Royal Visit to the USA

[Lallans]

I could be wrong, but as far as I know the Earl of Wessex has only ever worn the Balmoral (restricted) tartan.

Regards

Chas

I suspect that many people over here in the Americas don't know how strong the mystique of the Balmoral tartan is in some circles. This was brought home to me in a personal way when I was visiting an Ontario kiltmaker whose mother had been a hand weaver of the Balmoral tartan for the Royal Family. The kiltmaker told me tales about how no one not of royal blood was even supposed to own a piece and, I think once convinced I was not an agent for MI5 , brought out a swatch to show me in the same way that a medieval owner of a forbidden piece of a holy relic might have shown it to an admirer. I was NOT invited to touch the swatch by the way.

[Andrew M. Stewart]

TROUT? Did I hear someone say something about TROUT?

I think they said Eddy Windsor's got the Gout!

[Bigkahuna]

It's good to be the Earl!!

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

When, in the fullness of time, HRH Prince Philip is laid to rest, Prince Edward will become the next Duke of Edinburgh, at which time he will undoubtedly take a more active interest in all things Scottish. Including, no doubt, trout fishing.

[O'Callaghan]

Not sure how I missed this thread. I'm almost tempted to make the trek from Maryland to the Carolinas. Almost, but perhaps not quite.

The Duke of Edinburgh's Awards are not only available through the Scouts. I did mine through the Air Training Corps, which is a youth organisation that is part of the RAF. I think the Civil Air Patrol that you have here in the US may be somewhat similar, although I have no personal experience of the CAP.

We did our 'expedition' for the Gold Award in the Derbyshire Peaks, and got caught in a blizzard, even though it was Easter. We weren't carrying the required number of tents. Our CO cheated by carrying most of our tents in his car, when they were supposed to be carried by us. If your highnesses happen to be reading this, it wasn't our idea to put most of the tents in the car!

So, when the blizzard came down, we couldn't shelter as we were supposed to have done, as we only had a single 2-man tent between a dozen of us, and had to keep walking, using a compass for dead reckoning, as we couldn't see where we were going atall. Mind you, when actually faced with the prospect of erecting a tent in a blizzard, the idea seems hopeless anyway.

ETA: Not only that, but it's all bogs every few feet, which tend to suck you down, and when you can't see for the snow it's easy to step in one, which some did, so we had to pull them out.

We cut across to a road (eventually) and got a ride in the back of an open lorry (truck). I reckon I had hypothermia, and I certainly wasn't the only one, but the two eldest lads didn't seem to be as badly affected as the rest of us, and it was them who did the compass readings and the map reading. I don't think my mind stayed clear enough in that cold to do much but follow them out of there, so I'm not sure where I would have been without them.

ETA: It occurred to me that some will ask why we weren't dressed warmly enough, but it was a sunny spring day until it started snowing and the wind came up.

I received my Gold Award from Prince Phillip himself at Buckingham Palace. However, I think nowadays they are presented in local ceremonies by the Lord Lieutenant of the particular county (someone whose entire job appears to be performing ceremonies, and who dresses something like a police chief!).

I have told the following story in another thread, and probably other places too, but I can't resist it. When you go to Buckingham Palace as a guest you can bring a camera, but you can only take pictures when you are in the inner courtyard, where you are still out of doors, but you can't be seen by the public who are outside the gates. As a teenager, oh so long ago, I took my mother with me to the palace as my '***', i.e. the invitation allowed be to bring one other person. We had to enter by a side entrance, but we had to exit through the main gates in the front.

So, I walked out first, while mum dawdled behind on purpose, and then I was able to snap a picture of her standing on the parade ground in front of the palace through the open main gates, with no railings in between. A moment later, a coach ('tour bus' in American) full of Japanese tourists rolled up at the kerb, and they all jumped out and took pictures of my mum standing in front of Buckingham Palace! We still jest that they thought she was the Queen, LOL!

I would be half inclined to go to the games, as I doubt that there would be many other attendees at any US event who could wear the Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Award. OTOH, the likelihood of finding some way to meet Prince Edward would seem to be pretty slim.

As for the anti-royalty comments, I can understand, but as Jock says, there are different ways to express things. I can see the sense in abolishing the monarchy, even, but the present royals mean well, and do a lot of actual good, such as the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme itself.

Although I'm a Londoner originally, I'm Irish on my mother's side, and I do mean Irish of the Southern, Catholic, Gaelic variety (otherwise I'd hardly be posting under this user name), so I can even genuinely sympathise with some anti-British comments, provided they come from groups that were actually oppressed by the British, such as the Irish, and unless they are directed at me personally!

[Bing]

When, in the fullness of time, HRH Prince Philip is laid to rest, Prince Edward will become the next Duke of Edinburgh, at which time he will undoubtedly take a more active interest in all things Scottish. Including, no doubt, trout fishing.

Although that is currently the announced plan, it is not by any means a given.

Prince Charles, as Prince Philip's eldest son, will inherit the title. When Charles becomes King the title Edinburgh will merge in the Crown. It will be up to Charles or his heir William to issue Letters Patent to create a second Duke of Edinburgh for Edward. The alternative is that Charles refuses and Edinburgh becomes one of the subsidiary titles of the Heir Apparent.

[McClef]

Yes, as like all Duchies, the title goes to the eldest male heir and Edward is lower in line of succession to the title than Charles and also Andrew and also of their male descendants.

It would not be a second creation of the title if it merged into the Crown when Charles becomes King but at least a fourth creation of the title if it were then to be bestowed upon Edward.

There are other, available, currently extinct Royal Duchies which could also be revived such as the Duchy of Clarence.

However given the fame and respect that the Duke of Edinburgh awards have achieved it is likely that this title would be the one that would be preserved before any other.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Although that is currently the announced plan, it is not by any means a given.

Prince Charles, as Prince Philip's eldest son, will inherit the title.

Possibly, but that is by no means a given. All royal titles revert to the sovereign, who then determines what, if any, destination of that title will be allowed.

When Charles becomes King the title Edinburgh will merge in the Crown. It will be up to Charles or his heir William to issue Letters Patent to create a second Duke of Edinburgh for Edward. The alternative is that Charles refuses and Edinburgh becomes one of the subsidiary titles of the Heir Apparent.

This line of argument presupposes that (1) the present Duke of Edinburgh outlives Her Majesty, and (2) that the letters patent creating HRH Prince Edward Duke of Edinburgh have not already received Royal Assent. As it was announced at the time when HRH Prince Edward received the title of Earl of Wessex that he would succeed his father as Duke of Edinburgh; I suspect, as they say in Ireland, that "the fix is in".

[McClef]

Possibly, but that is by no means a given. All royal titles revert to the sovereign, who then determines what, if any, destination of that title will be allowed.

But do they? All royal titles that have had a direct male heir have been inherited by that heir without a new creation in the Peerage. Only when there is none or the holder succeeds to the throne do they revert to the Sovereign.

For example the Dukes of Kent and of Gloucester inherited theirs (conferred upon them by their father George V) from their fathers. York did not because the previous holder became King (George VI) and he had no male heirs to begin with. Prince Andrew the current Duke of York has no male heirs either. Interestingly this title has never been passed on since 1474 as previous holders have either died without male issue of ended up succeeding to the throne.

This line of argument presupposes that (1) the present Duke of Edinburgh outlives Her Majesty, and (2) that the letters patent creating HRH Duke of Edinburgh have not already received Royal Assent. As it was announced at the time when HRH Prince Edward received the title of Earl of Wessex that he would succeed his father as Duke of Edinburgh I suspect, as they say in Ireland, that "the fix is in".

There may be another "fix" but this one would be rather off topic

[davidlpope]

As it was announced at the time when HRH Prince Edward received the title of Earl of Wessex that he would succeed his father as Duke of Edinburgh I suspect, as they say in Ireland, that "the fix is in".

MOR, I think you must be right. I don't pretend to understand the complexities of what officially "can happen", but here's what is clearly publicized on the Royal Family's public website, http://www.royal.gov.uk/ThecurrentRo...ndtitles.aspx:

Quote: "Prince Philip is only the second person to bear the title ‘Duke of Edinburgh’. The first was his great-great-uncle, Prince Alfred Ernest Albert, fourth child and second son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Prince Philip’s youngest son, Prince Edward, will take the title on his death."

It doesn't seem to leave much wiggle-room as to what is intended to occur...

Cordially,

David