knighthood still exists

With two exams completed and only one more to go, the pressure was on. And when the pressure is on to be studying, the pressure to come up with even better reasons not to also looms even more closely. Luckily, my commitment to exploring the UK and getting the most out of the cultural experience provides material from which to draw excuses to sneak away from Swansea and the daunting task of traditional studying. Don't worry, I took my study materials with me on the train :)I am really passionate about making sure I see and do all that I can while I'm here, so that means that even in this last week, I have been trying to make the most of it.

Thanks to Sue Smith, I have had in my hands this term the first season of the television show, The Tudors. For those of you who aren't familiar with it-- I would first advise that it is probably not suitable for kids. It is a soap opera style TV drama following the story line of Henry the VIII, his life as King of England, and his six wives. Although it is a little "trashy," it has provided a more interesting backdrop from which the history of the British monarchy, and I have grown to love it. In addition to watching The Tudors, I have also made an effort to watch period dramas like The Other Boleyn Girl and Elizabeth I. Luckily, I have a friend here who is equally entranced by these shows-- so I'm not alone. I know that TV producers have added their own twists and drama to the stories, but I've kept my computer close and have been googling individuals out of curiosity how close their TV characters were to the real thing. I know that the personalities are hard to pinpoint historically, but what they are pictured doing is surprisingly accurate.

--> Take this whole fascination with the monarchy one step further, and I've accidentily reinforced my TV habits with real history. Monday I went and visited Windsor castle, which had so much to see and learn, but along the Tudor line, was where Henry VIII himself, along with some of his closest friends (like Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk for those of you who know the TV show) as well as Jane Seymour were buried. Also buried in St. George's Chapel at Windsor was Edward IV, Henry VI, Charles I (among many others) and more recently the queen's mother. It is also where the current queen intends to be buried.

--> For a little bit more history-- when William the Conquerer came over to Britain in 1070, he decided that he wanted London to be his capital. In order to protect the city, he built 9 castles around it. Two of those are still standing: the Tower Castle (which I visited in March) and Windsor. While both house heaps of history within their walls, Windsor is still an "official residence" of the Queen. Across the lawn in this photo is the "private apartments," where the queen stays when she is there. Apparently she didn't get my note about coming to visit, she wasn't there when I was there.

--> The big attractions in Windsor for tourists to see are the queen's dollhouse, the state apartments, the round tower (pictured behind me here) and the chapel. Unfortunately, the only one you can photograph is the tower-- from the outside. While the Tower Castle was originally built in stone, Windsor was originally wood. Obviously the original wood wasn't able to survive a thousand years of wear and tear, so they have had to rebuild. The round tower is the oldest structure standing, being built in stone about one hundred years after the original wood was put up (so during the 1100s).

The State Apartments were my favorite, particularly St. George's Hall. Inside this massive hall where the queen hosts banquets there were knight's sheilds up on the ceilings and along the walls, just over a thousand of them. I was fascinated by the "Order of the Garter." I guess I didn't know that knights and stuff like this still existed, even though nowadays it isn't as hardcore as it was originally. So the Order of the Garter is the highest order of knighthood. Yup, knights still exist-- they originated in medevil England, created by King Edward III, were warriors, and were all apart of the order of chivalry. At any time in history, the Order of the Garter was comprised of the monarch, the Prince of Wales, and 24 companions (appointed by the monarch). The knight's sheilds are all on display in St. George's Hall because the order is dedicated to St. George, the patron saint of England. There are some sheilds that are blank, though, instead of showing the particular coat of arms. I learned that rather than take the sheild down when a knight is degraded from the order, for committing a crime like treason, the sheild is left up, but blank, to remind everyone the cost of treason.