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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UK Supreme Court: Women Are Born That Way

In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom yesterday ruled unanimously that biological sex is the determining principle in the Equality Act 2010.  Lord Hodge, Deputy President of the court, read out the ruling to a packed chamber:

The Court made a very thorough review of all the applicable laws in its carefully reasoned 88-page ruling, which you can read here if you have a couple of hours to spare.  Or you can read a much shorter W\ikipedia summary here.  I am no lawyer, but despite some banner headlines in the world's press, it seems to me that the Court has confined its ruling to the interpretation of the law as it stands right now, and has not set a sweeping change in stone. 

But what do I know.  This ruling will have far-reaching effects in British law.  However, my fellow Americans should understand that Britain has no written constitution as we do; instead, the fundamental legal principle over there is parliamentary supremacy - meaning, Parliament can pass any law it wants to, on any subject, at any time.  However, in actual practice, British lawmakers are effectively restrained by custom, tradition, political opposition, and public opinion.  

(The King is technically part of Parliament, but he has no say-so.  Contrary to what you may think, he does not run the government; the government runs him. He pretty much has to do whatever the Prime Mininster "advises.")

The Guardian provides an explainer of today's ruling here.

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Message from the Princess of Wales

Catherine, Princess of Wales, in 2022

 

Two years on, yesterday, from the death of Queen Elzabeth II, the Princess of Wales has released a charming and remarkably informal video message announcing the end of her chemotherapy treatments.

It's lovely to see a happy family at leisure.  I'm sure all people of goodwill join me in wishing them the very best.

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Starmer Has BALLS

How refreshing to see a Western leader who speaks plainly and acts decisively in a crisis:

 

The BBC provides a summary of this weekend's riots and the Government's response:

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Vive La France Libre!

An alliance of left-wing parties has slapped down the far-right National Rally in France in today's legislative elections.  This will complicate things for centrist President Emmanuel Macron, but when have French politics ever been easy?

Thank God the fascist threat is removed - for now.

This is an upset victory; last night all the pollsters were predicting a right-wing majority.  But the left turned out en masse.  A lesson for us in America.  The bullies don't have to win, if we stick together. 

 

The French election upset follows the victory of the Labour Party in last Thursday's UK election.  Having accepted the King's invitation to form a government, Sir Keir Starmer is now off to a running start with his program of "National Renewal," after 14 years of endemic corruption, mismanagement, and gross incompetence by successive Tory governments.

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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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Two Churches, One Town

Today I discovered just by chance this mini-documentary of two beautiful 900-year-old churches in a lovely little English town - and the struggle to keep them from falling into ruin.  The high-definition videography is wonderful.  

You can learn more at the website Two Churches, One Town.

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Vigil for a Mother

The Queen's four children stood vigil around her coffin today in St. Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh.  The Queen will lie in rest there until tomorrow afternoon, when the coffin will be flown to London and rest overnight in Buckingham Palace until taken to Westminster Hall on Wednesday to lie in state until the morning of her funeral next Monday.

 

Earlier today, the King, accompanied by the Queen Consort, addressed the Scottish Parliament for the first time, after hearing loyal tributes to the late Queen from the Speaker and party leaders, all of which were excellent - except that of the Greens leader, who was a bit preachy.

Earlier still, the King began his long day likewise in Westminster Hall in London, where he heard the tributes and condolences expressed by the Speakers of the Lords and the Commons, and gave in reply his first speech to the assembled members of the national Parliament.

Click here for a helpful schedule of events in the week ahead of the Queen's funeral on Monday, September 19th.

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The Queen's Last Journey

A hearse bearing the Queen's coffin, draped in the Royal Standard, heads for Edinburgh.  Click to enlarge.

The globe-trotting Queen's final journey has begun, as her coffin is brought by car from Balmoral to Edinburgh, where it will lie in state, first overnight at Holyrood Palace,  and then for 24 hours at St. Giles' Cathedral, before being flown to London on Tuesday.  Watch the journey live on Sky News:

 

The Queen's funeral has been set for Monday, September 19th, in Westminster Abbey, with the final obsequies to be held at St. George's Chapel, Windsor.  A very helpful schedule of events, complete with pictures and maps, is found on the BBC website.

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Accession Proclamation of King Charles III

A quick summary of today's proceedings and pageantry at St. James's Palace in London:

If you have more time, below is a full account of the proceedings from the official website of the British Monarchy.  Of course, you can always use your right-arrow key to skip ahead through the dull bits - though some of those bits are quite fascinating, actually, if you know what you are looking at: the current Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Leader of His Majesty's Official Opposition, all six former Prime Ministers, together with bishops and archbishops, and all the company of (British political) Heaven mixing and mingling when they are not the center of attention.  

The proceedings in the Council chamber and in the Throne Room are are admirably led with perfect poise by the Rt. Hon. Penny Mordaunt, lately a candidate for Prime Minister, now Lord President of the Council.

The proclamation ceremony on the balcony abvove Friary Court is led by Garter King of Arms.

N, B. -- Today's ceremonies (which will be repeated elsewhere in the kingdom tomorrow) do not "make" Charles king - they are in no sense an "inauguration," and certainly not a "coronation," as I saw one wildly inaccurate news source report.  They merely proclaim him to be the rightful and lawful king, so there is no question in the public mind.  Charles became king in the very instant of his mother's death.  That is how inheritance works, for kings and for commoners.  The Sovereign always exists, without a moment's gap in continuity.  Hence the age-old saying:  The King (or Queen) is dead.  Long live the King.

When the time comes for his coronation, that ceremony likewise will not "make" Charles king - he is and has been fully and truly king from the first moment of his reign.  The coronation is a religious ceremony held to bless and sanctify the King, and provide an even greater, grander public affirmation of his right to rule according to law, with justice and mercy.  As no doubt we shall see sometime next year.

In our super-duper, oh-so-modern, allegedly democratic age, is all this ceremony necessary?  No, obviously not.  Is it a great treasure worth keeping after a thousand years' continuance, something to be honored, revered, and cherished?  I say, YES, as long as there are fit and worthy successors to the Crown, and a loyal, appreciative people to reign over.  (There is something to be said for a republic, too - it all depends on the history and character of a nation.)

Why?  You have only to look at the lifelong service of the late, beloved Queen, and the admiration of billions of people all around the world, for the answer.  Britain and her other realms and territories would have rocked and rumbled along without her at the top, as have even more former realms and territories.  But how nice it is to have a living, breathing person at the pinnacle to look up to - kind and just and impartial, the gracious focus of national unity, in good times and bad, the immovable center in the ever-changing whirl of politics and society.

Many people in the slimmed-down, skinny-pants modern world have decided that a hat is no longer a necessary article of clothing, a useless expense, a needless bother; but there are in fact still many occasions on which a hat is a very comfortable and useful thing, and it may even become part of one's identity.  The same might be said of a cap - or a Crown.

It is written:  He who would be the greatest of all must be the servant of all.  A fearsome calling; but to the envy of other nations, Britain has been blessed with a long succession of worthy kings and queens, and I hope always will be.  Despite the mindless speculations of silly commentators, I have no doubt that Charles will be a most excellent addition to the list - a chip off the old block, as it were - and William too, in the fullness of time.  They have it in their bones.

God save the King.

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King Charles III Addresses the Nation

H. M. The King recorded his first address to the nation today at Buckingham Palace.  In it, he praised his late mother's steadfast devotion to duty and pledged likewise to reign during the remainder of his life.  He also announced that he has created his eldest son William Prince of Wales today.  The title is not hereditary, but is created anew by each sovereign for the heir to the throne.

The address was broadcast on British television at 6 p.m. London time.  An Accession Council will be held in St. James's Palace at 10 a.m. tomorrow, followed at 11 a.m. by a public ceremony to proclaim him King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

 

Meanwhile, tributes to the Queen have appeared all around the world in public and private displays ranging from simple to stunning - an astonishing testimony to how widely and well she was loved.

BBC - In Pictures

The Guardian - In Pictures

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H. M. The Queen, 1926-2022

Queen Elizabeth II, 1952

The BBC reports:

Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch, has died at Balmoral aged 96, after reigning for 70 years.

She died peacefully on Thursday afternoon at her Scottish estate, where she had spent much of the summer.

The Queen came to the throne in 1952 and witnessed enormous social change.

Her son King Charles III said the death of his beloved mother was a "moment of great sadness" for him and his family and that her loss would be "deeply felt" around the world.

He said: "We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother."

God Save the King.

BBC News

Sky News Live

The Guardian

The BBC also reported that just before the official announcement of the Queen's demise, a rainbow appeared over the crowds gathered in front of Buckingham Palace.

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Britain's High-Speed Railway

 

A very interesting, well made report on the HS2 project currently under construction in Britain, eventually to link London with cities in the north of England. Of nearly equal interest is the studly presenter, a fine specimen of English manhood in its prime. 

Whether or not this enormous project will be worth the trouble and expense, I venture no judgment. But for those who care about the achievements of the past, here is a delightful little film on the Elizabethan, a train inaugurated in 1953 in honor of the Queen's coronation. It covered the 400 miles between London and Edinburgh in 6 1/2 hours nonstop, at an average speed of just over 60 miles an hour.  Pretty zippy, especially when you consider that there were no motorways (freeways) in Britain at the time.

Railfans will be pleased to note the measures used to minimize delays: track pans and a corridor tender.

The charm of a humorous, rhyming narrative is an added attraction.

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UK Gay Pride 1979

This BBC documentary from 1979 shows what progress had been made in the ten years since Stonewall, and what yet remained to do.  It provides an interesting perspective, slightly different in details but essentially similar to the American gay rights movement at that time. 

A PBS show from about the same year called Word Is Out was a must-see event for me, still closeted at the time, but the full program is strangely missing from YouTube. I wonder if any of my truckbuddies remember watching it. Here is a trailer:

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Zelensky Addresses British House of Commons

President Zelensky echoed Churchill's famously defiant oratory in an address by video link in the House of Commons today, receiving an unheard-of standing ovation from the honorable members.  Your Head Trucker was quite moved, too.

Full text of the English translation here.

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The Queen on Climate Change

 Her Majesty the Queen, heeding her doctors' advice to stay home and take a little rest from her outside duties, today sent a video message to the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP26), which is meeting in Glasgow this week:

 

Whether the nations will listen to her, any more than they listen to me, remains to be seen.

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Trooping the Colour, 2021

The Queen's official birthday was celebrated earlier today at Windsor Castle with the centuries-old ceremony of Trooping the Colour, the splendid epitome of British pageantry.  The BBC takes us there:

Bonus:  The Queen and other members of the Royal Family hosted the G7 leaders at a dinner yesterday at the Eden Project in rural Cornwall:

President Biden and the First Lady were there; it is remarkable to think that when Her Majesty's reign began in 1952, Harry Truman was in the White House - and Winston Churchill in 10 Downing Street.

As international conferences go, this one has been pretty sedate so far: no chairs have been thrown, and nobody has gotten punched out. Everyone was, thankfully, on their best behavior in the Queen's presence, though I notice that Justin I'm-too-sexy-for-my-shirt Trudeau just had to wear brown shoes to prove he is the King of Cool. Ah, well.

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Brexit: A Comedy of Errors

Longtime readers of this blog will know that your Head Trucker is a thoroughgoing Anglophile who takes a continuing friendly interest in the scepter'd isle and its people, our not-so-distant cousins linked to us in all manner of ways, including law, language, literature, and custom, with amusing variations on both sides.  Not to mention all those fascinating BBC historical dramas we have loved so much over the years.

In just the last few weeks, I have become - most unexpectedly - engrossed in their newest historical drama, broadcast in real time, and it's a doozy.  I tell you what.  Not even ol' Will the Bard himself could touch this for intrigue, passion, plot twists, comic foils, drama queens, and bitter tragedy.  I won't spoil the plot for you - I can't, really, because there isn't one - but CBS Sunday Morning offers this helpful summary up through last weekend:



However, be advised that this summary is already clean out of date, events having moved so quickly over there in just the last four days. To give just one example: the well-starched Jacob Rees-Mogg, portrayed as one of the sternest champions of Brexit, has now done a complete 180 and is voting in Parliament for what he swore he never would, and encouraging others to do the same, whilst his boss, the embattled Theresa May, has promised (sort of) to step down as Prime Minister if only Parliament will pass her deal. Fascinating. This beats "Who Shot J.R.?" all to slap.  I tell you what.

The dizzying cast of characters and shifts of allegiances back and forth, and side to side, are guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat. Of course, it's hard to tell the players without a scorecard, but I can offer you this clue: it does seem to your Head Trucker that the Leave people are very like our current Republicans (Make America Britain Great Again); whilst the Remainers are rather like our current Democrats, and about as well organized, but great at coming up with clever posters and fun protest marches. Enuff said.

Although billed as a comedy, I do very much fear that it will all end in tears, and eventually, the collapse of Western civilization on both sides of the Atlantic, not just ours.  (Some people in Britain are stockpiling their closets with food and other essentials in case it all goes awry.)  But what do I know?

Perhaps you should just tune in and decide for yourself.  If you poke around in the Politics sections of the Guardian and the BBC, you will often find live broadcasts or blogs of the goings-on in Parliament, while Sky News usually has updates on the half-hour.  I offer these particular links simply because they are free and require no subscription to access; there are of course many other news sources in Britain that you can google up on your own.  The three I just mentioned are generally pro-Remain, neutral, and pro-Leave, respectively.

And for those few, those very few, of my fellow Americans who would like to hear a reasoned, impartial analysis of the Brexit mess, I recommend this lecture given two weeks ago by historian Vernon Bogdanor, one of Britain's foremost constitutional scholars, for your edification:

The Royal Navy Wants YOU

This just in:  Christmas greetings from the officers and crew of HMS Ocean, formerly the flagship of the Royal Navy.



Most amusing, to be sure. But more than that, I dare not say.

Prince Charles at 70

The Prince of Wales turned 70 yesterday, and celebrated the milestone at a glittering private party in the ballroom of Buckingham Palace with his extended family, including some more distant relatives from among the royal houses of Europe.

The Queen, age 92, and 66 years on the Throne, made this heartfelt toast to her son and heir:

It is a privilege for any mother to be able to propose a toast to her son on his 70th birthday.

It means that you have lived long enough to see your child grow up. It is rather like —to use an analogy I am certain will find favour — planting a tree and being able to watch it grow.

My mother saw me turn 70, of course. And she was heard to observe that 70 is exactly the age when the number of candles on your cake finally exceeds the amount of breath you have to blow them out.

Over his 70 years, Philip and I have seen Charles become a champion of conservation and the arts, a great charitable leader — a dedicated and respected heir to the throne to stand comparison with any in history — and a wonderful father.

Most of all, sustained by his wife Camilla, he is his own man, passionate and creative.

So this toast is to wish a happy birthday to my son, in every respect a duchy original.

To you Charles. To the Prince of Wales.

The official YouTube channel of the British Royal Family has posted this video montage of scenes from the Prince's life:




I admire the PofW very much, and add my congratulations and best regards to those from many other well-wishers around the globe.