The Queen’s Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard


What a wonderful talk Hereford and Wye Valley had at our May meeting, when we welcomed our excellent speaker who told us of the Queen’s Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard. The Bodyguard, based in St. James’s Palace, was formed in 1485 by King Henry VII and, having served 22 kings and queens of England, is the oldest Bodyguard in the world. It comprises 79 men – 6 officers and 73 Yeomen – all long serving servicemen - and now one woman.


The Bodyguard is now purely ceremonial and the uniform, which has changed very little over the past 533 years, is easily recognised by the British and greatly admired by the rest of the world. This comprises a scarlet and gold tunic weighing 16 pounds, scarlet stockings, black patent shoes with red, white and blue rosettes, a black hat weighing 4 pounds, also adorned with red, white and blue rosettes and, with a sword on the left hip and carrying their 9- pound weapons, this makes marching up The Mall to Buckingham Palace on State occasions, in hot weather, quite a feat.


In 1945 members of the Royal Air Force were permitted to apply to join the Bodyguard, which by then included the Royal Marines, but no member of the Royal Navy was sworn in until 2011. King George VI declared during his reign that it was no longer compulsory for the Bodyguard to have beards. The Bodyguard attends all State occasions: the 26 Investitures held every year, the State Opening of Parliament, State visits from foreign leaders and between 5 and 7 Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace and one at Holyrood House – at each of which 27,000 cups of tea are drunk and 20,000 sandwiches and 22,000 cakes are eaten. We were assured that the Bodyguard on duty at the garden parties is well catered for! The Bodyguard also attends Royal funerals and weddings. However, the Bodyguard was not required for the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – he is now only sixth in line to the throne.


Every four years the Queen inspects her Bodyguard in the grounds of Buckingham Palace. On one such inspection a Yeoman had forgotten to attach his medals and the next morning the Captain of the Bodyguard received a note from Her Majesty saying she was not pleased. She has a very acute eye for detail! The uniform can only be worn when on duty.


A notable event in history for the Yeomen was on 5 November 1605, when Guy Fawkes was discovered trying to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Since then the Bodyguard has searched everywhere in the Palace of Westminster ahead of every State Opening of Parliament. It was so interesting to hear of all this just days after the Royal Wedding as it made it all seem so much more fascinating. This was a most entertaining and well-informed speaker, who had us all totally engrossed. What a treat we had!!


Liz Hodgkinson


Aberdeen Club Outing to the Granite Factory


One of the clubs from the granite city – Aberdeen - found a very good way to enhance their knowledge about their local stone.


Thirty Members and guests assembled at Robertson Granite on the Silvertrees Industrial Estate, Westhill for a tour of the factory. This event was facilitated by President Susie’s husband, Graeme, who welcomed everyone with a short introduction before dividing us into four groups for a tour of the factory. The factory is principally involved in the production of granite memorials but commissions for kitchen worktops and other granite items can be accommodated. We saw the process of how the blocks of granite are cut, shaped and polished. Much of the process is carried out by computer-programmed machinery. However, there are still aspects that require a craftsman. We were impressed by the cleanliness of the factory and the measures taken to ensure a safe working environment for all staff.


Grateful thanks are due to Graeme and President Susie for organising the event and also to the members of staff who stayed behind in order that we could have a clear picture of what is involved in the production of granite memorials.


Margaret Eastmond – Club Correspondent


Page. 12


Innerwheel


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16