It's finally here, the weekend that the entire United Kingdom has been anticipating with food preparation, grandstand erection, bunting draping and parade practices for the last few weeks. It all comes to a head, beginning tomorrow, and everyone's preparing for a four day weekend of revelry!
Our room overlooks the Thames, so we've had the pleasure of watching the various boats making their way up river to Battersea, where the flotilla will begin its trip to Blackfriars. Flotilla is the right word, I believe, as it's estimated that as many as 1,000 boats of various shapes and sizes will escort the royal barge on Sunday afternoon.
When I was visiting Richmond-on-Thames on Wednesday of this week, I had the lucky chance to see the Queen's boat, as it was undergoing final preparations. Here is a photo - you now have the inside scoop:
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| Queen Elizabeth's Party Boat |
Okay, okay, no, this is not the boat. It was near another that was being prepared for the pageant, though. And what a beauty it was to behold!
Gloriana is white with maroon and blue accents, and trimmed throughout in bright gold. There is a crowned British Lion Rampant at one end, and the plaques with the Royal motto, "Dieu et Mon Droit" and the Order of the Garter motto "Honi Soit Qui Mal y Pense" were waiting to be reattached, in anticipation of Gloriana's important role as leader of the pageant.
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| Royal Plaque with Motto |
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| Plaque and Banner, bearing royal and chivalric mottos |
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| The Gloriana, under preparation in Richmond-on-Thames |
Today, there were some ships that will take part in the flotilla, making their way to the west end of the Thames. This will be a fascinating spectacle, one which the world has never seen: ships from all periods of English history, civilian as well as military, will take part, and official participants will mix with pleasure boaters. We've seen barges that normally occupy slips along the Regent's Canal making their way, ships like those that sailed to America when it was called the New World, Royal Navy vessels - the list goes on.
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| Another ship, heading towards Battersea |
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| What appears to be a 16th Century Ship, heading to Battersea |
We plan to attend to watch flotilla from Milennium Bridge. Hopefully, arriving four hours in advance will secure us a view. Stay tuned!
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