Queen Elizabeth II
Compiled
by D. A. Sharpe
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, born April
21, 1926, known to the world as Queen Elizabeth II, is a relative to our
family. She is my 33rd cousin, once
removed, with our ancestors in common being Eystein Glumra Ivarsson, Jarl of
the Uplands (known as "The Noisy"), and his royal wife, Aseda
Rognvaldsdatter, ninth century Vikings of Maer, Nord Trondelag, Norway. They are our 32nd and 33rd great
grandparents. Elizabeth was born
just the year before my sister, Martha de Noailles Sharpe Ehlers, was born. Another description of our
relationship is that Queen Elizabeth is the eighth cousin, nine times removed from the husband of the stepdaughter of my
sixth great grand uncle, Danette Abney, born about 1712. Many of Danette's descendants settled
in Lufkin, Angelina County, Texas.
Upon the death of her father, King
George VI, on February 6, 1952, Elizabeth became Queen of the British
Commonwealth. It is a group of
sixteen independent sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms. Her coronation
as Queen was not until June 2, 1953.
The rule of the longest tenured
English monarch has been that of Queen Victoria, who became Queen June 20, 1837
and who ruled for 63 years, 216 days. She
died January 22, 1901. Queen Elizabeth II reached the tenured rule time of
Queen Victoria on August 22, 2015. She
was 89 years old then. Thereafter,
Queen Elizabeth is the longest-reigning British monarch in History!
"Queen Elizabeth II spent her
girlhood at Windsor Castle
as a safe retreat during World War II, and to this day Windsor Castle England
holds a special place in the heart of the royal family. She was known to her family as
"Lilibet." Though the
castle was ravaged by fire in 1992, five years of restorations have made Windsor
Castle one of Britain's major tourist attractions. Windsor Castle Tours are
available throughout the year, though certain sections of the castle are open only
during the busiest travel seasons.
The luxurious Semi-State Chambers
are open only between September and March, and castle enthusiasts may want to
plan around these dates. Additionally,
the Windsor Castle changing of the guard takes place throughout the year, but
tourists will note that there is more fanfare involved when the Queen is in residence."
Source:http://www.destination360.com/europe/uk/windsor-castle.php
On May 16, 1991, Queen Elizabeth II
became the first British monarch to address the United States Congress. At the time that I was witnessing this
event in the news, I had not yet learned that she and I are related. Obviously, she had not yet been
informed either, as she did not come down to Texas to visit our family while here,
nor even gave us a phone call!
Speaking of coronations, here is a
story about Elizabeth upon the occasion of King George VI's coronation, her
father in 1936:
The TV Series, "The
Crown," is a historical drama produced, beginning in 2016, by Left Bank
Pictures and Sony Pictures Television focusing on Queen Elizabeth II, the
daughter of George VI. In an early chapter, this moving occasion took
place between father and daughter.
Elizabeth was 9 years old at the
time of George's 1936 Coronation. He beckoned Elizabeth's presence to a
private meeting to help him practice for what he described as the most
important part of the whole series of steps in the Coronation, the act known as
the anointing. He had her to read from the script of the words that would be
addressed to him for the anointing so he could practice his appropriate
responses.
Here is how Wikipedia reference
describes the process of an English monarch's Coronation. It is a
ceremony (specifically, initiation rite) in
which the monarch
of the United Kingdom is formally invested with regalia and
crowned at Westminster
Abbey. It corresponds to the coronations that formerly took place in other
European monarchies, all of which have abandoned coronations in
favor of inauguration or enthronement ceremonies.
The coronation usually
takes place several months after the death of the previous monarch, as it is
considered a joyous occasion that would be inappropriate while mourning
continues. This interval also gives the planners enough time to complete the
elaborate arrangements required. For example, years later Queen Elizabeth II was
to be crowned on 2 June 1953, having ascended the throne on
6 February 1952; the date of her
coronation was announced almost a year in advance, and
preparations inside the abbey took five months.
The ceremony is performed by
the Archbishop
of Canterbury, the most senior cleric in the Church of England,
of which the monarch is supreme governor.
Other clergy and members of the nobility also
have roles; most participants in the ceremony are required to wear ceremonial
uniforms or robes and coronets.
Many other government officials and guests attend, including representatives of
other countries.
The essential elements of the
coronation have remained largely unchanged for the past thousand years. The
sovereign is first presented to, and acclaimed by, the people. He or she then
swears an oath to uphold the law and the Church.
Following that, the monarch is anointed with holy oil,
invested with regalia, and crowned, before receiving the homage of his
or her subjects. Wives of kings are then anointed and crowned as queen consort. The
service ends with a closing procession, and since the 20th century it has been
traditional for the royal
family to appear later on the balcony of Buckingham Palace,
before attending a banquet there.
Here is the oath
administered by the Archbishop of Canterbury:
"Will you solemnly
promise and swear to govern the Peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union
of South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon,
and of your Possessions and other Territories to any of them belonging or
pertaining, according to their respective laws and customs?'
"The Monarch: I
solemnly promise so to do.'
"The Archbishop of
Canterbury: Will you to your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be
executed in all your judgments?'
"The Monarch: I
will.'
The Archbishop of Canterbury: Will
you to the utmost of your power maintain the Laws of God and the true
profession of the Gospel? Will you to the utmost of your power maintain in the
United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law? Will you
maintain and preserve inviolable the settlement of the Church of England, and
the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law
established in England? And will you preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of
England, and to the Churches there committed to their charge, all such rights
and privileges, as by law do or shall appertain to them or any of them? '
"The
Monarch:v All this I promise to do. The things which I have here before
promised, I will perform, and keep. So help me God."
The Anointing
After the Communion service is
interrupted, the anthem Come,
Holy Ghost is recited, as a prelude to the act of anointing.
After this anthem, the Archbishop recites a prayer in preparation for the
anointing, which is based on the ancient prayer Deus electorum fortitudo also
used in the anointing of French kings. After this prayer, the hymn Zadok
the Priest is sung by the choir; meanwhile, the crimson robe is
removed, and the sovereign proceeds to the Coronation Chair for
the anointing, which has been set in a prominent position, wearing the anointing
gown. In 1953, the chair stood atop a dais of several steps. This mediaeval
chair has a cavity in the base into which the Stone of Scone is
fitted for the ceremony. Also known as the "Stone of Destiny", it was
used for ancient Scottish coronations until brought to England by Edward I.
It has been used for every coronation at Westminster Abbey since. Until 1996,
the stone was kept with the chair in Westminster Abbey, but it was moved that
year to Edinburgh
Castle in Scotland, where it is displayed on the proviso that
it be returned to England for use at future coronations.
Once seated in this chair, a canopy of
golden cloth is held over the monarch's head for the anointing. The duty
of acting as canopy-bearers was performed in recent coronations by four Knights
of the Garter. This element of the coronation service is considered
sacred and is concealed from public gaze; it was not photographed in 1937 or
televised in 1953. The Dean of Westminster pours consecrated oil from
an eagle-shaped ampulla into
a filigreed spoon
with which the Archbishop of Canterbury anoints the sovereign in the form of a
cross on the hands, head, and heart. The Coronation Spoon is
the only part of the mediaeval Crown Jewels which survived the Commonwealth
of England. While performing the anointing, the Archbishop recites a
consecratory formula recalling the anointing of King Solomon by Nathan the prophet and Zadok the
priest.
After being anointed, the
monarch rises from the Coronation Chair and kneels down at a faldstool placed
in front of it. The archbishop then concludes the ceremonies of the anointing
by reciting a prayer that is the English translation of the ancient Latin
prayer Deus, Dei Filius, recited in the consecration of other Christian
sovereigns. Once this prayer is finished, the monarch rises and sits again in
the Coronation Chair. The Knights of the Garter then bear away the canopy.
That is the impressive elements
crafted into the English mode of initiating the ruling service of a new King or
Queen.
The rule of the longest tenured
English monarch has been that of Queen Victoria, who became Queen June 20, 1837
and who ruled for 63 years, 216 days. She died January 22, 1901. Queen
Elizabeth II reached the tenured rule time of Queen Victoria on August 22,
2015. She was 89 years old then. Thereafter, Queen Elizabeth is the
longest-reigning British monarch in History!
"Queen Elizabeth II spent her
girlhood at Windsor Castle as a safe retreat during World War II, and to this
day Windsor Castle England holds a special place in the heart of the royal
family. She was known to her family as "Lilibet." Though
the castle was ravaged by fire in1992, five years of restorations have made
Windsor Castle one of Britain's major tourist attractions. Windsor Castle Tours
are available throughout the year, though certain sections of the castle are
only open during the busiest travel seasons. The luxurious Semi-State
Chambers are only open between September and March, and castle enthusiasts may
want to plan around these dates. Additionally, the Windsor Castle
changing of the guard takes place throughout the year, but tourists will note
that there is more fanfare involved when the Queen is in residence."
Source:
http://www.destination360.com/europe/uk/windsor-castle.php
THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND
I amazed by these pictures
when it penetrated my brain how long
she's been around. Queen Elizabeth
II gives new meaning to the phrase "Long Live the Queen"
This is a series of photographs of Queen Elizabeth
posing with every United States President from Harry S. Truman all the way
through to Barack Obama.
Information assembled by
Dwight Albert (D. A.) Sharpe
805 Derting Road East
Aurora, TX 76078-3712
817-504-6508