More Information about Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, born 21 April 1926) is Queen of the United Kingdom and 15 other Commonwealth realms.
Elizabeth was born in Mayfair, London, as the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth). Her father ascended the throne on the abdication of his brother King Edward VIII in 1936, from which time she was the heir presumptive. She was educated privately at home and began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. In 1947, she married Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, a former prince of Greece and Denmark, with whom she has four children: Charles, Prince of Wales; Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.
When her father died in February 1952, Elizabeth became head of the Commonwealth and queen regnant of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon. She has reigned as a constitutional monarch through major political changes, such as devolution in the United Kingdom, accession of the United Kingdom to the European Communities, Brexit, Canadian patriation, and the decolonisation of Africa. Between 1956 and 1992, the number of her realms varied as territories gained independence, and as realms, including South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (renamed Sri Lanka), became republics. Her many historic visits and meetings include a state visit to the Republic of Ireland and visits to or from five popes. Significant events have included her coronation in 1953 and the celebrations of her Silver, Golden, and Diamond Jubilees in 1977, 2002, and 2012, respectively. In 2017, she became the first British monarch to reach a Sapphire Jubilee. She is the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch. She is the longest-serving female head of state in world history, and the world's oldest living monarch, longest-reigning current monarch, and oldest and longest-serving current head of state.
Elizabeth has occasionally faced republican sentiments and press criticism of the royal family, in particular after the breakdown of her children's marriages, her annus horribilis in 1992, and the death in 1997 of her former daughter-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales. However, in the United Kingdom, support for the monarchy has been and remains consistently high, as does her personal popularity.
More Information about James Woodford (1893-1976)
James Woodford Royal Academician and sculptor
James Woodford (1893-1976) was born in Nottingham in 1893. Son of a lace designer, he studied at Nottingham school of Art, and, after serving in the 11th Sherwood Foresters in First World War, entered the Royal college of Art. From there he was awarded the Prix de Rome in Sculpture and studied and travelled in Italy for a period of three years.
He was elected a Member of the Royal Academy in 1945, awarded the Order of British Empire in 1953, and was a Member if the Royal Mint Advisory Committee on Seals and Medals for many years.
Most of his works have been in collaboration with Architects, some of the most important being “ The Queen’s Beasts” for the Coronation Annexe, Westminster Abbey; the Robin Hood Scheme , Robin Hood Lawn, Nottingham, and the British Medical Association War Memorial in Travistock Place.
Many Works have been executed for official buildings abroad, including Coats of Arms for British Embassies in Colombo, Athens, Ottawa, New Mexico, the Official Compound in Delhi, and the 8ft Lion and Unicorn status in bronze flanking the entrance to the British Embassy in Teheran. Other works overseas include a 13ft statue of the Rt. Hon .D.S Senanayake, First Prime Minister of Ceylon, and statue of Capt. Cipriani at Port of Spain, Trinidad. He was also commissioned by Imperial War Graves Commission for sculpture in British War Cemeteries in Italy, at Bolsena, Caserta and Minturno.
A number of his works have been carried out in bas-relief, freely modelled. Thus when looking round his studio one can see numerous bird models which have been sculpted for his own amusement, whilst his home is decorated with his drawings and water colours of birds and animals.
As a note of interest, the Boydell Press have just published a book entitled “Heraldic Sculpture and the work of James Woodford”. This is only one of the many tributes which will be paid to the “man of sculpture”
The use of sterling silver in fine dining was most prevalent between 1840 and 1940, with the biggest surge between 1870 and 1920. During this time, the production and merchandising of silver ramped up considerably to accommodate the growing demand.
During the Victorian era, it was frowned upon to ever touch or handle food without the use of a utensil. The ultimate criterion for a fine dining table was sterling silver flatware, a must when setting a table for a formal meal in the United States and Europe. Formal dinners in the late 1800s and early 1900s were long, extravagant affairs, sometimes including up to 10 or more courses, each of which demanded its own set of silver utensils. It wasn't uncommon to use several different types of sterling silver forks, spoons, and knives during a typical dinner.
Sterling silver was also used for serving pieces, such as large forks, cake knives, carving knives, soup spoons, and gravy ladles. In addition to its pleasing aesthetic properties, silver's heft and stability made it a serviceable tool for cutting and serving food. Often, silver serving pieces were embellished with hand-carved designs and ivory accents.
And it didn't stop there. Decorative table accents included sterling silver napkin rings, coasters, and elaborate silver candlesticks. After the meal, the precious metal was used for pots of hot water for tea, post-dinner liqueur goblets, sterling silver water pitchers, silver mint julep cups, and dishes of melted chocolate for topping desserts.
The prevalence of sterling silver in fine dining waned a bit in the mid-1900s, mainly due to rising costs of silver production. With modernity came a faster pace of life-people were busier and more rushed, and the elaborate, multi-course dinners that had once been the norm were relegated to only very special occasions among the upper class. Sterling silver dishes and tableware required a more time-consuming cleaning process than other materials, which also contributed to its diminishing popularity at the dinner table.
Today, although it's not as widely used as it was during the Victorian era, there are many different ways you can revive the tradition of incorporating pure sterling silver tableware into a fine dining setting. Display hors d'oeuvres on a silver platter, or fill ornate silver cups with sugar and cream for coffee. Sterling silver flatware continues to make a grand impression, and serves as a luxurious wedding or housewarming gift. Accents such as silver candlesticks, vases, and sterling silver place card holders are also great ways to include the fine metal in your table decor.