Where: London, England
When: June 14, 2003
With: FSU flatmate Brendan
So as I have come to learn over my time living in London, both in college and later, the royal family is way more accessible than I would have ever imagined. In the US, if you want a glimpse of a celebrity or political figurehead, you will probably have to buy the tickets and/or put up with a horde of people seeking the same opportunity. However, in the UK, with a touch of planning, it's surprisingly easy to get a glimpse of the royals, even the queen. And while the Royal Ascot races are where I've had my best sightings of Elizabeth II, there is another event that will almost guarantee the presence of the whole family.
While I was in England studying with FSU, I just so happened to be there during the Queen's birthday. Not her actual birthday, but the day deemed by the government to celebrate the British Monarch's birthday. Since 1959, this has been the second Saturday of every June. The celebration is marked in London by a parade known as Trooping the Colour.
This tradition began in 1748 when representatives from all the military regiments of the British monarch would come together to march in London for their ruler. Each regiment is represented by a different colored flag or standard, traditionally used in battle to help soldiers identify their unit. Hence, on the day of the parade, the various regiments will "troop their colours" past the monarch to pay homage. The celebration takes place in the Horse Guards Parade at the opposite end of Saint James Park from Buckingham Palace.
However, even as I begrudgingly woke up early on the Saturday to attend, I knew next to nothing about this ceremony. Thanks to the FSU study centre's amazing proximity within central London, the celebration was only a 15 minute walk away and I figured, of course, why not? I didn't expect to see much of anything, but I was up for giving it a shot. The only other person up for this adventure was my flatmate Brendan, so we ventured out together to find out what Trooping the Colour meant.
When: June 14, 2003
With: FSU flatmate Brendan
So as I have come to learn over my time living in London, both in college and later, the royal family is way more accessible than I would have ever imagined. In the US, if you want a glimpse of a celebrity or political figurehead, you will probably have to buy the tickets and/or put up with a horde of people seeking the same opportunity. However, in the UK, with a touch of planning, it's surprisingly easy to get a glimpse of the royals, even the queen. And while the Royal Ascot races are where I've had my best sightings of Elizabeth II, there is another event that will almost guarantee the presence of the whole family.
While I was in England studying with FSU, I just so happened to be there during the Queen's birthday. Not her actual birthday, but the day deemed by the government to celebrate the British Monarch's birthday. Since 1959, this has been the second Saturday of every June. The celebration is marked in London by a parade known as Trooping the Colour.
This tradition began in 1748 when representatives from all the military regiments of the British monarch would come together to march in London for their ruler. Each regiment is represented by a different colored flag or standard, traditionally used in battle to help soldiers identify their unit. Hence, on the day of the parade, the various regiments will "troop their colours" past the monarch to pay homage. The celebration takes place in the Horse Guards Parade at the opposite end of Saint James Park from Buckingham Palace.
However, even as I begrudgingly woke up early on the Saturday to attend, I knew next to nothing about this ceremony. Thanks to the FSU study centre's amazing proximity within central London, the celebration was only a 15 minute walk away and I figured, of course, why not? I didn't expect to see much of anything, but I was up for giving it a shot. The only other person up for this adventure was my flatmate Brendan, so we ventured out together to find out what Trooping the Colour meant.
Upon reaching Trafalgar Square, the buzz of people began, though not as much as I thought it would be for this "national event". Brendan and I, clearly still very young, took pictures with the various soldiers darning their brightest garb...ahem, colours...as they milled about the area.
We had a vague idea that the royal family would be coming down the Mall (the long road leading up to Buckingham Palace) towards the event and that we should be standing somewhere along it to catch a glimpse. And as we continued to the Mall, crowds began to gather, though not in the throngs I would have expected. I was actually shocked that we were only a person or two back from the edge of the road. I had expected to need a footstool to see anything.
The procession from Buckingham Palace began and honestly, I only remember one thing: that I got to see William and Harry up close and personal. I couldn't believe it. They trotted by in their horse drawn carriage towards the event and I actually got a photo. This was potentially the highlight of my time in London that summer. I couldn't believe that I had woken up, strolled for 20 minutes, and just happened to snap a shot of the Princes. Swoon. Amazing. I can't even remember if I saw the Queen or not.
After the family passed by, we decided to head out as we figured that without tickets to the actual event, what else was there to see? So we set off for our tourist activity of the day, my first visit to the Tower of London.
When we reached Tower Hill, we were surprised to see that the Queen's birthday was not contained to the Mall. Cannons were lined up along the Thames, and as though we had perfectly timed it, a 41-gun salute went off in honor of her majesty. It was funny to see the active military officers in their modern-day uniforms up against the British guard in their impractical, tall, furry hats.
The surprises just kept on coming as the air above us rumbled and three planes flew over head. In the center was a massive jumbo aircraft flanked by two fighter jets and they roared as they passed by. So cool! What a great day!
However, my great day ended up souring slightly when I got home later and flipped on the BBC news. Footage showed the highlights of the Queen attending Trooping the Colour and how after the events at the Horse Guards Parade, the family RETURNED up the Mall and then stood on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the flyby we had seen. We missed it!! I could have seen the whole family, and I missed it! How iconic! Everyone on the balcony and I missed it!
Oh well. While I didn't get to attend again while living in London as an adult, I'm still glad I saw the bit that I did. After all, I got to see the future king of England in person, and since then, I've had my share of iconic Queen Elizabeth moments. But next time I'm in London in June, watch out, I am camping out on the Mall and I'm not leaving until there's a fly-by.
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