Contrary to what I read and wrote yesterday on the subject of King Charles being a more reasonable rich git than most, today comes this article about how he is going to have a pay rise!
“King Charles III is to receive a huge pay rise from the UK taxpayer, according to government plans to boost public funding of the monarchy by 45% from 2025.
Details of the increase, which comes against the backdrop of a cost of living crisis, were contained in a review of royal funding published by the Treasury on Thursday. It revealed the royal family’s grant is due to increase from £86m to £125m.”
Doctors and teachers and nurses might not deserve more money but apparently the royal personage does! Hey ho! So it goes.
Someone who wrote letters to royal personages was a certain Christopher Columbus, aka Cristobal Colón. It seems one of his letters to King Ferdinand of Spain has been found in a private collector’s horde of precious stuff in the USA. It’s being returned to Italy, to a museum in Venice. My friend Colin in Pontevedra, Galicia, will no doubt be declaring that it should be sent to Poio, also Galicia, allegedly the actual birthplace of the great adventurer. Here’s an article with more information.
On the subject of royal personages here’s a little something on a wild flower called Queen Anne’s Lace, also known round here by the more mundane name of Cow Parsley. There is a folk tale that the flowers would bloom for Queen Anne and her ladies in waiting and reflect the delicate lace they wore. Here’s a little information about her:
Anne was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland from 8 March 1702 until 1 May 1707. On 1 May 1707, under the Acts of Union, the kingdoms of England and Scotland united as a single sovereign state known as Great Britain. Anne continued to reign as Queen of Great Britain and Ireland until her death in 1714. Anne was born in the reign of Charles II to his younger brother and heir presumptive, James, whose suspected Roman Catholicism was unpopular in England. On Charles's instructions, Anne and her elder sister Mary were raised as Anglicans. Mary married their Dutch Protestant cousin, William III of Orange, in 1677, and Anne married Prince George of Denmark in 1683. On Charles's death in 1685, James succeeded to the throne, but just three years later he was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Mary and William became joint monarchs. Although the sisters had been close, disagreements over Anne's finances, status, and choice of acquaintances arose shortly after Mary's accession and they became estranged. William and Mary had no children. After Mary's death in 1694, William reigned alone until his own death in 1702, when Anne succeeded him.
As for the flower Queen Anne’s Lace, here goes:
- Symbolism: Wisdom, purity, sanctuary
- Common names: Queen Anne’s lace, Bishop’s lace, Bird’s nest, Bee’s nest
- Uses: The young taproot is edible and has a similar taste to a carrot, ornamental use in the garden, attracts predatory insects, has been used as a skin toner due to its high potassium levels
It must not be confused with the very similar-looking but apparently toxic Water hemlock:
- Symbolism: None
- Common names: Western water hemlock, Water hemlock
- Uses: None
Here’s a picture of the two plants.
King of the road in the Tour de France at the moment is Danish Jonas Vingegaard, who has undergone at least four anti-doping tests in recent days. Nobody can believe he is so good.
And finally, nothing to do with kings and queens, here’s a little list of the colours of emotions. It is possible to be:
In the pink
Feeling blue
Seeing red
In a black mood
In a brown study
Green with envy
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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