Celebrating the Royals

May your life always be like a teapot...overflowing to warm the soul. ~ Irish Blessing

Welcome dear friends to Tea with the Royals! This is our Victoria Day weekend and we are celebrating the first long weekend of the summer.

We are also celebrating Queen Victoria's birthday and for those of you who may not be aware, Canada is part of the British Commonwealth and therefore we have close ties to the UK and the Royal family. Queen Elizabeth is our Queen which is one of the reasons why the royals visit our country so frequently. 

Elizabeth II is, and has been since her accession in 1952, Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and Head of the Commonwealth.

Internet

Queen Victoria, who was our reigning Queen Elizabeth's great-great-grandmother, was a much beloved queen and the third Monday of every May is set aside to honour her memory. 

Internet

All the time I was ironing I was trying to think of a name for a new island Diana and I discovered up by the brook. It's the most ravishing spot, Marilla. There are two maple trees on it and the brook flows right round it. At last it struck me that it would be splendid to call it Victoria Island because we found it on the Queen's birthday. Both Diana and I are very loyal. ~ Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery

Victoria Day is also a day to pay homage to Queen Elizabeth II whose birthday is actually on April 21. 

FYI: 
Elizabeth's father was George VI
George VI's father was George V, Elizabeth's grandfather.
George V's father was Edward VII, Elizabeth's great grandfather.
Edward VII's mother was Queen Victoria, Elizabeth's great great grandmother.

Also it's interesting to note that Elizabeth's husband, Prince Philip, is a great great grandson of Queen Victoria, making Elizabeth and Philip third cousins through this relationship. 

Prince Albert - Internet

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert married on February 10, 1849 and had nine children. Their children married into other royal families throughout Europe.

After her beloved Prince Albert died, Victoria wore the colour black for the rest of her life. That did not necessarily mean the colour was her favourite. She was in mourning for her prince.

I went on line trying to determine what Victoria's favourite colour was because I thought I would set my tea table in that colour. However most sites claimed it was black although a few said purple. 

In any case, I will use some Royal Albert china as well as Maxwell and Williams to celebrate this special occasion and it's not going to be black although black can be very elegant.

The roses were all too expensive this week so I picked up some pink carnations. I like carnations and their spicy fragrance. 

To be overcome by the fragrance of flowers is a delectable form of defeat. - Beverly Nichols

And since I have pink flowers, my china will have to have some pink in it and what better than a little chintz. I do believe the Victorians loved the colour pink.

Maxwell and Williams is the maker of my Rose Bud teapot as well as the matching teacup. 

Royal Albert Old English Rose is also on the table because they look so pretty with the other pieces. 

Avon shape

Hampton shape

I thought this quote by Marlene Dietrich was cute:

The British have an umbilical cord which has never been cut and through which tea flows constantly. It is curious to watch them in times of sudden horror, tragedy or disaster. The pulse stops apparently, and nothing can be done, and no move made, until "a nice cup of tea" is made. There is no question that it brings solace and does steady the mind. ~ Marlene Dietrich 

I had planned to bake a cake but I ran out of time. Perhaps I will get it made later and if I do, I will do another post. 

Thank you for visiting today. It promises to be a beautiful warm sunny weekend and today we are spending it with our grandsons. So I have to run. Have a splendid long weekend everyone and I will see you on Monday for No Place Like Home.


I am joining the following parties as well~

Bernideen's Tea in the Garden
 Tuesday Cuppa Tea
 Bernideen's TTCG Blog Party
 Tea Cup Tuesday
 The Art of Home-Making Mondays
Share Your Cup
 Home Sweet Home


Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi