EVEN in black-and-white photographs, the sun is shining. It is June 1949, four years after British forces liberated the Channel Islands from German occupation, and the heir to the throne, Princess Elizabeth, is opening the development of homes built for veterans at Grève d'Azette in Jersey. A little girl, Sheila Le Breuilly, has been chosen to present a bouquet of yellow roses to the princess. She wears ribbons in her hair and executes a well-practiced curtsey.
Fast forward to 2001. Since 1952, Princess Elizabeth has been Elizabeth II; she has returned to Jersey, a dependency of the British crown. On this occasion, it is not yellow roses that the monarch receives, but a brace of mallards, imported from nearby France, as the species is protected in Jersey.
Yellow roses, you may think, are preferable to dead ducks, but the latter constitute a highly symbolic offering, a reminder of the homage that, centuries ago, the island's ruler expected from Jersey's lords of the manor. The island's links to the Crown pre-date many aspects of the UK's royal heritage.
The Channel Islands were part of the Duchy of Normandy before William the Conqueror successfully invaded England in 1066 and, in Jersey, islanders have been known to joke that, in 1066, they were on the winning side at the Battle of Hastings. In this sunny island granted self-governing status by King John more than 800 years ago, the gift of mallard, presented on a silver salver, acknowledges the authority of the current 'Duke'-for the past 70 years, Her Majesty The Queen.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 20, 2022 من Country Life UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 20, 2022 من Country Life UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
