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Jubilee Trail Audio Script

The Queen’s life

  1. Welcome to the start of the Jubilee trail around Cranbrook Country Park.

We would like your walk through the country park as relaxing as possible. Please take note of all you see but we would like to remind visitors that all living plants and wildlife should remain within the park. All litter can be placed in the bins around the park and should you see litter, feel free to help the wildlife by cleaning up for them. Please take the time to study the map and be aware that there are no toilet facilities within the park. The Jubilee route should take an hour to complete but can be completed at any time. For those who need visual materials please visit www.cranbrooktowncouncil.gov.uk/Communitydevelopment. Lastly, should you see anything which makes you feel uncomfortable please report this to Cranbrook Town Council. Please walk towards the Country Park.

 

  1. The first part of the trail is all about The Queen’s early life so without further ado lets start at the beginning. The Queen was born on 21st April 1926 by caesarean section to the Duke and Duchess of York at 17, Bruton Street in Mayfair, in a busy London Street in her Scottish grandparents’ house. The Queen’s full name is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, and she was the oldest child to King George the sixth and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. On that day The queen was born third in line to the throne.

 

  1. So why does The Queen have two birthdays? Queen Elizabeth has two birthdays each year for those that didn’t know. One in April and one in June. The tradition started with King George the second in 1748. King George’s birthday was in November but wanted to celebrate when the weather was much warmer. So, the tradition of two birthdays was born. The Queen celebrates her public birthday in June and her private birthday in April each year. If you have a winter birthday, when would you celebrate your birthday in the summer?

 

  1. The Young Princess Elizabeth had one sister called Margret and shockingly they never went to school, but instead, taught by their Governess Miss Marion Crawford. Queen Elizabeth was nicknamed Lillibet and only studied for 2 hours a day. The rest of the time was spent outdoors where she formed a great love for her Corgis and horses. The young Elizabeth wanted to study much more but her father refused as he thought she would never become queen.

 

  1. The Royal Engagement – The young Elizabeth first met Prince Phillip in 1934 at a cousins wedding but it was the meeting in 1939 when she was only 13 that is said there was love at first sight. For seven long years they correspond to each other until Prince Phillip asked the King for her hand in marriage in 1946. As the queen was not yet 21 the king asked them to wait until July 1947 to announce their engagement.
  2. The Royal Wedding – Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Phillip Mountbatten were married on 20th November 1947 at Westminster Abbey. The wedding was the first major event since World War two so only 150 guests attended. They Honeymooned in Broadlands the estate in Hampshire. The couple quickly went on to have Prince Charles the heir to the throne on November 14, 1948, then Prince Anne on August 15, 1950 and Prince Andrew and Edward after she became Queen.

 

  1. Becoming Queen – The Princess and Duke were on Royal duties in Kenya on February 6th, 1952, when suddenly Princess Elizabeth’s life would change for ever. She was now the first in line to the throne. Her father King George the sixth had died suddenly and unexpectedly in his sleep aged just 52. The Queen Mum was heart- broken and the young queen was left wondering what type of Queen she would become aged only 26.

 

 

  1. A Coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power. In 1937, the 11-year-old Princess Elizabeth had watched her father, King George VI, crowned in an elaborate ceremony. 16 years later, June 2, 1953, her official Coronation would take place. This Coronation was ground-breaking as it was the first Coronation to be televised and watched by over 27 million people in the UK alone. (People had to share televisions, gather as families as they were not widely owned at this time).

 

  1. The History of the Coronation – The coronation service descends directly from that of King Edgar at Bath in 973. The original century order of service was written in Latin and was used until the Coronation of Elizabeth II. As most people could not speak Latin the new Queen wanted the ceremony to be all inclusive.

 

 

  1. The Queen’s dress – The Queen wore a dress designed by Norman Hartwell. The dress was made of white satin and embroidered with emblems of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in gold and silver thread. The Queen accepted the 8th attempt with some additions and alterations. Although beautiful, the dress weighs more than a stone in weight and proves difficult to move in. This combined with a Robe which also weighed a stone the Queen needed to be quite strong to walk around.

 

  1. The Ceremony – The to be Queen arrived in the gold state coach drawn by 8 grey gelding horses. The horses’ names were Cunningham, Tovey, Noah, Tedder, Eisenhower, Snow White, Tipperary and McCreery. The Coronation started at 11:15 at Westminster Abbey and lasted for 3 and half hours. There were 8,251 guests at Westminster Abbey from 129 nations and territories.

 

 

  1. Coronation clothing – During the coronation, The Queen first put on the newly-made Colobium Sindonis – a loose linen-lawn garment, and then a robe of cloth of gold called the Dalmatic or Supertunica. The Lord Great Chamberlain presented the golden spurs, the symbol of chivalry, after which the Archbishop of Canterbury presented a jewelled sword, and then the Armills, the golden bracelets of sincerity and wisdom. Finally, The Queen put on a stole and cloth of gold robe and received the Orb, the Coronation ring, the Glove, and then the Sceptre.

 

  1. The coronation ring, known as ‘The Wedding Ring of England’, was placed on the Queen’s fourth finger of her right hand in accordance with tradition. Made for the Coronation of King William IV in 1831, the ring has been worn at every Coronation since then except of Queen Victoria, whose fingers were so small that the ring could not be reduced. The Queen is now married to her country until abdication or death.

 

 

  1. The St Edward’s Crown, made in 1661, was placed on the head of The Queen during the Coronation service. It weighs 4 pounds and 12 ounces and is made of solid gold. I wonder what that feels like trying to turn you head with a heavy weight on top of your head?

 

  1. Trooping the Colour has over 1400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians come together each June in a great display of military precision, horsemanship and fanfare to mark The Queen’s official birthday. The streets are lined with crowds waving flags as the Parade moves from Buckingham Palace and down The Mall to Horse Guard’s Parade, alongside Members of the Royal Family on horseback and in carriages. The display closes with an RAF fly-past, watched by Members of the Royal Family from Buckingham Palace balcony. For the Jubilee the Trooping of the Colour will take place on Thursday, 2 June 2022.

 

 

  1. Buckingham Palace. The Queen travelled from Westminster Abbey along The Mall towards Buckingham Palace. Even though it was raining the carriage was kept open for all the public to see. Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of the UK’s sovereigns since 1837 and today is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch. Although in use for the many official events and receptions held by The Queen, the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace are open to visitorsevery summer. Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. These include 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. In measurements, the building is 108 metres long across the front, 120 metres deep (including the central quadrangle) and 24 metres high.
  2. Commonwealth Territories in 2022 – The Queen is currently the Monarch to 14 Commonwealth realms in addition to the UK. These countries are Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papa New Guinea, St Christopher and Nevis and Tuvalu. Have you visited any of these countries? Would you like to visit any of these countries?
  3. Coronation Chicken was invented for the foreign guests who were to be entertained after the Coronation. The food had to be prepared in advance, and Florist Constance Spryproposed a recipe of cold chicken in a curry cream sauce with a well-seasoned dressed salad of rice, green peas and mixed herbs. Constance Spry’s recipe won the approval of the Minister of Works and has since been known as Coronation Chicken. What do you think will be invented for the next coronation? Look out for the Royal Pudding competition at the Platinum Jubilee. Could you invent a new pudding?
  4. Royal Jubilees are an occasion to celebrate the life and reign of a Monarch and are significant events which are celebrated around the world. Though the concept of the jubilee began in biblical times, today the term is most closely associated with the Royal Family, and the ceremony and spectacle which the term symbolises

 

  1. The Queen has celebrated many Jubilees in her lifetime her Silver Jubilee in 1977 where the royal couple embarked a journey to many different Commonwealth countries. The Golden Jubilee celebrating 50 years in 2002 marked a Jubilee Church Service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor and a National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral which followed a Ceremonial Procession from Buckingham Palace. Events culminated in a pop concert at Buckingham Palace with performers including Paul McCartney, Bryan Adams, Elton John and Shirley Bassey. The day ended with spectacular fireworks.