D-Day With The Queen

I hesitate to post on the 75^thAnniversary of D-Day; so much has already been said.  But I cannot let it pass.

Those who reinvaded Europe on D-Day were amazing and courageous.  And so many of them lost their lives for the freedom of the West.

To have served in World War 2 and to have survived to this day is also amazing.  Few can say that now.  Not many are still living.

But one of them is The Queen.  And she seems able and willing to outlive us all!

I enjoyed her brief speech today, particularly when she said in her typically understated way the equivalent of “I’m still here.”

God bless the souls of those who served and have passed on as well as those few who remain.  And God save The Queen!

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Housekeeping:

Due to a flood of spam comments, I with regret have restricted comments to only google users at least for a time.

I hope a better way to stop the spam arises as I want to post any legitimate comment from anyone.  Advice is welcome.

More Housekeeping: The previous video link went dead, do I posted a better one.

The Queen’s Maundy

Just a brief note that I am once again glad to see The Queen looking glorious and handing out the Queen’s Maundy.

Long may she reign!

The Queen Goes to Church

You’re 92.

Your Grandkid just had a huge wedding the day before.

Do you get some needed rest and skip church?

HECK, NO!  (Or however The Queen says that.)

The Queen’s Maundy

I am so glad to see The Queen continues her participation in this wonderful tradition and appears as glorious as ever at 92.

By the way, given her age, she gave the specially minted coins, The Royal Maundy, to 92 Seniors chosen because of their service to church and community.

Plenty of photos, a video, and some history of the Maundy may be found at the Daily Mail.  (Yes, I know some hate the Daily Mail.  But it is hard to beat them when covering royal events.)

May your Triduum and Easter be blessed and glorious as well.

The Queen’s Maundy

Today, The Queen once again celebrated the wonderful English tradition of the Sovereign distributing the Maundy.  This year it occurred at Leicester Cathedral.  The Daily Mail has the usual abundance of photos and some interesting history.

The 90-year-old monarch traditionally hands two purses - one white and one red - to each person during the service. The red purse contains a £5 coin, commemorating the Centenary of the House of Windsor and a 50p coin commemorating Sir Isaac Newton. 

The white purse will contain uniquely minted Maundy coins, equating in pence to her age, as Her Majesty prepares to celebrate her 91st birthday on April 21. The coins, a ceremonial gift from the Sovereign, are legal tender but recipients normally prefer to retain them as a keepsake.

I imagine they do!  I’ve wondered what a special occasion it must be for those few who get to receive the Maundy.

The first monarch to take part in a Maundy Thursday service was King John, of Magna Carta and Robin Hood fame, who distributed gifts of clothes and money to the poor in Knaresborough in 1210. John was also the first to present the poor with silver coins and is recorded as having done so in Rochester in 1213. 

There’s much more interesting history at the link.  Do go read and gaze for yourself.  And have blessed Maundy Thursday.

Mohammed Recognized as Prophet in Westminster Abbey

During a Gallipoli centenary service at Westminster Abbey, in the presence of The Queen no less, a Turkish prayer was said which proclaimed Mohammed as being in the succession of the prophets.  Cranmer has the text of the prayer.

Now perhaps we could write off the inclusion of the prayer in the service as interfaith politeness and inclusion, if you will.  But last I attended, Westminster Abbey was a Christian institution, a royal peculiar of God’s Holy Church.  And Christians are not to give the illusion that false religion has any honored place in the Church.  Nor are they to give any space to the deadly delusion that Christianity is an optional way to God, and Islam et al are alternative ways to God.  Yes, these are the chief reasons I oppose virtually all interfaith services.

(And if you think that’s mean, look at how Muslims treat Christian expression.)

Readers know I am no basher of Westminster Abbey.  I love the place and her Dean and have fond memories of worshipping there on numerous occasions.  But Westminster Abbey owes an explanation for this enormity.  I disagree with Cranmer on much, but I heartily agree with his conclusion:

It may not be very PC or neighbourly or conducive to interfaith relations to say it, but Mohammed was a false prophet (Jer 14:14-16; 1Jn 4:1; Acts 4:12; 2Cor 11:3f). By rejecting the crucifixion and denying the resurrection of Christ (who is not the ‘Chosen One’), Islam espouses ‘another Jesus’, ‘another spirit’ and ‘another gospel’. They are and ought to remain free to proclaim their religiosity, however false and erroneous it may be. But not, please God, in The Collegiate Church of St Peter (aka Westminster Abbey), which is a Royal Peculiar of the Supreme Governor.

Why I Predict Scotland Will Vote “No” and Stay in the UK

It took a while, but now even those on the West side of the pond are aware that Scotland votes tomorrow on whether to leave the United Kingdom and become independent.  Polls are close with some putting pro-independence “Yes” ahead and others putting Unionist “No” in front.

But I am confident “No” will win for three reasons.

1. The Queen pulled off a brilliant exercise of understatement on Sunday.  After church on Sunday, she walked over to well-wishers and told a member of the public, “I hope everybody thinks very carefully about the referendum this week.”

Now us Americans may say, “So what?”  But, although more assessable than American presidents, The Queen usually just smiles and waves at the public.  And she takes pains to remain non-political.  So her expressing her hope to the public is unusual, even though she did not explicitly back either side.

At the same time, it is well known that The Queen wants the United Kingdom to stay together.  And she is beloved, even in Scotland.  So her statement is a timely, winsome, and powerful reminder that she wants Scotland to stay.

By the way, this illustrates one advantage of The Queen remaining above the fray and non-political.  When the time comes that she feels she should make her wishes known, she can do so with great impact, even with her usual reserve.  And I do think her statement is a significant reason Scotland will stay in the UK.

2. The Scottish National Party has more than its share of Leftist thugs, and they act like it, prompting the label “The Seriously Nasty Party”.  There have been stone-throwing, vandalism, and threats of worse.  They even made it next to impossible for Labour leader Ed Miliband to talk to people in an Edinburgh mall.

These thugs will surely turn many voters off and give them concerns as to who would be in charge if the SNP gets their way.  I also suspect some are afraid to answer polls honestly for fear of reprisals.  The “No” vote may be stronger than polls indicate.

3.  I expect the undecideds to break for the Unionist “No” side.  If someone is still undecided, he is probably more likely to vote for the status quo rather than the brave and highly questionable adventure of Scottish independence.

As for my wishes, I have said that I have mixed feelings.  I am certainly praying for God’s mercy on both England and Scotland.  Both are going to need it whatever the outcome tomorrow.

Whither Scotland?

For those who do not yet know – and most on the West side of the Pond do not – on September 18^th Scotland via referendum will make the momentous decision whether or not to leave the United Kingdom and become independent.

For some months, it appeared Scots would vote “No” and stick with the UK.  But the pro-independence “Yes” vote has been gaining in the polls.  And now the latest YouGov poll even has “Yes” just ahead, 51% - 49%.  I am not sure why.  Perhaps London warning of diverse consequences of independence has rubbed cantankerous Scots the wrong way.  In any case, The Queen is among those greatly concerned.

I am hesitant to express my opinion on what would be the best outcome; for I have mixed feelings, and (as some of us on this side of the Pond say) I don’t have a dog in that fight.  It is not my business.

And it would be sad if the Union that came about by the luck of James being the rightful king of both England and Scotland some 400 years ago, ending centuries of hostility, would be thrown away by a foolish vote.

Yes, I do think Scotland would be foolish to run from England and then likely into the arms of the EU.  The UK led by England has its issues for sure.  But divorcing with the intent of wedding the EU Beast is madness.  Some “independence” that would be.

But, as will not surprise long-time readers, my heart is with England.  And I think Scotland voting “Yes” and leaving the UK would be good for England though the adjustments short term may be difficult.  Scotland sadly has become too much like California, inflicting Leftist politics on the rest of the Union and dragging it down to its level.  Scotland gave the UK Gordon Brown and long years of disastrous Labour government.  And Scotland is a big reason why Labour, even under Red Ed, nonetheless has a ghost of a chance to regain power.  (Of course, Cameron is a pretty big reason, too, but anyway…)

If California were to have a referendum to secede, I would be rooting, nay, praying for it to go.  If were English, although I surely would have more brotherly affection for Scotland than I do for Californicate, I would likely be hoping for it to leave as well – even if I would hardly rejoice if it does.

Lord have mercy on England and Scotland whatever the outcome.

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An Aside: Even this sad affair has its comical aspects.  I am particularly amused that the effort to keep Scotland in the Union by offering greater political freedoms has been dubbed Devo Max.

Max Headroom singing Devo songs comes to this 80’s mind.

For Those British Unhappy with Royal Expenses

I’ve noticed some British are unhappy with the expenses of the Royal Family.  To which I say . . .

Quit yer whinin’.  And be thankful you are not stuck with King Obama.

Seriously, The Queen is penny pincher compared to him.

I Saw The Queen!

For the first time, I saw Her Majesty, The Queen today.  And she is glorious indeed.

And I saw more than a glimpse.  I was lucky to pick a good spot.  And to my surprise she drove slowly by right in front of me, and I could see her very well then and when she entered the Abbey for a service of Thanksgiving for the 60^th Anniversary of her Coronation.

Here is a report of the occasion with lots of photos.

Virus Under Fire After Infecting The Queen UPDATE: Queen Leaves Hospital Early

I’ve been praying for the Queen after news of her hospitalization with symptoms of gastroenteritis.  But perhaps we should pray for the virus instead.  It has clearly made a serious mistake by infecting someone as tough as Her Majesty.

She was taken to King Edward VII Hospital in London last night - for the first time in a decade - but insisted that there must be ‘no fuss’.

Despite suffering from debilitating sickness, the 86-year-old refused to allow an ambulance to collect her. . .

It has emerged that yesterday, as she waited for her car to pick her up instead of an ambulance, Her Majesty even decided that she might as well honour one more long-standing engagement.

She awarded a favourite female member of staff a medal for long service in her private apartments at Windsor Castle, where she had been advised to rest.

A source said: ‘It would have to be something extremely serious for her to let a loyal member of her household down.’

In case you are still so foolish as to doubt the fortitude of Her Majesty, there is this episode from years ago:

In January 1994, she broke her left wrist in a horse riding accident, although the injury wasn’t diagnosed for 24 hours, during which time she remounted her horse and rode back to Sandringham.

You gotta love the Queen.

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UPDATE:

And now Her Majesty is out of the hospital already, a day early.  I told you she’s tough.

The Queen’s Christmas Message

Between hosting two Christmas parties and recovering from the same, I have fallen behind on a number of tasks. Regrettably among them is viewing The Queen’s Christmas Broadcast, which I did not get around to doing until this morning. I know. Terrible.

But what a magnificent message it is! Her Majesty did not give in to the world’s pressure to secularize or water down Christmas, but forthrightly and winsomely proclaimed the core message of the birth of our Lord.



And I agree with Cranmer that her brief speech greatly outshone the Christmas missives of the Archbishops of Canterbury and Westminster. Do not even get me started on ++Vincent Nichols’ message. Christmas is about trashing Israel’s effort to defend herself?

I was glad to see Nichols ascend to his see, but I am sorely disappointed in him.

The Most Important Development of the Pope’s Visit to the UK

In a very important development, Pope Benedict has met with Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and has not deprived her of the throne or put a price on her head.

So relations have improved slightly since Elizabeth I.

Hey, it’s progress.

Correspondence between Her Majesty the Queen and the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans

Correspondence between Her Majesty the Queen and the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans has now been published.

I am going to defer comment on this for now as I am not expert on royal protocol. But I covet informed opinion on whether the Queen’s responses are simply pro forma or something more.


Hat tip to Stand Firm.

MORE:

I find Bill in Ottawa’s comment helpful as well as this more detailed comment:

The letter to Her Majesty was a simple three-paragraph affair. I imagine that the letter was intended, primarily, to remind the Queen (in very polite and indirect terms) that all is NOT well in her church and in the Anglican Communion, as a whole.

One assumes that her Prime Minister and/or the Archbishop of Canterbury have already explained some of this to her. But nobody is privy to such conversations as may have taken place regarding these issues, and so we cannot know for sure exactly how well-informed the Queen is on these matters.

This letter from the FCA will act as a fairly gentle reminder that things are NOT getting any better.

The secondary purpose of the letter seems to be to apprise Her Majesty (in very polite and proper terms) that a number of prominent clergy in the Church of England are now prepared to take matters into their own hands, since it is perfectly obvious that the hierarchy of the Church of England are unwilling to address these issues in any meaningful way.

The reference to “loyalty” was NOT (in terms of protocol) necessary—but it is a very nice touch, and it effectively frames the FCA as being an instrument of “loyalty”—and not as some sort of schismatic or dissenting organization. By implication, of course, the letter strongly suggests that the revisionist elements in the C of E are, in fact, “disloyal”—both to Her Majesty (as Supreme Governor of the Church), and to historic and orthodox Anglicanism.

The response that the FCA received from Buckingham Palace may seem a bit awkward and stilted to American ears, But, in fact, it is a fairly straightforward assurance that Her Majesty is well aware of the various issues at play, and that she is not unsympathetic to the FCA.

This was MORE than she needed to indicate.

Personally, I would have anticipated a MUCH MORE lukewarm response. The last sentence of the letter explicitly conveys Her Majesty’s “good wishes.” Which she most assuredly did not need to do, under the circumstances.

In fact, that last sentence will undoubtedly infuriate some of the more radical revisionists currently working hard to transform the C of E into something similar to TEC.

Several key things can be confidently asserted, on the basis of Her Majesty’s reply to the initial letter from the FCA.

1.) She has, in fact, personally read the letter from the FCA. 
2.) She is reasonably well-acquainted with the full range of issues that are currently tearing apart both the C of E and the Anglican Communion, as a whole.
3.) She is, to some degree (we cannot know for sure precisely to what degree) in authentic sympathy with the position of the FCA.
4.) She does, in fact, consider the FCA to be “loyal” (orthodox), and that she is, personally, possessed of sufficient Christian faith to welcome the prayers of support from these orthodox Anglicans.

The REC Prays for Our Sovereign Lady

REC General Council is now over. Other than endorsing GAFCON and the Jerusalem Declaration, perhaps our most notable act was a very strong pro-life resolution towards the end. When I get the exact wording, I’ll post it.

In our Book of Common Prayer, we have a wonderful prayer for “Our Sovereign Lady, The Queen,” which, among other things, asks that she may “vanquish all her enemies.” The thought of Elizabeth II vanquishing all her enemies warms my heart.

Well, she is still the Queen of Canada. So we got to use that prayer during our Daily Offices – one of the special perks of meeting in Canada.

Her Majesty is Not Pleased

Her Majesty the Queen has let it be known that she is not pleased about the Rowan Williams Sharia controversy.