Long Life
Long Life
It seems almost unbelievable that today is the three-year anniversary of the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II. Her long life was a calm anchor of stillness in an ever faster turning world. My father-in-law was born two years earlier before the late Queen in 1924 – it was a very different world from today and I always thought that particular generation were formed by the experience of WW2 and its aftermath.
From six years of global catastrophe on an unreal scale, peace was declared in 1945 and thereafter those who fought to save freedom then strived to create institutions and forums to curtail future wars. Continued dialogue being key to peace and, as Winston Churchill once said “jaw jaw is better than war war”. The shadow of WW2 and its consequential re settlement of boundaries and people as well as the grievous pain endured, still looms over us.
Our Weekend to Remember over the last two days paid tribute to the heroes who did not return, as well as those who did. To quote Shakespeare, “too often the good that men do is oft interred with their bones” - they lie silently in peace but should not be forgotten because their legacy is our lives today.
Statistics do not touch our souls as much as the individual stories of men and women. Hence the lives of the airmen – USA, UK and New Zealand – who crashed here in WWII bring tears to our eyes and the sight and sound of the B17 flying past this weekend was very emotional. It was very beautiful and tear jerking and the crowds here waved in happiness to see it.
For all of us today it is about living life well, remembering the joy of VE day, of the now famous dancing, music and singing across the U.K. We hope we did all of that well on both Saturday and Sunday here at Highclere! The late Queen said that VE day was the most “memorable day” of her life. My father-in-law was one of the young men who danced through the streets of London with the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. I used to love hearing his stories as they were an incredibly joyful moment after so much misery and suffering.
Still we look back at WW2, we research it, read various biographies of key leaders and generals, are drawn into novels about the time, laugh with the TV show Dad’s Amy and enjoy various heroic films. For all the reference points it may give us, there are at best only indirect comparatives to today, nor can we attribute our current woes to WW2. Over the course of those six years, it showed us many moral dilemmas, the sacrifices made, individual courage, deep compassion and almost untrammelled evil. However now we have to travel in hope, to remember with gratitude, to act today with kindness, to dance, sing and live well but understanding we need to be prepared. Colin Thackery (95 years old) led us in song, Colin Bell (104 years old) led us in remembrance, different representatives led us in words of alliance and concord.
We pledged to be vigilant guardians of the values they bequeathed to us and to remember the epitaph on Commonwealth War Grave cemeteries. “When you go home tell them of us, for your tomorrow, we gave our today”.
At the end of our day at Highclere, we did our own conga to the wonderful singing of Lissie Allsopp. Thank you, all Team Highclere, – you are amazing, thank you to our Sponsors Viking and our wonderful USA friends Sarah and Ross Perot Jr. Thank you to the charities who came and thank you to all of you who came and supported the event over the 6/7 September - it certainly was a weekend to remember.
26 Comments
Also recalled & thought of wonderful Queen Elizabeth II on her passing day again.
Congratulation on your successful past Memorable Weekend event and that weather was lovely.
Well done to you all for the weekend of remembrance - let's hope we all continue to remember those we lost in the Wars, those who survived and all those who lived through those harrowing years.
Lovely piece to encapsulate a magical weekend, well attended and blessed by fine weather. A cornucopia of memories, stories and songs.
There will NEVER be a Queen, like the one that PASSED AWAY, 3 years ago. God Save the Queen,and God Save the U.K. Peace, John L. Roberts, Tonawanda, N.Y. USA!
Thank you for the remembrances.
Beautifully written! We must always remember the last world war and ensure there is never another one. The late Queen Elizabeth was much admired on both sides of the pond. She is still very much missed.
Lady Carnarvon,
Thank you for another look at wonderful England’s
involvement in WW II. We in the US appreciate so much our joint desire for world peace. Thank you for the part your and Geordie’s family played in that important time.
"Lest we Forget"
Robert Douch
Vancouver Canada
I'm from the USA, and I have many great uncles and Uncles who died and also came home. It doesn't matter what country we're in. It's a sacrifice they made to protect our great nations. Every year on Memorial Day, we too celebrate to remember those who pledged to protect.
Thank you for your pictures and sweet words.
May God protect our current Military fighting to keep us safe.
Lilly Aguirre
Hesperia California, USA
Lady Carnarvon,
You hosted an important event that will surely be remembered by those attending as will the war it commemorated. So happy the two Colins you introduced in a previous blog participated. May we someday
have world peace. It can't come soon enough.
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
As a fan and follower of your
writing I wanted you to know that
over 100 Canadian pilots and another
200 ground crew fought in the Battle
of Britain. My late Father was also
a D-Day lander who fought for 4 years.
Thank you for your wonderful thoughts and for remembering the sacrifices of “The Greatest Generation”!
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
When our late Queen passed away a double rainbow appeared over Buckingham Palace....what a wonderful sign from Heaven.
Angela
"They shall not grow old, as we who are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them or the years condemn,
At the going down of the sun and in the morning we shall remember them."
Let's hope peace prevails for ever
What a special weekend of remembrance that resonated with so many of us whose family served in the conflicts of both world wars. They will not be forgotten because the many organisations, charities and and of us ensure their legacy lives on. It was with heavy hearts that we mourned the loss of the late Queen 3 years ago. Her lifetime of commitment was truly remarkable.Thank you for another poignant read.
We must never forget. Your weekend of remembrance honored all those who sacrificed. Thank you.
What a wonderful Remembrance Day at Highclere! You and your staff do such a great service to veterans and active duty military. I am embarking on a remembrance cruise on Viking’s Paris & the Heart of Normandy this month. I’m sure we will feel the enormity of the Normandy invasion and loss of life and innocence. It must be so special for your family to have a wonderful memory of your father-in-law celebrating VE Day with Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret.
So much timely thought and compassion captured so eloquently. Thank you.
Queen Elizabeth was loved and is very missed.
It's amazing that three years already have gone by. And now we have the upcoming funeral of HRH The Duchess of Kent which will be celebrated at
Westminster Cathedral next Tuesday.
I also wonder if you knew that the Queen died on a Catholic feast, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Coincidence, I think not . Have a good week.
What a Queen to always remember
What a War to never forget
My Father was on the USS Hambleton supporting the D-Day Landings
My step Grandfather was in the 29th Division landing on that beach
My young Mother in the State Department worked on reparations
All gone now.
Your tribute reminds us that we now carry the burden to Remember and Never Forget.
Thank you!
What a Queen to always remember
What a War to never forget
My Father was on the USS Hambleton supporting the D-Day Landings
My step Grandfather was in the 29th Division landing on that beach
My young Mother in the State Department worked on reparations
All gone now.
Your tribute reminds us that we now carry the burden to Remember and Never Forget.
Thank you!
A huge "Thank you" to Team Highclere for A Weekend to Remember.
Having lived near Cantigny, Illinois, home of the First Division Museum,
it was interesting to speak with a re-enactor wearing their uniform and,
with permission from the soldier himself, the dog tags of John MacPhee.
There is a moving recording of his recollections of nearly
drowning and being shot four times in the first wave at Omaha Beach,
Normandy on June 6th, 1944. You can find it at the Library of Congress
website: https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.13770/
All the re-enactors were well-informed and respectful of the important role
played by the people on whom they based their characters, bringing home
the stories of selflessness and strength. Thank you also to the "Lumber Jills",
the Women's Land Army, the Padre, and the Police Officer.
Thank You. You hit the nail on the head when you said: "However now we have to travel in hope, to remember with gratitude, to act today with kindness, to dance,
sing and live well but understanding we need to be prepared."
We all need to understand that bit "be prepared!"!! Unless we remember and act to preserve the reason they sacrificed all we negate every bit of it
and risk losing it all.
What a very thoughtful story so many memories. We weren't fortunate to go to Highclere at the weekend.
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Good evening,
" War,war,war, talking about
war just ruined our whole
summer." said the character
SCARLET in the movie "GONE
WHITH THE WIND."
VILA ALEMÃ
RIO CLARO-SP
BRAZIL.