Monday, January 18, 2010

Golden Gift




MELLOW YELLOW MONDAY
http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/2010/01/mellow-yellow-monday-52.html

GOLDEN GIFT

A brand new Royal carriage will be sent off to the Queen,
In a special jumbo jet all of its own.
A piece of future history from the far side of the world;
Something quite as regal as a throne!
It was meant as a birthday present. It will be a little late,
As the Queen was eighty quite some time ago,
But the work involved has been intense, that's very plain to see,
And, also, it has been on public show.
Our attitude to Monarchy is odd to say the least;
A Republic is in favour, it's quite clear.
There are many who resent the Royal Family as a whole,
And the movement seems to grow year after year.
Yet the Queen herself is still revered, and the ties with 'the Old Dart',
And the Britishness of things still lingers on.
But expect great changes when, in time, another Monarch reigns
And the way of life of 'colonies' moves on.
Maybe this is a 'last hurrah' in Australian history;
This symbol of another day and age.
Maybe this golden carriage will be recalled one day
As a footnote at the bottom of the page.
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READ MORE
Labouring in a workshop near Manly, local coachmaker Jim Frecklington has spent two years quietly building the vehicle with the help of experts from around the world. The carriage, to be officially named State Coach Britannia, is trimmed with pure gold, is more than three metres high, weighs 2.5 tonnes and includes timbers taken from the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Edinburgh Castle, Lord Nelson's ship Victory and England's 16th-century warship The Mary Rose. Mr Frecklington is confident the carriage contains more gold than any other royal carriage since the Queen's Gold Coronation State Carriage, built in 1762. Each door handle is made of New Zealand gold and encrusted with sapphires and diamonds. The new coach contains modern touches including high-tech hydraulic suspension, the latest heating systems and electric windows.

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The Queen as a Blogger here:

http://rinklyrimes.blogspot.com/2008/09/133-important-blogger.html


9 comments:

Ginny Hartzler said...

How impressive! I wonder how he procured all those timbers from the different places? Wonder if the queen will ride in it? Did you see this yourself?

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

It is an impressive picture certainly, but the history lesson so well presented and your comments were really what made this post so very interesting. Something to think about for sure. Thanks for sharing.

Tina said...

Very nice!

Visit mine here!

Coffeedoff said...

Beautiful coach!Amazing history surrounding it, already!

Kranky Granny said...

The coach is certainly beautiful, and I agree with everything that Sally said before me. But, all the time and expense that went into making it gives me mixed emotions.

I can't help but think about what good all that money could do for the sick and hungry in someplace like Haiti; instead of locked up in some royal carriage house, and seldom used.

Magical Mystical Teacher said...

Encrusted with gold,
it’s quite a sight to behold—
the queen’s new carriage.

Visit the yellow-jacketed dog man!

Stephanie V said...

Thanks for all the interesting info on this coach. It really is beautiful and was obviously a labor of love.

Chubskulit Rose said...

Beautiful picture for the story Ms. Brenda!

Birthday Cake for mellow yellow monday!

Jazzbumpa said...

I don't know if I'm more impressed with the craftsmanship, the expense, or the quixotic aspect of the project.

Nice twist at the end of your poem.

Cheers!
JzB