Fit for A Queen

Outside the Hampton Court Palace, once residence of Henry VIII, I was freezing cold but still in awe of the grandeur of the palatial beauty I have seen today.

My journey today took me to not one, but three English palaces - each with its own history and unique design. I visited Kensington Palace first, which was the residence of Princess Diana when she was alive. There, I saw an exhibit on English debutantes in the late 1950s and saw a collection of gowns worn by Diana in her lifetime. I clearly remember seeing photographs of Diana wearing those gowns from my childhood, and it was rather striking to see them on display. It made me sad to see them - I could imagine her in them, dancing with Prince Charles at many of the royal balls she must have attended. I also thought about her sons and how painful it must be to see these gowns that once held their mother in their varied colors and shapes. Kensington was less palatial and more exhibit, and I must say that there my interest was primarily in the legacy left by Diana.

The next stop was Buckingham Palace, where I was fortunate enough to witness (and video) the changing of the guard. The beefeaters look so royal in their purple coats outside of the place, which is surrounded by gigantic wrought-iron gates with gilded embellishments. The Union Jack was flying high, indicating that Her Majesty the Queen was indoors. How neat - I was quite close to a real queen, even if I didn't see her! I had already seen the Crown Jewels earlier this week at the Tower of London, but today I got to enter the Queen's Gallery which housed a collection of Flemish oil paintings, armor, furniture, and other art objects from as early as the 1600s. There I saw Queen Victoria's ruby tiara and diamond earrings (WOW - more than 60 carats!) and several portraits of the royal lineage.

To Americans, the monarchy seems like a lot of meaningless pomp and circumstance. Balls, tiaras, and waltzing don't seem especially important. But seeing the history of royal lineage and the impact of the monarchy on English (and world) history is surprisingly impressive and inspiring. It is easy to overlook this history because it isn't my own - but seeing it firsthand makes me feel as if I understand it more. The monarchy is important. It's not just palaces and "God Save the Queen" and jewels and state apartments. It's about a blood line that has persisted through centuries and has accepted both the duty and responsibility of making decisions that affect a nation of people and thereby the entire world.

Buckingham Palace was great - but the highlight of the day was definitely the trip to Hampton Court Palace which was once the residence of King Henry VIII (and all his wives!) and the site of Prince Charles' 50th birthday party. Here, I saw the most gorgeous English gardens and a fabulous display of Tudor and Gothic arhitecture. One of the curates there informed me that there are over 240 chimneys on this palace and they are all different - no two are alike. I am amazed by the grand scale and level of detail in these palaces - they seem as if they would take hundreds of years and men to build them. But they are a huge part of history and it was undescribable to walk through them. I can't believe that I was going up the same staircases that Henry the VIII once did, and walking through the hallways through King George III's private bedchambers. I stood inches from paintings by Rembrandt and Bruegger. I saw real diamonds bigger than my eyeballs. Things that once only existed as photographs in books were real in front of me.

All in all, the events of today were fit for a queen - many queens, in fact. I know that tomorrow's adventure will be even more exciting. I will be headed to Westminster Abbey to Poet's Corner to view the graves of my most favorite and beloved authors - above all, Geoffrey Chaucer. I have spent countless hours combing through this man's life and work and tomorrow I will be standing as close to him as is earthly possible. To fully comprehend the magnitude of this reality is difficult. I do not feel that I can describe the impact this has on me. What I can describe, however, is the aching of my feet, legs, and back - I feel like I have been steamrolled by a tow truck, beaten and horsewhipped. I am the most tired kind of tired that a body can be. I am going to look through the pictures I have taken and go to bed, dreaming of kings, queens, princes, and royal balls - they are not the fairytales I once believed them to be. They are a real part of history that has meaning and value and I feel blessed for having learned and appreciated this fact today.