Royal traditions in London

      INTRODUCTION 
 

      This work is devoted to royal ceremonies and events in Britain. Every nation and every country has its own traditions and customs. Traditions make a nation special. Some of them are old-fashioned and many people remember them, others are part of people’s life.

      So many countries so many customs, an English proverb says. The combination of the words tradition and custom means a usual manner of doing something, a believe of principal, of conduct passed on from generation to generation. You cannot really imagine Britain without all its traditions, this integral feature of social and private life of the people living on the British Isles that has always been an important part of their life and work.

      The object of this work is Royal ceremonies and British royal traditions , the subject is the Royal traditions of London.

      The purpose of this work is to study the main aspects of Royal traditions of London.

       The purpose of this study determined the following objectives:

    1)  to study the main traditions of the royal family and their history;

    2)  to describe main aspects of carrying events and ceremonies;

    3) to study the influence of traditions on the life Londoners and tourists.

      English traditions can be subdivided into the traditions dealing with private life of the English national and religious holidays, public celebrations, traditional ceremonies and traditional sporting events. A great number of customs and traditions date back to the early days of Great Britain and we can justly say that they are the reflection of the country’s history and the people’s psychology. To know the customs and traditions means to understand the people, their art and culture better. In the matter of holidays the British are less well off than other Europeans. They have such holidays celebrated: New Years Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day, Spring Bank Holiday, Summer Bank Holiday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

      The British have many traditions, manners and customs of which they can be proud. England has preserved its old ceremonies and traditions to a greater extent than any other country in the world. Most of these traditions have been kept up without interruption since the thirteenth century. Foreigners coming to England are impressed by a great number of ceremonies which seem to be incompatible with the modern traffic and technical conditions of a highly developed country. Some British customs and traditions are famous all over the world. Bowler hats, tea and talking about the weather, for example.

      From Scotland to Cornwall, Britain is full of customs and traditions. A lot of them have very long histories. Some are funny and some are strange. But they're all interesting. There are all the traditions of British sport and music. There's the long menu of traditional British food. There are many royal occasions. There are songs, sayings and superstitions. They are all part of the British way of life [1; 10].

      But it’s extremely important to know the history of royal traditions, to understand their meaning. There are numerous royal traditions in Britain, some are ancient, others are modern.

      Royal events and ceremonies hold a powerful fascination. Occasions such as the State Opening of Parliament, Trooping the Colour and Garter Day are some of the most colourful and exciting events of the year. These official occasions are full of symbolism, tradition and meaning, and an integral part of The Queen's role as Head of State. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

      1 ROYAL CEREMONIES   
 

      1.1 Royal Wedding  
 

      Since the arrival of television, Royal weddings have attracted enormous public attention, with millions of people all over the world watching in addition to the invited guests.

      In contrast, the marriage of the future King George V to Princess May of Teck (later Queen Mary) in 1893 in the Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace, was a quiet affair: the chapel seats only 100.

      Various venues have been used for Royal weddings over the last century. Since 1904, most members of the Royal Family have chosen to be married in London.

     The Chapel Royal in St. James's Palace was a popular setting for marriage during the reign of Queen Victoria. She married her husband, Prince Albert, in the Chapel Royal on 10 February 1840. Their eldest daughter, Victoria, was also married there in 1858.

               Westminster Abbey became a popular venue for Royal weddings when Princess Patricia of Connaught chose it for her marriage to the Honourable Alexander Ramsay in 1919. It was the first time for 650 years that the Abbey had been used for a Royal wedding.

      Westminster Abbey was also chosen for the marriage of King George V's daughter (Mary, Princess Royal) to Viscount Lascelles (later Earl of Harewood) in February 1922.

      It was later the setting for the weddings of two of the King's sons: Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI) to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother) in April 1923, and Prince George, Duke of Kent, to Princess Marina of Greece in November 1934.

      Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, was due to marry Lady Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott in Westminster Abbey. Because of the sudden death of the bride's father, the Duke of Buccleuch, they were married instead in the private chapel at Buckingham Palace in November 1935.

      Westminster Abbey was also the scene of the weddings of The Queen (as Princess Elizabeth) and The Duke of Edinburgh on 20 November 1947; Princess Margaret and Mr. Antony Armstrong-Jones (later Earl of Snowdon) on 6 May 1960; Princess Alexandra and the Hon. Angus Ogilvy (later Sir Angus) on 24 April 1963; Princess Anne (now The Princess Royal) and Captain Mark Phillips on 14 November 1973; and Prince Andrew (now The Duke of York) and Miss Sarah Ferguson on 23 July 1986.

      The Prince of Wales, by contrast, married Lady Diana Spencer in St. Paul's Cathedral on 29 July 1981.

      During the nineteenth century, St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, was a popular venue for Royal weddings. Probably the grandest wedding to take place in the chapel was in 1863, when The Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) and Princess Alexandra of Denmark (later Queen Alexandra) were married there.

      The ceremony was witnessed by Queen Victoria from the Catherine of Aragon closet, as she was in mourning for her husband, Prince Albert.

      Many of Queen Victoria's other children also married in St. George's Chapel, including Princess Helena, Princess Louise, Prince Arthur and Prince Leopold.

      More recently, Prince Edward (now The Earl of Wessex) married Miss Sophie Rhys-Jones in St. George's Chapel on 19 June 1999 in a traditional service attended by 560 guests.

      The marriage of The Prince of Wales to Mrs. Camilla Parker Bowles was dedicated in St. George's Chapel following a civil ceremony in Windsor's Guildhall on 9 April 2005.

      Most Royal marriages are solemnised by the Archbishop of Canterbury, with carriage processions taking the Royal couple and members of the Royal Family to and from the marriage venue.

      During a Royal wedding, the Royal Family traditionally sits on the right-hand side of the church, with the guests of the bridegroom, if he is not a member of the Royal Family, on the left [2;24].

      If the bridegroom is a member of the Royal Family, he has a supporter (for example, Prince Edward to The Duke of York) or supporters (for example, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward to The Prince of Wales), instead of a best man. A non-Royal bridegroom marrying a Royal bride does have a best man.

      Not all Royal marriages have taken place in London. The Duke of Kent married Miss Katharine Worsley in 1961 in York Minster.

      In 1992 The Princess Royal married Commander Timothy Laurence, Royal Navy (now Vice Admiral Laurence), at a private ceremony at Crathie Church, near Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

     The wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton took place on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London. Prince William, second in the line of succession to Queen Elizabeth II, first met Catherine Middleton in 2001, when both were studying at the University of St Andrews. Their engagement on 20 October 2010 was announced on 16 November 2010.

      The build-up to the wedding and the occasion itself attracted much media attention, with the service being broadcast live around the world, and being compared and contrasted in many ways with the 1981 marriage of William's parents, Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales. Estimates of the global audience for the wedding range from 300 million to two billion people, whilst 24.5 million watched the event live in the United Kingdom.

     Much of the attention focused on Kate Middleton's status as a commoner (i.e. not a part of the aristocracy) marrying into royalty. Hours before the service, the Queen conferred the titles Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn, and Baron Carrickfergus upon William. Upon her marriage, Middleton therefore became Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge [appendix A]. 

     As Prince William was not the heir apparent to the throne, the wedding was not a full state occasion and many details were left to the couple to decide, such as much of the guest list of about 1,900. It was a public holiday in the United Kingdom and featured many ceremonial aspects, including use of the state carriages and roles for the Foot Guards and Household Cavalry. It was attended by most of the Royal Family, as well as many foreign royals, diplomats, and the couple's chosen personal guests. 
 

1. Royal wedding rules

 
 

    Now it’s necessary to mention the most important royal wedding rules which are observed nowadays. These are some of the advice being offered to those attending Britain's April 29 royal wedding.

     St. James's Palace says the guest list is an eclectic mix of European royalty, military personnel, charity workers, diplomats and friends of Prince William and fiancee Kate Middleton. Some invitees will have been born into families that teach children to curtsey as soon as they can walk, but others may need a bit of help navigating the etiquette and protocol that such an important day demands.

   Anyone who is invited to the royal wedding will be given detailed instructions on how and when to arrive at Westminster Abbey, where the wedding is being held.

      The first rule: Don't be late.

       "The queen should be the very last person to arrive at the church before the bride and her attendants," said wedding planner and etiquette adviser Sarah Hayward. "At most weddings, guests are asked to arrive around 20 minutes before the ceremony but the royal wedding will obviously have several important guests and very high levels of security so give yourself plenty of time to get there."

      Next, choose an outfit that blends in. Women should wear a dress - not too short, not too skimpy and certainly not white. Most British women will complete the look with a hat or a fascinator - a small feathered or jeweled hairpiece attached to a clip or a comb.

       "Never ever do anything to draw too much attention to yourself," says Hayward. "It's the day the bride shines."

      Men in the armed forces should wear a military uniform. Male civilians are asked to wear either lounge suits - business suits by another name - or a morning suit, formal attire that includes a long jacket and a vest. A tophat should be carried, not worn, inside the church.

      Couples should remember they will be seen together.

       "Often you see a husband and wife who look like they are going to two different events," says William Hanson, an expert on protocol who gives lessons around the world on proper behavior. "One person will be in something that looks like pajamas and the other is in black tie. You don't need to be color coordinated but do think about how your outfits look together".

  Guests may be asked by security to leave their cell phones outside the Abbey, but if they aren't, they need to make sure a ringing phone is not heard by millions during a service broadcast live around the world.

      "The ultimate faux pas would be to have your mobile phone go off in the Abbey, even if you had God Save the Queen' as your ringtone," Hayward said.

      Tweeting or updating your Facebook status during the day is also bad manners. "It's a private occasion and it would certainly be an abuse of the invitation to take photos or tweet during the ceremony or any point in the day," said Hanson.

       After the morning ceremony at the Abbey, some 600 guests are invited to a reception at Buckingham Palace, where the food and drinks are sure to be amazing. Hanson advises guests to accept the offerings politely - but don't gobble, don't gulp - and for goodness sakes don't get drunk.

       "Sip your drink, don't gulp it and always be aware how much alcohol you can tolerate," said Hanson. "Don't embarrass yourself (otherwise) for you can guarantee you will never be invited to this kind of wedding again."

      Guests should also watch their body language. Michelle Obama put a friendly hand on Queen Elizabeth II's back during a visit in 2009. The queen didn't seem to mind - she even put her own arm around Mrs. Obama's waist - but guests at the royal wedding should be more distant.

      "Never touch the queen. Never initiate conversation with her or any member of the royal family. They will do all that," said Hayward.

      British citizens or members of the Commonwealth countries would traditionally curtsey or bow to the queen and her family. The royal family no longer insists that people do so, but most people still do bow or curtsey when meeting the queen.

       "Nothing too theatrical,” said Hanson. "Men should just bow from the neck - a nod really - and women should do a slight dip with their right foot behind their left foot."

      After the wedding ceremony, Middleton will be a full member of the royal family and should be treated in the same manner as her in-laws.

      Etiquette rules are designed to make social occasions flow more smoothly and to put everyone at ease. Experts say if a guest is unsure about how to behave, they should just take cues from the people around them.

       "Remember that the royal family are masters of coordinating this kind of event," said Hanson. "They know how to deal with people from all sorts of backgrounds, from all around the world, and they know how to help people do the right thing". 
 

     1.2 Coronation of the British monarch 
 

     The coronation of the British monarch is a ceremony (specifically, initiation rite) in which the monarch of the United Kingdom is formally crowned and invested with regalia. It corresponds to coronation ceremonies that formerly occurred in other European monarchies, which have currently abandoned coronations in favour 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 when mourning still continues. This also gives planners enough time to complete the elaborate arrangements required. For example, Elizabeth II was crowned on 2 June 1953, despite having acceded to the throne on 6 February 1952, the instant her father died. British law states that the throne is not left vacant and the new monarch succeeds the old immediately.

     The ceremony is performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the most senior cleric of the Church of England. Other clergy and members of the nobility also have roles; most participants in the ceremony are required to wear ceremonial uniforms or robes. Many other government officials and guests attend, including representatives of foreign countries [4; 32].

     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 oil, crowned, and invested with the regalia, before receiving the homage of his or her subjects. 
 

     1.2.1 The timing of the coronation 
 

     The timing of the coronation has varied throughout British history. The first Norman monarch, William I "The Conqueror", was crowned on the day he became King — 25 December 1066. Most of his successors were crowned within weeks, or even days, of their accession. Edward I was fighting in the Ninth Crusade when he acceded to the throne in 1272; he was crowned soon after his return in 1274. Edward II's coronation, similarly, was delayed by a campaign in Scotland in 1307. Henry VI was only a few months old when he acceded in 1422; he was crowned in 1429, but did not officially assume the reins of government until he was deemed of sufficient age, in 1437. Under the Hanoverian monarchs in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, it was deemed appropriate to extend the waiting period to several months, following a period of mourning for the previous monarch and to allow time for preparation of the ceremony. In the case of every monarch since, and including, George IV, at least one year has passed between accession and coronation, with the exception of George VI, whose predecessor did not die but abdicated. The Coronation date had already been set; planning simply continued with a new monarch.

     Since a period of time has often passed between accession and coronation, some monarchs were never crowned. Edward V and Lady Jane Grey were both deposed before they could be crowned, in 1483 and 1553, respectively. Edward VIII also went uncrowned, as he abdicated in 1936 before the end of the customary one-year period between accession and coronation. Under British law, however, a monarch accedes to the throne the moment their predecessor dies, not when they are crowned. i.e. "The King is Dead, Long Live the King."

     The Anglo-Saxon monarchs used various locations for their coronations, including Bath, Kingston upon Thames, London, and Winchester. The last Anglo-Saxon monarch, Harold II, was crowned at Westminster Abbey in 1066; the location was preserved for all future coronations. The basic elements of the coronation ceremony have also remained the same for the last thousand years; it was devised in 973 by Dunstan. When London was under the control of the French, Henry III was crowned at Gloucester in 1216; he later chose to have a second coronation at Westminster in 1220. Two hundred years later, Henry VI also had two coronations; as King of England in London in 1429, and as King of France in Paris in 1431.