Sunday, May 13, 2018

BIZARRE SUPERSTITIONS OF THE BRITISH MONARCHY


With the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle less than a week away, I thought it would be a good time to share this list of Bizarre Superstitions Of The British Monarchy.

Most of us have our family traditions and even superstitions that we've upheld through the years, maybe even several generations. Ours, however, aren't declared for the whole world to know. But if you're a member of the British royal family, it seems your little family concerns are out there for the world to see regardless of how old or obsolete they are.

Here are some of the weirdest superstitions the monarchy still upholds.

The Tower of London ravens
It's believed that ravens took up permanent residence in the Tower of London back in the 1800s. To the royal family, they have been looking out for the monarchy since it was reinstated in the 1600s with King Charles II following the time of Oliver Cromwell. It's believed that if the ravens flew away, it would bring bad luck. The legend says: “If the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it.” There are still ravens that live in the tower and serve as a tourist attraction. There are people assigned to full time duty of taking care of the ravens.

Wedding dates
Are you wondering why it’s cause for concern that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are getting married on May 19, 2018? It’s because the month of May is considered unlucky, at least according to royal family superstition. This belief dates back to Queen Victoria’s reign. The late monarch’s line on the matter was: “Marry in May, and rue the day.”

(Queen Victoria makes multiple appearances on this list because she was so superstitious.)

The gems and jewels
Kate Middleton’s gorgeous sapphire ring isn’t just an ode to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. The royal family has long believed that gemstones hold magical powers. Sapphires are a particular favorite because they are believed to bring on financial success and stability. Queen Victoria also wore a sapphire.

The Ceremony of the Keys
Modern security systems keep the crown jewels under tight security at the Tower of London. Even though the monarch hasn’t lived there in ages, the Ceremony of the Keys continues its centuries-old installment. Every evening, a ceremonial guard (one of the Beefeaters) walks the halls of the tower and locks all the gates to insure that thieves don’t break in.

The monarch’s residence
For the last couple of centuries Buckingham Palace has been recognized as the home of the reigning monarch. This isn’t Queen Elizabeth II’s official address. Her official residence is technically St. James’ Palace in London. The reigning monarch lived at St. James' Palace prior to Buckingham House becoming Buckingham Palace. The first monarch to live at Buckingham Palace but keep St. James' Palace as the official residence was (surprise, surprise) Queen Victoria.

Paying the rent
No one actually pays rent at Stratfield Saye House. This is actually an annual ceremony paying homage to the Duke of Wellington and the 1815 Battle of Waterloo when the British defeated Napoleon. The duke was given Stratfield Saye House as a gift for the victory. Every year the current duke delivers a silken French flag to the queen to commemorate the win, i.e. “pay his rent.” A new flag is produced every year and is draped over the bust of the first Duke of Wellington.

The royal touch
Dating back to the Middle Ages, it was believed that being touched by the monarch could cure you of any illness. This act was put into practice by King Charles II, with the belief that his touch was God-given and could cure a skin disease called scrofula. Needless to say, modern medicine has made this “divine” practice a bit obsolete.

No touching the royals
One tradition the monarchy has not been able to shake is the superstition that the members of the royal family cannot be touched by non-royals. This belief dates back to the Middle Ages. From medieval times, monarchs were divinely appointed to rule by God, so they were seen as gods and demanded to be treated as gods. Everyone from LeBron James to Michelle Obama has been criticized for throwing a friendly arm around the royals.

Searching the cellars
In 1605, Guy Fawkes and a group of co-conspirators called the Gunpowder Plotters enacted a plot to assassinate King James I while making his speech to Parliament. The plan was foiled when Fawkes was apprehended in the cellars below the House of Lords the night before the speech. To this day the tradition continues as the queen’s royal guard still searches the cellars for Fawkes.

No shellfish allowed
One of the better-known superstitions among the royal family is that they don’t eat shellfish. This old-school tradition, which Queen Elizabeth II upholds to this day, comes from the fear of being poisoned or having a severe allergic reaction. Shellfish still doesn’t appear on the Buckingham Palace menu, but some members of the family eat it. (Prince Charles and Kate Middleton are known seafood fans.)

Holding a hostage
Once upon a time, the monarch and Parliament didn’t get along very well. They didn’t trust each other to the point that the royal family didn’t trust the safety of the sovereign while with Parliament. So, in exchange, Parliament would have to send over one of its members to be “held hostage” to insure the monarch’s safe return. Even now, when Queen Elizabeth II gives her speech at The State Opening of Parliament  a member still stays at Buckingham Palace as a hostage.

Pricking
Towards the beginning of each year, Queen Elizabeth II selects High Sheriffs during a meeting of the Privy Council. This is referred to as the Pricking Ceremony. She selects names from a list by poking through paper with a sewing needle. The origin isn't clear, but many believe this odd tradition was started by Queen Elizabeth I. She was asked to choose her High Sheriffs while she was in the middle of embroidering. She used her needle as a selecting tool.

Anne Boleyn’s ghost
Of all the figures in the monarchy’s history, Anne Boleyn continues to be the most intriguing. With that in mind, perhaps it’s not surprising that the royal family supposedly believes that her ghost walks around. According to family superstition and local lore, there are at lease seven different locations where her ghost has been seen. They include the Tower of London where she was executed. Her ghost allegedly walks around without a head.

The royal ‘we’
As mentioned above, monarchs of times gone by believed they were chosen by God to rule. So when Queen Victoria spoke, she used the pronoun 'we' instead of 'I' showing that she was speaking for both herself and her divine creator. Nowadays, Queen Elizabeth II uses the plural when she addresses Parliament, but to convey that she is speaking for both herself and the nation.

The Coronation
For centuries the royal family has believed that the coronation of a new monarch has to go perfectly without even the slightest hiccup. One mistake can be a sign that the monarchy is in trouble.

12 comments:

Ashantay said...

Interesting traditions/superstitions. Did you know there is a story that the ravens' wings are clipped so they can't fly away? And did you also know that our modern day use of "guy" to refer to someone devolved from Guy Falkes? Originally, it meant someone who was acting rebelliously. I'm hoping the upcoming wedding is pulled off perfectly!!

CB Clark said...

Fascinating. Thanks for sharing. Happy Mother's Day.

Ilona Fridl said...

Well we all have our little quirks, don't we? Thanks for the interesting post!

Hebby Roman said...

Fascinating stuff, Samantha, really enjoyed your blog. The bit about shellfish was especially interesting. And I thought May was an unusual month for a royal wedding. Obviously, Harry and his to-be-bride aren't superstitious!

Amber Daulton said...

Really interesting. I love the part about the ravens. Beautiful birds.

Cat Dubie said...

Interesting list. Tradition is all-important to the royal family, and that includes superstitions. Thanks for sharing this info.

Cat

Samantha Gentry said...

Ashantay: That story about the ravens is true. I've been to the Tower of London and you can see that their wings have been clipped. They do have a large enclosure where the birds are kept at night.

Thanks for your comment.

Samantha Gentry said...

C.B.: Glad you enjoyed it.

Thanks for your comment.

Samantha Gentry said...

Ilona: Little quirks? Moi? Couldn't be! :)

Thanks for your comment.

Samantha Gentry said...

Hebby: The superstition about May being unlucky for weddings is attributed to Queen Victoria, but I didn't come across anything that said why she believed it.

Thanks for your comment.

Samantha Gentry said...

Amber: The Tower ravens are interesting to watch, along with their Beefeater handlers.

Thanks for your comment.

Samantha Gentry said...

Cat: You're right about the Royal Family (not only Britain, other countries with monarchies, too) upholding traditions (and superstitions) even if they are big time out-dated.

Thanks for your comment.