivals at the Abbey (Foreign royalty, presidents, British royal family, etc.) 

10:20 a.m., London: King and Queen's procession leaves Buckingham Palace 

11 a.m., London: Coronation service begins 

1 p.m., London: King and Queen's procession returns to Buckingham Palace by a longer route 

2:15 p.m., London: King and Queen appear on the palace balcony for a fly-past by the Royal Air Force

Your Head Trucker fondly remembers watching many other royal events, waking before dawn and putting on a kettle of tea:  the wedding of Charles and Diana was the most lovely and festive - but alas, not every fairy-tale romance ends happily, as kings and commoners all know.

oooOooo

And now some films of past coronations, which may be of interest to compare with this year's version; across a thousand years, the essentials of this Christian ceremony have remained the same, though the details have often varied. 

This abridged color film of the 1952 coronation is beautifully narrated by Sir Laurence Olivier, and was shown in movie theaters around the world:

   

Or if you prefer, here is the central portion of the BBC's eight-hour live coverage from 1952, There was no such thing as color TV then, but the sound is wonderfully clear and the picture sharp:

 

BONUS: Color film clips of the 1937 coronation of the late Queen's father, King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth, later known as the Queen Mother during her daughter's reign.  (Outdoor scenes only; there was no filming inside the Abbey.)  The first one begins with a fine summing-up of why the coronation matters.

 

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A Guide to the Coronation

English historian Dr. Allan Barton has a video channel on YouTube,  entitled The Antiquary.  He has created some excellent videos explaining various aspects of the coronation ceremony, past and present, and I'll be posting more of those in the coming days.

But my fellow Americans, let us understand one thing from the outset:  there is no such word as coronated.  

However, the King will be crowned at his coronation on May 6th.  You got that?

It should also be understood that the coronation is a deeply serious and solemn religious service:  the monarch is anointed and consecrated, and in turn dedicates his life to the service of his people.  It bears no resemblance to the hoopla attendant on, say, crowning a Miss America or other temporary celebrity. 

King Charles will be the 40th monarch since William the Conqueror to be crowned in Westminster Abbey - a line of continuity reaching back a thousand years.  There is nothing wrong with that; we could use a little more continuity and dignity over here, in my view.

Here is a snippet from a recent BBC documentary with some scenes of the late beloved Queen's coronation in 1953, and her thoughts on what it meant.

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