coronation

Coronation Party: God Save The King

AmandaLeave a comment

Lord, enthroned in heavenly splendour: look with favour upon thy servant Charles our King, and bestow upon him such gifts of wisdom and love that we and all thy people may live in peace and prosperity and in loving service one to another, to thine eternal glory; who with the Father and the Holy Spirit reigns supreme…

Being in England during the Coronation prep was such a memorable experience. What a special time in history to get to watch something unfold that reaches back to the very same Abbey in 1066. How incredible that we have been invited to be a part.

Did any of you get up to watch on TV or attend in person? I tried to talk some friends into a 5am Coronation party, but surprisingly, no one took me up on it! I was wide awake awaiting the family’s arrival to the Abbey. My sweet husband joined me a little later and I had tea and biscuits waiting for us, prepared the night before. Peep the little crown spoons 🙂

The ceremony was powerful. The music, the choir, the seriousness of all involved. I was grateful for the information we got from the exhibit at Blenheim Palace, and on the TV show, The Crown. At one point in the ceremony, the to-be monarch stands before God wearing plain clothing; no embroidery, no signs of State or wealth. That moment is between them and God, where the Divine meets Earth. All kingdoms and principalities belong to Him, after all. I cried, to no one’s surprise. My husband was surprised at how moving it was, he didn’t realize it was a religious ceremony.

Later that afternoon, my family came over for a Coronation Party. I prepared Coronation Chicken, tea sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, Berries on a Cloud trifle with the Union Jack on top. And tea, of course.

We love sharing about our travels with food from where we went. It’s one of our favorite things to do! My brother or I will set up a slideshow to have our own show and tell, and hand out souvenirs. This is something we started after our honeymoon to St. Lucia, where we made Caribbean food for dinner (including handmade coconut turnovers). It’s now tradition!

How do you share your travels? I’d love to hear!

xo, Amanda

Lamberts Take London: Day 6, Does It Come with Food?

AmandaLeave a comment

Day 6 we woke to the most beautiful view! Breakfast overlooking the pond is something I will cherish forever. While we ate, a couple and their dogs walked through the meadow behind the pond. I love that the land is for everyone here.

On this day, we drove to Blenheim Palace, Winston Churchill’s birthplace. He was born in the coat closet! They had a spectacular exhibit going ahead of the Coronation, highlighting the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough and their long history with the Royal Family starting with Queen Anne.

I had yet to watch Bridgerton, so I did not have a full appreciation for the costumes and Whilstedown style letters throughout the exhibit. How fun to look back, especially when watching the Queen Charlotte spin-offs to see the locations where we were! Blenheim Palace was used as the set for Buckingham Palace in the series.

Swarovski Commision
Bridgerton Costumes
Coronation Outfits for The Crown
From Victoria on PBS
Hallway often use in Queen Charlotte
Duchess of Marlborough’s dress from QEII’s Coronation

On through the exhibit were costumes from The Crown and Victoria on PBS. I was in heaven! The gown used for the Coronation scene was made by Swarovski. It was absolutely covered in Swarovski crystals and dazzled like I never dreamed. I always thought it was just embroidered, since the televised Coronation footage is black and white.

We learned so much about Winston Churchill, including that it took him several tries to get into Military School, and also to find a wife! Clementine was his third proposal… They did a beautiful job capturing his life from birth through to his time as Prime Minister.

We had tea at Clementine’s on the Lawn (The Orangery was under construction). This was Austin’s first time for Afternoon Tea. I giggled when he asked the waitress, “does this include food?” His eyes lit up when they brought the tiered tray full of delights. He may have even gotten us seconds…

We wandered the grounds for hours, there was so much to see. At one point, we did the maze and quickly realized mazes were not for us… We slipped through a side door in desperation, only to realize we had to slip back in to be able to get out. Whew, we avoided all mazes after that.

After seeing the Palace, we drove to Bourton-on-the-Water to see the Miniature Village. It was… not worth the rush back… But the town was so lovely. We walked down the lane, past the river and brick homes and came upon a step ladder over a nearby fence for a public walkway through a meadow. I truly love that the land is open, unlike Texas. Walk through our land and you might meet an unhappy end. It was an inspiration for simply hospitality.

If we ate dinner, it was not memorable. Back to the Christmas Cottage to get ready for the next day!

xo, Amanda