royal – SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR)

Chinese Language Media Hide the Face of the Victim Out of Respect!

London: Horse of the King’s Guard “Bites” Chinese Tourist – British Vlogger “Laughs”! (21.7.2024)

23/07/2024 Adrian (釋大道)

The tourists are attracted by the pomp and ceremony attached to the methods of combat last practiced on the battlefield around 150 years ago! The British Royal Family are actually protected by the armed Royalty and Specialist Protection (RaSP) Unit of the Met Police – which includes the Royalty Protection Group (Special 0perations 14) and Specialist Protection Command (Special Operations 1) – SO14 and SO1. These men and women are highly trained, do not stand-out – and will shoot a suspect dead in seconds if the need arises – needless to say no photographs are allowed. This is a very different reality to modern soldiers having to obey government orders by dressing-up in old uniforms and posing for tourists – tourists who are then (racially) criticised for daring to approach! Apologies to this injured woman and her associates. The British Army has high standards of discipline – standards which were not upheld during this incident.

The Lord Burghley – William Cecil (1520-1597) – Closet Revolutionary! (30.4.2024)

30/04/2024 Adrian (釋大道)

To remedy this situation, during March 1563, William Cecil drafted a “Bill for the Succession” designed for Parliament to debate and pass (as an “Act”) providing it received Royal Assent. Cecil suggested that if Elizabeth I died suddenly with no direct (or suitable) heirs, the Crown (and all its powers) should be temporally transferred to the Privy Council (effectively making England a “Republic”). Whilst this was happening, the English Parliament was to sit, discuss and then “vote” for the most suitable candidate to ascend to the throne – thus creating an “Elected Monarchy”! If this idea had been successful – virtually everything earned during the English Civil Wars of the 1640s would have been peacefully achieved around 80-years earlier! As matters transpired, Elizabeth I quashed the Bill by refusing to allow it to be discussed – or move to the voting and assenting stages.

London: Souvenir “Grenadier Guard” Lead Soldier! (26.9.2023)

26/09/2023 Adrian (釋大道)

In this sense the ancient ritual of ‘guarding’ is a charade – or a piece of very interesting ‘theatre’ that constitutes a living history. These guards are professional soldiers trained to fight on the modern battlefield – but also ‘volunteer’ to learn all the required skills to ‘march’, ‘stand’ and ‘patrol’ just like a British Infantry Soldier did during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Once upon a time – soldiers in the British Army used march into battle dressed in these uniforms and behaving in this manner – whilst advancing on the enemy standing in straight ranks and moving slowly but precisely forward with fixed bayonet! As the dead and wounded in the front-line fell to the ground – soldiers in the supporting ranks would move up and take their place without effecting the momentum of the attack!

London: St James Palace! (25.8.2023)

26/08/2023 Adrian (釋大道)

We had to head South-West from Trafalgar Square around 0.6 miles toward Buckingham Palace. Our intention was to show the children – Mei-An and Kai-Lin – how the soldiers carry-out their duties in an orderly and well-organised manner. Although the frontline ‘Guards’ had been drawn back away from the crowds decades ago at Buckingham Palace – I knew that the general public could still get reasonable close at the nearby St James Palace – but on the day of our visit – the soldiers were not to be seen in their usual places! Indeed, most were absent except for the side-gate which is used for the main entrance (pictured above) – but even here – the soldiers had been pulled-back behind the metal fence and away from the public.

Sutton: George V “GR” Postbox (c. 1910) – Corner of St Dunstan’s Hill & Westfield Road! (6.8.2023)

06/08/2023 Adrian (釋大道)

However, some Postboxes are always permitted to keep the designation of older (Constitutional) Monarchs. Within the grounds of Windsor Castle, for instance, we have observed a Postbox dedicated to King Edward VII (reigned 1901-1910) – with another Postbox in Oxford dedicated to King Edward VIII (who only ruled for the single year ‘1936’ – before being replaced after his ‘Abdication’ by King George III). Perhaps the above Postbox was constructed as early as 1910 – meaning it is currently 113-years old! Without knowing it, when this Postbox turned ‘100’ in 2010 – my family lived right next door to it!

Normandy: Remembering the Allied Sacrifices of D-Day (6.6.1944) – 79th Anniversary! (6.6.2023)

06/06/2023 Adrian (釋大道)

The British Glider Troops were tasked with seizing local landmarks (such as ‘Pegasus Bridge’) of tactical and strategic importance from the local Nazi German defenders – and hold these assets in the face of the expected Nazi German counter-attack. Meanwhile, Arthur Gibson (as a member of the Royal Navy) was busy protecting Northern Britain by preventing a Nazi German invasion – whilst keeping the sea lanes free of Nazi German ‘mines’ so that Allied Shipping could move (free of this risk) throughout the North Atlantic. This included the assisting of the Russian (Soviet) Arctic Convoys – although the presence of Nazi German U-Boats was an ever-present threat!

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