England

Being an Australian of very mixed British and European background my early interests were with all things English and that was the majority of what we were taught in my school days. Today however I hold no such narrow allegiance and I find a wider interest in other, older civilisations, however as an ingrained part of my past, many oft told stories still hold great fascination.

England and Europe virtually controlled, manipulated, developed, fought over, explored or conquered  the world for the better part of the last thousand years. Some acts were barbarous some were magnificent, but that is grand history. The good and bad legacy of this period lingers in much of both eastern and western civilisation. Perhaps bringing 'civilisation' to the colonies at the time seemed benevolent, but in hindsight many of the worlds troubles found their foundation in the days of Empire. Below are some items that still hold magic and which I have explored on some of my travels.

King Arthur

On a trip to England many years ago, a friend and I searched out Arthurian locations all over the land. We trod, where legend has it, the stories evolved and where Arthur, whom ever he may have been, instilled the idea of the once and future king.

In the first century Joseph of Arimathea is said to have gone to Glastonbury as the first Christian missionary to Britain. Legend says that he brought with him the Holy Grail, which was either a cup/bowl or two "cruets" thought to contain the blood and sweat of the crucified Christ. The role of the grail in Arthurian legend is common in modern thought and stories, but any Christian influence in those days was more probably because of the Roman occupation and Arthur and the battling influences of his time were more likely what we call pagan.

As the Roman influence waned in Briton the Saxons were settling and 'Arthur' was probably born around this time , the late fifth century. Today he and his 'knights' or warriors are thought by some to have been trained by the Romans. The word 'knight' did not evolve for another 500 years or more in the Middle Ages. The earlier form 'cniht' (amongst other forms) referred only to a boy, youth or attendant and not any noble military rank which it later became.

Most of the legends of Arthur began in twelfth century France from Troyes, the capital of Champagne and the home of the  reformed Cisterians  and the founders of the Knights Templar. There was a  strong crusader link to the Middle-East and Arthur's court resembled the court of Champagne, with emphasis on chivalry. Champagne's queen, a  powerful woman, was  influenced by the songs of the troubadours and held "courts of love". 

                           
The 'round table'  may be drawn from the Zodiac signs or the circle of the year, in which case the Celtic Ogham Tree letters may correspond to the names of various knights and their seasons.  It is also  possible to see the knights "who sat around the table as equals" as the 12 lunar months of the  year and it is not a stretch to also see the twelve apostles.

Arthur was most likely a real person, although as mentioned above a roman soldier,  perhaps becoming a lesser king, or minor royal of South East Wales. He became War Duke in the roman style and would have been called Pindari (Pendragon or 'head warlord', in Welsh). He would have had a band of good warriors. His companions would have been his 'court'. The location of his 'Kingdom' is not known although many places vie for the honour. He is said to have been buried in Glastonbury - in the twelfth century the Monks dug up an ancient burial they claimed was his. I have been there and it is a place full of mystery and magic, or at least that is what I felt at sunset as I climbed the Tor and stared into the distance on a quiet winter's day. The re-covered foundations of Cadbury Castle (Camelot? - now a cow paddock) was equally fascinating as was the stormy windswept medieval rocky grandeur of Tintagel (the birthplace of Arthur and containing the cave of Merlin below the cliffs).

Not all of the history of the English royal families is drenched in blood, but, as with the histories of all lands, there has certainly been some horrific moments interwoven throughout the grand story of this small kingdom that has held such power and influence throughout much of the world for many centuries.

King Richard I the Lionheart - Coeur de Lion (1189-99 AD)  and the Crusades

Born: 8 September 1157 at Beaumont Palace, Oxford
Died: 6 April 1199 at Chalus, Aquitaine
Buried: Fontevrault Abbey, Anjou
Parents: Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitane
Siblings: William, Henry, Matilda, Geoffrey, Eleanor, Joan & John
Crowned: 2 September 1189 at Westminster Abbey, Middlesex
Married: 12 May 1191 at Limassol, Cyprus
Spouse: Berengia daughter of Sancho VI, King of Navarre
Offspring: None
Contemporaries: Philip II (King of France, 1180-1223); Saladin (sultan of Egypt and Syria); Henry VI (Holy Roman Emperor, 1190-1197)

Richard spent much of his youth at his mother's court at Poitiers. Richard cared much more for  his mother than for England and his father. He fought along side his brothers Prince Henry and Geoffrey in their rebellion of 1173-4; he fought for his father against his brothers when they supported an 1183 revolt in Aquitaine; and he joined Philip II of France against his father in 1188, defeating Henry in 1189.

Richard spent only six months of his ten-year reign in England. He  joined the Third Crusade and departed for the Holy Land in 1190 (accompanied by his partner-rival ((possible earlier lover)) Philip II of France). In 1191, he conquered Cyprus en route to Jerusalem and performed well against Saladin, nearly taking the holy city twice. Philip II, in the meantime, returned to France and schemed with Richard's brother John. The Crusade failed in its primary objective of 'liberating' the Holy Land from Moslem Turks, but did achieve easier access to the region for Christian pilgrims through a truce with Saladin. Richard received word of John's treachery and decided to return home; he was captured by Leopold V of Austria and imprisoned by the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI.  Richard was unable to return to his realm until 1194. Upon his return, he crushed a coup attempt by John and regained lands lost to Philip II during his German captivity. Richard's war with Philip continued sporadically until the French were finally defeated near Gisors in 1198. 

Richard died April 6, 1199, from a wound received in a skirmish at the castle of Chalus in the Limousin. Near his death, Richard finally reconciled his position with his late father.  Richard's prowess and courage in battle earned him the nickname Coeur De Lion (heart of the lion), but the poetic training of his mother's court is revealed in his songs and verse, some of which survive today. He is said to have been found in captivity by recognising the tunes sung by his minstrel Blondel. One such passage Richard composed during his German captivity:

"No one will tell me the cause of my sorrow Why they have made me a prisoner here. Wherefore with dolour I now make my moan; Friends had I many but help have I none. Shameful it is that they leave me to ransom, To languish here two winters long."

The dark ages of the church and Christian Europe when Richard I looked on while over 3000 Moslems and their families were beheaded at Acre in the name of Christianity (painting above centre). The slaughter took three days for the impatient Richard who wanted to move on and had to dispose of the inconvenient prisoners. In the name of God, the popes and kings, the powerful, the inspired and also the scum of the earth set out many times to 'save' the Holy Sites of Jerusalem. They murdered, they stole and they abused the population in the hope of pleasing the Prince of Peace. At last the Church has finally admitted guilt and sorrow.

Above is Acre- as it is being excavated now. One of the many sites that remind us what evil was perpetrated during the crusades. For a woman accompanying me on a visit to Acre (in Israel) this site also held some horrid memories of equal barbarity in the forties or fifties, as Israel struggled for a place in the world.

By the way, have you seen "The Lion in Winter'; (Peter O Toole, Katherine Hepburn, Anthony Hopkins, Timothy Dalton, Nigel Terry) the award winning film of Henry II, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine and their sons Richard  (the Lionheart), John and Phillip. It is one of the best acted exciting and wittiest scripts ever put on film.

King George III

King George the Third was born in 1738. He became king at 22 when his grandfather George II died. He was from the Hanover line and married the German, Charlotte and they produced 15 children.  He had the disease ' porphyria'. From time to time this affected his mind, and he became emotionally imbalanced. It was thought that he was insane. It may have been passed down indirectly from Mary, Queen of Scots. George III ruled England for 60 years (1760-1820). In 1775, the American colonies revolted and became the USA. Years  after his death, George IV donated his father's library of 65,000 books and 19,000 pamphlets to the nation.  King George III died in 1820, at the age of 82. George IV ruled for 10 years, William IV for seven and then the young Victoria ascended the throne for the next 64 years of outstanding growth of the Empire..

Elizabeth Windsor and Family

 Her Most Excellent Majesty Elizabeth II by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland, and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Queen, Defender of the Faith, was born at 12, Bruton Street, London,W.1, on 21st April, 1926. She married H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh (formerly Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, R.N., and previously Prince Philip of Greece) on 20th November,1947 and succeeded to the Throne on 6th February, 1952. Fourth Sovereign of the House of Windsor, the Queen made the following Declaration at a Privy Council Meeting held at Clarence House on 9th April 1952.

"The Queen to-day declared in Council her will and pleasure that she and her children shall be styled and known as the House and Family of Windsor, and that her descendants, other than female descendants who marry and their descendants, shall bear the name of Windsor"

I hang this on my wall in a large gold frame. I bought the print at the National Portrait Gallery London.

Yes I still admire the Queen of England, Scotland, Wales, Australia and all her Realms. I don't believe in the divine right of Kings, but I did grow up in a time and place when such things as monarchies was not questioned.   I live in a land that, but for a minuscule two hundred years or more, belonged to another people. As yet we have not grown together sufficiently to really share a new heritage.  I still hold onto a connection, however tenuous that gives me a sense of belonging.  Another puerile reason for my attachment is that I do like spectacle.  I don't mind that a group of people called by the name of Windsor appear to have privilege and wealth. Too many are trying to make life so equal and flat that it is becoming grey and bland.  God Save The Queen - because it is fun.

                                                     A young, good and Greek looking Prince Philip

I believe I first saw the Queen when I was about  4 years old so I am told. I am also told that my mother would ask 'Who do you love?' to which I answered 'The Queen and you next'  What a terrible thing to say.  Over the years I had several encounters here in the streets of Brisbane, or in school groups, as we all lined up fainting from the heat in a sports stadium waiting for the Jeep-mounted Monarch to drive around us in circles. I was once on a yacht in the river as the Britannia sailed in - I made the social pages that time. The best vantage point however was an old flat I lived in on the route that led to Government House. The Queen and Prince Philip drove past one evening so all my friends and I got dressed in party gear and stood in the dark and rain as She was heading back to the Governor's residence late one evening. She was asleep in the back seat when Phil noticed us and gave her a poke in the ribs. She sat up and gave us a wave as we pressed our faces against the window of the car. Another day I was sitting in the window of my second level flat and Princess Alexandra drove past, looked up and of course, waved. I was unaware that she was heading past. Prince Charles was even more eager. I was inside behind the windows watering the plants. I think the relatives must have told him to keep an eye out for the Royalist on Gregory Terrace. He actually stuck his head out the window and looked up to my window and then waved. I was also walking down the street in London when she drove past one day. We seem to bump into each other a  lot. Pity she never asks me for tea.

 Edward VIII  and his Abdication                                      The Queen Mother

 Updated April 23, 2007