The Queen in Williamsburg

As a Virginian and an alumnus of William & Mary, I appreciate the good photos. However, if you are a Catholic monarchist, but yet admire Elizabeth II or any of her post-1688 predecessors, are you obliged to view them as good stewards of a throne that rightfully belongs to Duke Francis of Bavaria, the Jacobite heir?

That line has given up any claim to the British thrones, and there seems little point in importing Germans yet again.

Nonetheless, we ardently pray for and look forward to the conversion of the whole English-speaking world, and that of course includes the Royal Family (and the prerequisite change in the Act of Succession, when prudently feasible).

Our Lady of Walsingham, Saint George, and martyrs of England, ora pro nobis!

Good photographs of Her Majesty The Queen visiting the Colonies but surely one of the footmen on the carriage is female. That’s taking equality a step too far!

One thing missing from Her Majesty’s visit to Williamsburg was any sort of mounted escort. Such an absence is odd in a state so steeped in all things equestrian as Virginia. Perhaps Governor Kaine should issue a call for the formation of a unit such as the Philadelphia City Cavalry (a.k.a., the Philadelphia Light Horse) http://www.firsttroop.com/ or the Governor’s Horse Guards of Connecticut http://www.govhorseguards.org/ or direct that a cavalry unit of the Virginia National Guard establish a ceremonial mounted unit.

The only building in the New World designed by Wren? Really? That’s fascinating. I suppose, to the extent I ever thought about it at all, I just assumed that there weren’t ANY buildings here that owed their origins to his drafting table. Although, of course, most city plans owe him a great debt. Still, thanks so much for that little tidbit.

As always, a very well composed essay.

Random Penseur,
The attribution of W&M’s Wren Building to Christopher Wren is more apocryphal than well-documented, but the W&M community likes to think that it’s true. http://www.wm.edu/about/wren/history.php

Andrew,
Regarding your response to my question about the British monarchy, you would say that, despite Parliament overriding the natural line of succession, the post-1688 monarchs have built-up an overall admirable legacy of preserving the monarchy, and therefore, out of respect for that tradition, Elizabeth II or her heirs converting to Catholicism would be the ideal scenario in your mind? I ask because as someone who has admired the British monarchy before I became Catholic, I think I find myself with the same view.

Also, as I work about 8 blocks from the White House, I’m hoping to walk to Lafayette Square after work to see if I can catch the Queen and Prince Philip’s arrival for the state dinner.

Thanks for the link, Stephen. I see what you mean. “Tradition has it . . .”

As a current and proud William and Mary student I can provide you some information on the maces:

The maces you have pictured are actually the College Mace carried by the President of the William and Mary Student Assembly, a task delegated by the President of the College, and the Marischal Mace carried by the President of the Graduate Council.

The College Mace is a symbol of the authority vested in the rector of the College and delegated to the president of the college.

The Marischal Mace was a gift from the University of Aberdeen in honor of the College’s 300th anniversary. It is a silver replica of one of the maces carried by Sacrists as traditional university ceremonies in Scotland.

I hope this helps.

Dear All:

It has been lots of fun, especially because it has coaxed the president into the first white-tie dinner of his administration (the King of Spain likewise lured Clinton into the same set-up for HIS only such event — I guess one needs a monarch to show our boomer presidents how it’s done). In any case, I agree with Old Dominion Tory about VA’s need for such a mounted troop — even Massachusetts has one: the National Lancers (http://nationallancers.org/index.html)> You know, with such ceremonialunits, the maces that remain, and various other thinks, I think a book on AMerican pomp and ceremony would be useful.

Charles

A book on American Pomp and Ceremony would be useful? That is simply ridiculous!

Come to think of it, New York doesn’t have a mounted escort either.

Ignoring Richard’s remark (he is clearly not of the ilk who would find it useful), are you suggesting a collaborative effort, Charles?

By the way, my ‘Maces of America’ series is as yet incomplete. I hope to find time in the next month to write the next entry.

Andrew,

The problems of not having spent more time in the Military. The Army has FM 3-21.5(replaced Old FM22-5) which gives the details for Parades, Funerals etc. Also there is an entire document on a Presidential Funeral which spells out the details of that Ceremony. Air Force, Navy and Marines all have the onw versions. I have also seen documents on Dining In’s
which describe the details down to how to set the tables and who sits where. There must be more which I have not seen.

Col Cusack

Yeah, and why haven’t you joined the militia yet?

Our Lady of Walsingham, Saint George, and martyrs of England, ora pro nobis!

Andrew! I’m shocked! Didn’t they teach you anything at that college of yours?

“Orate” is the plural imperative.

I saw the queen when she came to Victoria, my home town, in, I think, 1984. I was in the tenth grade and was the only one who showed up for school that morning. I quickly discovered my mistake and got on my bike with my little radio tuned to the local Queen’s Visit station and spent the day making sure I was everywhere she was. Saw her three times and she was lovely. Just lovely!

I saw Her Majesty on a number of occasions, the last of which was at the Victoria Commonwealth Games in 1994. It is interesting to note that the Queen has been to the New World on over 30 separate occasions during her long reign, yet only four or five have been to the United States. In fact, so often has she been to Canada that we call them “Homecomings” rather than Royal Visits.

Thank you so much for providing these photographs (and knowledgeable captions to them)!I had not seen these in the media before I came here.

The mace surrmounted by crown and cross is the second of the College of W & M’s maces. It was a gift from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland and is a replica of the mace of Marischal College (founded 1593, the orginal mace is late 17th C) one of the two colleges united to make the University of Aberdeen. Marischal Colege, Aberdeen was the school attended by Bruton Rector and W&M’s first President Rev. James Blair.

I have a mace pin its a mace of the city of williamsburg Va.and i have a letter with it, if u could let me know about it. a gift to flo Hoffman .

Ah yes, the Americans posting and supporting the British monarchy; how I love it…

I attend the University of Richmond in Virginia and part of my first-year mandatory class involved a trip to the Capitol Building, an entirely “American” building based on classical design, and the location of the State Legislature where Her Majesty the Queen spoke. In a very honorable form, I must say, they have hung an autographed portrait of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh just outside the main chamber.

They also have a mace, ceremonial of course, which looks curiously similar to the mace used by Parliament in the State Opening (not sporting the Imperial State Crown – I believe it is – of course), though, not knowing anything about maces, they might all look as such. http://image.absoluteastronomy.com/images/encyclopediaimages/c/ce/ceremonialmace.jpg

I agree whole-heartedly that a Roman Catholic Monarchy would be more than ideal, and especially considering the recent Anglican-Catholic agree proclaimed by the Holy Father, this seems more likely than ever.

I have to say that I found it slightly entertaining to have read “His Excellency Mr. Timothy Kaine.” As you probably know, Americans shy away from “His/Her/Your” titles barring royalty, ambassadors, or clergy. Though it is indeed alien to my…eyes… I do like the sound of it.

Just a question to Hillary: “Orate?” Is it not written in the Ave Maria as “ora pro nobis peccatoribus?”