the Words Made Flesh

Over the years and centuries, it is a relationship that has been marked by insurrection, war and strained diplomacy despite geographical proximity and many cultural and familial ties. Early days of English rule Henry VIII Henry VIII was the first English monarch to also be King of Ireland The Norman invasion of Ireland in the late 12th Century marked the beginning of 700 years of shared history between neighbouring islands separated, at their furthest, by about 150 miles. The English Crown did not assert full control of Ireland until 1541, when the Irish Parliament bestowed the title of King of Ireland on Henry VIII after an uprising by the Earl of Kildare threatened regal hegemony. The arrival of thousands of Protestant settlers from England and Scotland displaced many of the existing Catholic landholders and sowed the seeds for centuries of on-off sectarian and military conflict. Wars in the middle and end of the 17th Century cemented the Protestant ascendancy, with William of Or...

Ten British Christmas Traditions Every Anglophile Will Learn to Love – Which is Your Favorite? Being the Anglophile that I am, I have often sought out classic British traditions and tried to incorporate them into my own holiday celebrations here in America. I’ve picked them up from British TV shows, books, and magazines (and a few when we spent Christmas in England in 2013). Some are quintessentially British, others might be a little fringe and honestly not very British at all. Still, having had the joy of experiencing a British Christmas, we now count many of these traditions as part of our usual American Christmas traditions. Mince Pies Mince pies aren’t really a thing here in America. I couldn’t even tell you where to buy them locally. Most Americans probably think they’re actually still made with meat. They’re not part of Christmas traditions here. Instead, we eat cookies, cakes and other types of pies. It’s actually rather odd to us to call a Mince Pie and pie – our pies ...

1. They send a lot of Christmas Cards. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip send around 850 hand - signed cards. Which will usually feature a family photo. The card is signed 'Elizabeth R' and 'Philip' and features their official cyphers. Family, friends, and Members of The Royal Household will likely be the recipients of The Royal Christmas Card, but British and Commonwealth Prime Ministers, Governor-General and High Commissions may also be sent one. 2. The Queen does her Christmas shopping at “Harrods”. 3. All the Buckingham Palace staff are given gifts. They get a gift token or a book token. The value increases with seniority. 4. They spend Christmas at Sandringham House, the Queen's country estate in Norfolk (Sandringham is the much- loved country retreat of Her Majesty The Queen, and has been the private home of four generations of British monarchs since 1862. The house is set in 24 hectares of stunning gardens). 5. The Queen hires out an entire train carr...